PORT CHARGES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 410, 20 January 1909, Page 9

PORT CHARGES.

, INCREASED TARIFF LOOKING. WHO WIU PAY? MERCHAOTS OR SHIPPING COMPANIES? As was expected, tho intimation in the annual report of tho Wellington Harbour Board that it will be necessary sooner or later to increaso tho revenue of tho port has occasioned discussion in shipping and busicircles, The principal point is the proportion of tho.pioposod. additional rovenuo which should be contributed,by censignoes of good's and the- quota which should bo borno by_owners of ships. Oi equal interest is tho question as to whether tho timo is ripe for making increases in the tariff.- Refeiring to this matter, the 'secretary of 'the board makes tho fpllowing observation, jn the annual report:—"Remembering tho cempetition of other ports, tho proposed inoroases must be made cautiously, and it would bo well to await the experience of tho year just beginning, before deciding on any material increase of. Among those who do not hold that thore need be any delay in the matter is Mr. T. Kenne'dy Macdonald, whp das given notice of his intention to move as onder at the next meeting of tha' board:— ''That, in oonsequence of.tho increased expenditure, it is necessary, in tho true interests, of the Harbour Bpard, that tho levenuo should be inci eased, and that the secretary of the board bp instructed ' to bung up an ameiyledrtariff of charges to provide a larger, not credit balance bofayeon .revenue and expenditure." ) MR.T. K. MAGDQNAI-D'S, VIEV/S, ,

/:.: /Asked/whether.--jlie'Jha&iiany objection to / explaining ■i.hjs/ , views' jm: the':-'subject.' lh. \;M?(^nalcl'replie4j:i.^NoV-m..ihe'least."..--' : He !.:wenti>onfto;.;say; : -ilio^ov'er ) 7 that/'he : :-did -not : oiigiit ■• properly to. be, presented'' to "the 'board -when' ;hp;.was mpying the/piqtipiv.Vln his ppinjou, it- was ---absolutely., filear that; it 'was 'impossible ./.ior;;;thq-:bpard;,toVincrease- ; :(as'-';it--.had.beeri ; domg);the; ; wages; of ; : expenditure' of' a' ■ g'l'WnSWhng / authorised ; by ; JarliamentaAatßes'sipriKWithouti' at thVsame : i : nfpvisipn>fqr■:the' : -additional ■■; charges 'for ■interest; and/other His ■ Jear had/been that: the"necessity 'for the con-' . templatod improvements'wifs:'ap| to,b'e:oreri looked/' and in'= bringing: Jorward .: the resolution -.was. that '■' tlie flatter might :^f u se:membersV'pf-the-board to reflect.uppri ';the.;senousness. of the/ ppsjtioh,':>oth'afrwhen' ■the- 4 motWn;'wa3,:dißous3ed,-!;tliero : would be a considered Vinind' upon % /question, Members •of;;tne. bpardi.were,'.;yery /anxious'that' the i; fche'fineßt , -iri , 'tlio Uominionr'shouid/b-rmaintained;.'' In order' ; to; secu™.^uoh'.a:.res«lt. they -guard against: fpolish and Inconsiderate e^ponditure'• : because sqphexpendit'ufo'Trpuld 'involve "tho mcreasjng of. charges,- which' irpujd inevitably > react to the .detriment-of the port by.causing its ch|rges. : tp.be" r.egardedvas bxcessiyirand . beyond,-, whqtKhasY beei):■' k noxfrih in:. the .past • ■.™.:. 9,e .cheapest; /port iin ■: th> ', Dominion. :-i^V Q W^.v^n'' i Making-::.thps>---'rflniar]?s-' :: Va»' u-rt °--■■?'■■ Piblw .-ipighj -understand .that.TO'stjiinembers: of/ tjie<;b,pard./Tyere impressed with .the necessity..pf.(majnj;.aining'the .repu-. tet«o%of ; ■ sn'4'.qf'. payjng.'its' labqur }"?%; t h % a lsosr«cognised -tjjeir, roappnsibK' hum,affecting the.true-government pf the Pp.rt/vOn;this;point PpariiL: were, ag^fuUy/..impressed, 'was;, /; • the, SJilpplhg • Goiripanles/Pay 7 /

