PORT AKITIO.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1789, 30 June 1913, Page 10

PORT AKITIO.

CHEAPER FREIGHT WANTED,

SETTLERS AND THE COMPANY.

The shipping company which trades bohvocn Wellington, Castlepoiut, Akitio, awl Napier, on the East Coast, stem to bo alive to the business that can bo fi(liberal at Akitio. Captain Petersen,, manager for Messrs. Richardson t and Co. 6 Wellington branch, accompanied by Mr. W. I. Blair, who is in charge of tlio landing at Akitio, recently addressed tho rosidents of I'oiißaroa, the county chairman, Mr. 11. B. Robertson, presiding. Captain Petersen explained ehippinfr matters from his company's point or view, and staled that the only port at present best suited for tlio district was Akitio. and tilio company intended running two boats a week in tho future, ono calling oil Tuesday and the other on. Thursday. Last year the company reduced tho freight from Wellington to Akitio from 30s. to 255. a ton. Mr. Blair reduced his landing charges from 7s. Cd. to 65., making a total reduction of 7s. Gd. Last year tlio company decided to pivc the Akitio district a weekly service, and they managed to adlioro to this time-ta.blo with ono exception. No doubt if the -trade increased when the bridges aro erected on the Pongaroa-Akitio Road during the coming season, a further proportional reduction in the cost of freight would bo made. Richardson and Co. were giving the very best terms in view of tho present amount of trado to and from Akitio. ~ , Mr. S. Gibson, Pongaroa, was the next speaker. Ho thought that there ought to bo a fooling of cordiality between tho Akitio county and the shipping company which Captain Petersen represented. But unfortunately at present this feeling (lid not exist and could not bo expected so long as tho shipping company continued to levy tho prevailing high freights, rno Akitio county was spending something like .£40,000 on roads and bridges, and a largo proportion was being expended l 'on that portion of the county lyiwg between Ponearoa and 1 the East Coast, iko speaker understood that the Akitio County Council had brought this matter before Messrs'. Richardson and Co. with a view to a reduction in the freight charges, etc. A slight reduction had resulted, but he maintained that a. sufficient reduction had not been made to induce tlio farmers from the Maknri-Pongaroa end to export tho whole of the wool via Akitio port. Mr. Gibson then proceeded to ask Captain Petersen a f ew questions:— Can you tell us. Captain, what tho freight is between Wellingtonand Napier? —Captain Petersen: lis. per ton. Mr. Gibson: Do you tranship goods from ocean boats to Napier?— Yes. What is the freight charged in tills C! The Captain replied that tho charge was lis. in all cases. . .' Mr. Gibson: Napier is another eight hours' steaming further on than Akitio. —Something like that. Mr. Gibson tihen asked that if in view of that fact could tho company explain why 255. a ton is required to Akitio ana only 116; to Napier. . Captain Petersen, in reply, said that the surfing difficulties were great, surfing boats had been lost, wages were Is. 3d. an hour overtime, insurance of men was highe*, while tho men only worked eight hours out of 24. His company .had matto no increase since the new labour award, but had adhered to the 1912 reduction, viz. ss. a ton. Some men had rcoeiwl from tho oompany .£26 to .£2B p® month, besides -the best of food. In his opinion the expenses which his wrapany had to contend with were out of al proportion to tho circumstances and the residents i and settlers had the very best terms pos-1 sible in view of tho amount of trade at the present time. In reply, Mr. Gibson stated that (admitting tho foregoing explanation and that the labour troubles were very harassing) the difference between Napier rate and Akitio rato seemed cut of proportion, as the labour troubles appliod equally to Napier and Akitio. Allowin" that tho company were paying at the rate of Is. <Jd. per hour overtime, and the crew numbered something like ten in rcceipt of tho said rate of pay, then it would only work out at about 17s. Gd. per hour. I understand, captain, that you can land cargo at the rate of 10 tons an hour. Captain Peterson: That is so. Mr. Gibson: Therefore, the extra paid in our caso to land 40 tons of goods would amount to £3 10s. . So on your own showing, captain, if it pays you to land cargo at Napier for lis. —1 put it to you that, say, 15s. per ton would be a lair charge for Akitio? Captain Peterson: It is exceptional to land 40 tons of goods at Akitio, and that makes all the difference. Mr. Gibson, continuing, said that the reason that the company was not landing 40 tons.of goods at. Akitio per week was because the charges, in his opinion, were excessive. It was only certain lines on which a saving was shown when goods are obtained from Wellington, via Akitio Port, as compared with via Pahmtua railway station. Take, for an instance, a bale of wool from the settlement of Puketoi, Range Road (near Pongaroa), situated a distance of 35 miles to the Pahiatua railway station and 24 to the Port of Akitio. The carriors charged 7s. to Pahiatua and Bs. to Akitio. Tho chief reason for this charge was because the can-icrs between Pahiatua and Pongaroa roceive "back loading' to a much greater extent than from Akitio Port, and there cannot bo much back loading unless the shipping company reduco their freight and some reduction is made by Mr. Blair in his lauding charge. .The landing master, Mr. W. I. Blair, said his reduction in the freight charges last year cost him a loss of H" reduced landing charges from is. od. to Gs. a lon and 3d. per bale of wool, 110 could not see his way at present to mako a reduction. The fact that ho received small quantities of goods made the landing charges what they were, and, of course, there was acertain amount of lost time, and his men had to be paid whether they worked or played. , A vote of thanks was passed_ to Captain Peterson and Mr. W. I. Blair for their kindness in explaining shipping matters on the East Coast relative to the Akitio district, and a voto of thanks was also passed to the chair.