HARBOUR BOARD ADMINISTRATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 420, 1 February 1909, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD ADMINISTRATION.

■ Sir,—lt is,; hiuted rather f-plpiinly .^in ' the Harbour Board Secretary's' report that in-' creases... are ..contemplated; in: wharfage? and port charges.', As a.sort.'.of apology if. is , stated, thai .Wellington is still .the 'cheapest port in the country; which.is no argument. One would 'think'it might occur to rthe-powers that bo to first curtail any.,.\ipneiessary 'expenditure before- further' taxing the public'. l For instance, anyone who has considerable dealings, with-|tho board .could mention -in one breath where a saving of say. £1000 pw annum can be; effected, without in■'■■ the slightest \intorforing with efficient management—nay, it might even be an. improvement. There aro far too many gold-jlaccd individuals who seem merely intended for show purposes; and it is simply ridiculous to see a person with a uniform like a stago admiral,;and a salary of anything up to £300 a year, with nothing more to' do than to direct traffic on the wharf, or to rush to and fro'like a whirlwind in the endeavour to clear up the odd packages left in the sheds, i There'seems to be a total disregard for tho value of time,' and I have soon , say half-a-dozen wharf officials, with salaries'aggregating perhaps £1000 a year, talking; for half, an hour about a claim of a few shillings. In many ways labour is :Wasted unnecessarily. At tho discharge of a direct liner, for in bygone days: , tlie-entiro' work -of delivery wa's dono ■ by ,two men, a■. delivery olerkand ono assistant.:v Th'o .cargoes were i just vas heavy thon as now, and goods were obtained moro promptly than at tho. present : day, when there are no less'than ten clerks, It is a common thing for a carter to hunt for his own goods to-day, and often load his cart with little or no assistance, whilst the importer still..pays :tho. board for labour. .Often goods are landod, and stored for. days at tho,base-of a huge stack to suit the.board's convenience;•; but woe to the , porson who leaves his packages for an" 'hour after .the board thinks fit. to deliver. them,.. ; He 'is thereafter- charged ; storage at • the rate..of 6d. per. ton per day. This storage part of tho business is tho most absurd of all. Some. one got an idea that leakage of revenue was taking place with regard to storage,, and ono clerk is now deputefl to harass all and sundry for odd penoo which nmy-be lost in'.'this way, V question whether this ofßoial via

in tho service to" deserve a- higher, rate/ofpossibly earn his salary; I should bo inclined to think not, but in any'case it is. almost pitiful when the/means of real' economy- in largo sums lies at hand, to see these miserable attemps to- save a few shilliligs a month. Of course, it is an unpleasant thing to economise, especially when matters;, have teen' allowed to drift;, but an effort' should bo made, and although men should not be overworked, there is emphatically room for improvement, in a state of things which allows men to hang about at the back oftho.'flheds smoking, whoir there is , plenty of work on hand. Tbore.aro far too many "bosses,".-and between them all, the ■hands-do fairly well cs they like.- Lot tho board first put their house in "order/and then if .necessary, , tax tho public still further, but not until.theri.^I am, , etc., ■:-.;.'■'■ '■■:'■'■■' -.'■'■ ■'.''■>■.. .-: : .: ..> ,r . ••■■:■::-■•■:';■' -■•: v- ■;,.;■■■ SHIPPER. January 27, 1909. , .-v'C ■''/■'; .'■ '