;/;:. TJpon ..bejng. askeqVwhether/the';timei was ;.ripe;ifor increasing .the/taxation,' Jir/vMac- .-■:■ donald saidvth'at he. eaw;; . should be/any The •-' nature./ife/suoh/increases.?■ jirastj^pf - ; >. M; rery, carefully 'mnndbred^efp/re' the'b'oa.rd' ■broughti^lremj-.intpi-pporatjbn'. l could ■ n ?t. /iVPs;\»dujy ■.; Progress .and : de-; ■■, velopmept ,on true lines ■must/be' the 'watch- ; word,--;J[t■ ;ySJ'-difficvilt :tp■ .define/hb>r the,extra':reyeniie'''should/'.be': ln'ade/ nb;- but' one thing. wss 'absolutely, certaii} tof his m)nd, and ; that";was/that:ifi/wag>itripbssible :; tb''giye : the" shipping-companies the/extra fa'cijitjes'/which- .'■ wer e//baing' :affordei}'.(and-,wpiild-'be"fiirtKer increased/; during --the : i next ■'three/ 1 four' -years):/wit)iput/increa.sed'.due's. ;;; ': Some years/agp^inenibers/of, the'::board:had/a' very hot .discussion'' on/the ■question-/'a?'/to-the- pro•portwn/of reven.ue'wb,iph/shbuld'be paid by .the .shippihg companies,.by/ the importers and '•■ b y;;**e. exporters;-::'JlJqVb;par;d/at/ that time arrived;at what;it deemed: to:be fair, pro--! portion -'as : betfreetf tlie ; 'respepfive'. parties. 'No<;hpwever, y the:.time/liad come tb'reyiew the".tarings;WJien'Jthe ;: anieinded ;pchgdules, ■as suggested in his motion,\ffpre submitted by .'be lii:a position to r g6: info the whp'le'nra'tter exhaustively.,-;:. : ■: '//' '~<' : : : ~-' ',:- Th> : :View field on; thd/pupjeqt'in'.circles L ;-jyas.,explicitly.Jpreßpnted/ by■/; theT/re/r. oversea/shipping, company;;;; Hev said: that an-anprease in the ,taxation;:.ps;.inevitab}e.;;;.The,bpiirdhad-been. P»ipg/ up /the '-■ pharges. against'the shipping ~ companies, /which/, now:paidZtlje/great bulE of therevenjie.V/OH-riers/of/vessels fqund the charges' higher ■thanV^t:'otlier ,:r ports,- ; 'wHilst:tb ; ■ shipping^/cpmpanies';thp/charges were : still greater:-VJlnSerrone6uß : ;'impressips'/prevailed .to;the;.effecttthat;■ Wellington wasithe'.cheapv est port in.the/.JPorqihion/fbr-shipping;. It: f , ,compaHson.Ayere>iriadoj. the timp opcupiedini port -arid -thp amqunt of cargo discharged .■Kβing the;Same.iat;:eaph-port,.it,Vould>be found that.;the; a charges/ $■: Wel)ingtph: were/.- greatly, lniexcassspf thp amoimt,levied :in. iu/expessof 'those! made' at'■ .Lytteltpn:;and Dpnedm.^/Theexcess nl /Wei-. lingtori was/mainly• accoiihted for by the fact that .the;, harbour improvement raW was : -a charge .against ;,the : shipß. in place of against the.gopdp.as/at'Dunedin a'nd elsewhpfe. : It' was. the^.opinioji;;of "the: shipping companies that;.the' aboard .had: no ; /statutory inftht Ho malip,:that the sliip.-.i B6ards : were_authpns.ed:.tp levy, .the: rate under Sec/*l™.2Pg:p.f jthe Harbours Act, whjoh reads as. ; board .may'/from "tfafe- & .*?•,Pf / to". J}?: expressed. 7 in such;' bv-lawj shall. lo.yied:,upon.;a!!.go P dß/discharged at or. shipped :from. tho port, and (2) Such hv and qpjleotmg such rate, and: by> :m;.what;.m ; apner ; the; same be/ paid, %.»

