TRANSHIPPING A CARGO

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2862, 29 August 1916, Page 9

TRANSHIPPING A CARGO

UNNECESSARY EXPENSE ALLEGED,

Questions arising out of Harbour Board charges for transhipping goods and also the berthing of vessels occupied the attention of Mr. W. G. Hiddell, S.M., all yesterday afternoon in the Magistrate's Court. It was an interesting civil action in which the Harbour Board claimed the sum of iCG ss. Id. for • work and labour done for G. H. ' Scales, Ltd., in connection with transhipping a large quantity of wool from the Kowkai, which was lying at the Taranaki Street Wharf, to the Dalmore, which was berthed at the Railway Wharf. Mr T. S. Weston, who appeared .. for the Harbour Board," brought evidence to show that certain happenings had made it impossible to berth the Kowhai any nearer the Dalmore on the occasion mentioned, because there was insufficient shed accommodation iu the vicinity, and also insufficient berthage near by. At the time the Dalmore was loading in Wellington on behalf of G. H. Scales, Ltd., and the Government decided to take her over as a transport, giving the agents of the vessel tho right to use the lower holds for cargo. The Ivoivhai arrived from Napier with about 2000 bales of wool for transhipment to London. As it was not convenient to place all tho wool on board by a- given time, and as the owners of the Jvowhai' wanted to give the vessel a quick dispatch, she iWas shifted to Taranaki Street Wharf, unloaded,.and tho wool cnTtcd round to the JOalmore subsequently.' The claim was the amount for cartage. For the defence, Mr. A. W. Blair eontended that there was no need to put tho Jvowhai at Taranaki Street Wharf as there was at least one other berth closer to the Dalmore available, namely, the Wool Wharf. As the former vessel had already discharged certain of. her cargo there she could have remained. In regard to shed accommodation, counsel stated that investigations had beeu made, and it had been ascertained that L Shed on the Wool Wharf, and TJ and J Sheds adjacent to the same wharf, were quite capable of receiving the cargo in question. His clients did not want to store the wool, they wanted it to be placed into the Dalmore at once.

Ilie fact of the Ivowhai having been unnecessarily shifted cost Scales and Co. <£70 more in transhipping the wool than would have been the ■ case had the Harbour Board allowed l\er to remain where she was, or had given her a berth close at hand. Mr. Blair held that tho case was a simple one, bnt since the action had been commenced, for some reason or other, the-plaintiffs had. i'aised the question of berthage. It ivas agreed that to facilitate.tho dispatch of the Dalmore the Harbour Board had originally placed the Kowbai alongside, or near, the transport, but on account of the lattßr's decks being- littered with timber, etc.. for transforming her into a troopship tho Kowhai could not be worked expeditiously. Scales and Co. l'.ad given an undertaking that if the cargo could not be worked quickly enough that the Kowhai would be' shifted, but it never entered tiitjir heads that she would be cent to Taranaki Street Wharf. Immediately this was known strenuous protests were made, which were of 110 avail. .It \tas ■also pointed cut at tho time that tho 'listauce from 'wiraimki Street Wharf to'the Hailway Wharf was so gi'eat that doubt was expressed as to'whether tho

transport would be got away on time if all the wool was shipped. . Continuing, Mr. Blair contended that if the Harbour Board had placed the Kowliai anywhere between tho King's Wharf and tlifc Wool Wharf Iho lioard Mould have had to deliver the wool at their own expense, 'within a quarter of a anile, as stipulated in th# by-laws. Counsel pointed out. that the by-laws said that when bales of .wool, skins, flax and tow had to be carted half a mile and over a- charge of Gd. per bale would be made, and this was tho price charged G. H. Scales, Ltd., for taking the wool from Taranaki Street. This expenditure of Gd. per bale had been foisted on his clients, he alleged, for no reason at all. The contract rates for cartage let by the Harbour Board were at the rate of . about 2d. per bale,-together with 33 1-3 discount. The carters were paid about lid. per bale, while the shippers paid about 46G per cent, per bale above that price to tho Harbour Board for taking the wool from Tarauaki Street Wharf to the Dalmore. In this particular case it was contended that Scales and Co. had been put to needless expense • as other berths were available for tho Kowliai. Further hearing of the ease was ad-' journed till 2.15 p.m. on Friday.