PACKING OF THE WHARVES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1332, 9 January 1912, Page 4

PACKING OF THE WHARVES.

ARE THEY ADEQUATE?

Rather more than ordinary "busy-ness* was suggested by tho sight at the Wellington water-front yesterday. Standing" on the Queen's Wharf, and looking towards tho "King's," one saw quite a lorest of masts—an unusually thick lorest. Practically every berth was occupied, and in some cases "double banking had to be resorted (o. 'JTiero were ten overseas vessels in port, am! these represented the respectable total of 72,177 tons. Tho largest was tho bhaw-Savill steamer Zealandio and the Now Zealand Shipping Company's K.M.S. Kiiahine-each having a tonnage of 12,000. iho smallest was the German barque Antuco, of IMS tons. In addition, there was quite a swarm of coastal vessels clustered .it the berths, and altogether Port Nicholson was floating over 100,000 tons of shipping in steam and sail. Naturally, Captain Johnston, harbourmaster, had difficulty in finding suitable berths for all, and, during the next few days, it is anticipated that even greater dilhculty will be experienced. Despite the shortage of accommodation, however (he harbaurniaster and his staff hay* done very well, but the inconvenience to shipping has been undeniable. lhere are steamers now in port which havo had to be moved from one wharf to another, two or throe- times, to make room for others. Tho Uuion Company havo been tho greatest sufferers. Alluding .to the situation in regard to the Tyser linor Star of Canada yesterday, Mr. H. L. Nathan (shipping manager for Messrs. Banuatync and Co., local agents tor tho Tyser Company), said: "There is not tho slightest attempt on the part of tho board to improve the wharfago ac. cominodation. It is absolutely necessary that something should be done in tho matter of erecting more wharves. Seeing that it is the Harbour Board's first duty to accommodate- ships, 1 think that, instead of building butter stores os> contemplated, they should build wharves. It is true that the present rush is exceptional, but, nevertheless, it proves that the board is not ready for an emergency. In any business concern, it is the right thing to be prepared for emergencies, but, apparently, this is not the caso with tho Wellington Harbour Board. .It takes about live years to build a wharf, and, in my opinion, long before that time has elapsed wo will see some hopeless muddles at this port. The number of vessels coming to Wellington is on tho increase.

"Do you know," Mr. Kathau continued, "thero have been times when we have actually had to write our head office asking them to divert certain steamers on their way to Wellington, simply because the port could not accommodate them. This is extremely bad from a shipping point oi view, and tho sooner it is remedied the better."

Several other prominent shipping people when approached expressed tho same opinion.

There is another aspect to tho question, however. It is a well-known fact that vossels that have visited Wellington in the past have boon given quick dispatch. In fact, it has been said that Wellington is the port whore "time can be picked up." Now, however, when there is an exceptional rush, nnd things cannot be worked as smoothly as formerly, there naturally arises some com'plaint on the score of inconvenience.