SHOULD SHIPS PAY HARboURI ■ vTbq-contention of the;companies:Was -that of ;tho', board: under the : abovementioned section only extended, as was provided in. Section- 305, ths text of -which- was ■.■j , . 3 ;- jWr'V "The ; following percons ; shall ibe liaple-to payvdnes .paysbjo in respect' gf-.any goods.cp.rried inahy;:sHip;: i.o.;;tne pwner of 6iich ; "and;, any ■.consignor, consignee, shipper/ or- agent for- , the", same,. or. in ■ custody of. Euch_ goods and-an,y,.;nersnh entitled.to the possession iof:such goods: either as owner or >s;apents-f6r-tliH''-:.-OTi?ner; , .' ; -/.';N6:.:-.inent|on was;-..--.; at: .-would .be: seen, , "' made .: o f any,, liability./ on; the,, part .of Hho- ■,- ship. Tnon, .asain,. the .authorities -afepther! ports ■.r?no?msed. that., it. was : generally iqipraptiV. nble for a-- stnaitier ' tq.;. j-eceire '.' homeward .carco, particularly frozen produce, immedi-, :at»l,v. i nft<T , .dif.clif.r!Tin2-frpi»{ht and,.;.in.:.canri(leration;;qf./i}i.nt feet;; they redi:c?.rl. the charges on an occasion efcorij visit. dujinc;; the bruig Voyage. , Whereas: a ...oharjc' of Is. per, ton wasVnude for landing ear'jn at JYellm : Tton; r aftpr . : .fmurs", .that was. .. not lhe.v r casß : ;:at otter \ ,ports,■;.the"'>e(|«eU mPT'Av: pny.ini*. the 'difference arynnd overtinie labhiirVi's'wfi's'alsdchnrged' at ■Wellington. ..Another matter' , of,, import-. :Bnce:was that in.some instances.where railway iron was cliseharced ■ after" hours, when the wharf, was not pbstruqted by cart traffic, etc.,,.at a less cost toHbe.board, ships were mulcted; in an^extra-shilling per ton for that , :comm_odity.- Storage chaTctes Renerally, and espocially on wool and tcllow and- on general transhipments; .were higher, than -at-other ports. .'.;.; .:'■",..- ; '..'"--i';.; "■''■.!.•■.■•■ ...-. :f■■ Up.Hill tlic';-time"'tlic' charge was. made - for $o. h.a;r»v;;- iniprbvenic))|; rate.ancl berthara:!

dues, Wellington would show as the.cheapest port, but tho addition, of those charges had. made it a 'dearer port than .other? hi the. Dqunmon for shipping.companies, If thorp were more shed accommodation there might possibly be some reason -fortha statement 'in the annual report to the effect "that taking the accommodation and dispatch provided and the amount of work done for tho charges levied, Wellington is still the 'oheapest port in tho Dominion. , ' It could not b§'"denie'd that Wellington was now' the oheapest port for the importer, : The levy on goods herq.wasonly 2s. Gd. per ton for wharfage • charges, whilst; iat \Qunedin, in additipriitP the'-railage from' Port Chalmers, there was the. harbqivr improvement ratoup to ss, per ton/and a.t Lyttelton the charge was is. 9d/ per ton for. wharfage; in addition to the cqst of 'railagtf to Christelrurch,; In . view of tho. fact thai ■Wellington .importers were lot off; so; lightly, •the-greater prqportion: of the prppqsed increases in charges should be borne- by them, -Vα MEMBER FAVOURS DELAY. ' : Apprqached forhie yiews, on the subject; Mr.illobert Fletcher-said, he did net-oare to make; a lengthy statement on the question until .the. matter came up for .fulj discussion )oforis the board, ;He might";■ say,'• however, that- 'he; considered .it 'inadvisable to make any increases; : m the charges until- tho• effeot of the' operation :-of. tho. present tqfiff over a period of twelyo months was'seen:' It was patent that the guestion of making, increases: rould h,aye to be faced sooner: or' later,':but Iβ felt 'that it..wbiild'he.better if cpnsidenK ■ipn/ . pf the; mitter were postponed. Withj Hr.-.Harkness, .he was of opinion that the ioard . ought to build..up . its "revenue,\;and .hat.ijiow wqrks and other matters ought to bo .met out of/loan moneys for a time, '.' Tliiv question 'of -the-board's finances was-.one. which would; havo to be gone into very carefully... There, had; been a falling-eft' of imports during the last' quarter, and-if there •as not : ;ari; improvement in that direction.; not only thei revenue of the board, but also the general; working of the port, -might.'"!)!) affeotqd?; ;If ,if Tvere decided to' increase the ■revenue,-, he would favour the ..rearrangement of 'charges, sp. that' the additional taxation shouM be paid N in equal proportions by the shipping cpmpanies andthe impprters, Every endeavour .must he made.to:ke6'p l down the charges-of.tlfe port, which 'was. undoubtedly cheapest, in ; the. Dominipn i when the exy tent.of.''tJia faqilities. afforded was ■ taken into .consideration,-, , -.'-.'--. ;■'■' : ; - ,': J . ■/ ; ■-.'■.''.-' "i'Y-.