RIVAL PORTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1214, 24 August 1911, Page 6

RIVAL PORTS.

AUCKLAND AND WELLINGTON. COMPARISONS ODIOUS. Last month the chairman of tho ATollinglon Harbour Board (Jlr. E. Fletcher) presented a long, comprehensive statement in reply to a report circulated by tho Auckland. Harbour Board regarding the cheapness of the port of Aucklaud as compared with AVollington. Last evening an adjourned debate took place upon the report. Mr. J. G. Harkness said that it would be as well if tho board had not taken the matter up, but had ignored the claims of Auckland as the chcjipeat port in New Zealand. It was almost impossible to compare AVellington and Auckland, when, as tho chairman's report had said, the difference in conditions at the two ports were taken into consideration. Hβ instanced the different conditions in regard to tho wharf s'tamng by the. shipping companies at tho two ports. He did not know whether it would bo wise to go further into thfc report for tho reasons which lie had already stated. Jlr. C. AV. iJones. said he did not care to discuss the subject in public. Ho might say things that he would rather not. For that reason ho would not join in any discussion. The chairman reminded the board that the Auckland Harbour Board had circulated a report throughout the Dominion in which (with a vimv to showing that theirs was the cheapest port) comparisons were made with AVellington. He had thought it due to the AVellington Board to make some reply to this assertion, and, therefore, tho report had been drawn up. As Jlr. Harkness had said, it was quite impossible to make adequate comparisons between the two ports' charges. It was hub that msichauts at Auckland had a concession in the way .of rebates on freight, bat it was questionable if other things, were not to go against thai, such as loss of goods. They had had r.n incident of that kind lately at Auckland a.rid though the loss was paid for, still the profits on tho goods would have to be foregone by the merchants. He did not desire to say anything more on the- matter, but ho thought that there hid been justification for the report, (near, hear.) Mr P. C. Freeth said that he thought that the chairman a.;id officers had hem quite justified in their action. (Hear, hear.) The report, in any case, would stand as a valuable record in the possession of the board. He would not like it to be thought that any affront was intended to tho chairman o.rid officers ot the" board in not further discussing the report. (Hear, hear.) He .agreed that thn problem was practically impossible ol solution. , The course suggested was agreed upon, and no further discussion took place.