CONGESTED WHARVES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 131, 27 February 1919, Page 6

CONGESTED WHARVES

SERIOUS POSITION IN , WELLINGTON

HARBOUR BOARD SEEKS RELIEF

Serious congestion in the harbour stores at Wellington was discussed at a meeting of the Harbour Board Inst night. The matter was raised by Mr. M. Cohen in connection with a report made by the chairman on the works now in progress at the port. The chairman (Mr. C." E. Darnell) said that admittedly there was great difficulty in handling cargo in Wellington at the present . time. The , stoTes were overcrowded, and there,.was serious delay in delivery and transhipment. Before one cargo could be got away from the stores other cargoes came in and had to be unloaded. Then the first cargo got buried and could not bo reached without exces- ■ eive handling. He suggested that business men and shipping companies shodd bo asked to assist l;ho board, which simply could not. deal with the cargo iJiat was coming forward under present conditions. -Sydney was ' congested* with cargo, much of' it for New Zealand A cargo of « tons was .to reach Wellington the next day, and the boaid had no store to hold it. ' , . Mr. Cohen: Consignees cannot get delivery because cargo is , banked behind previous'.shipments. ■" ■ ■■• The chairman: This is the central port, and the shipping companies have not enough ships for coasta.l work. Ine . board has always tried to provide for transhipments. There are 5000 boxes ot "glass lying on the wharves now to be eent to other, parts of' the country. J. lns. 'lot has to be divided by the merchants. Mr. Cohen: That is a recognition of the'importance of the port. ■ -The chairman: We are not in a position to cope with it. The position is going ,tri be worse unless .we have the cooperation of the Shipping companies and ■'the mercantile community. , •Mγ. R. E. Sinclair: The merchants cannot, help the board. •The chairman: "They can arrange with the shipping companies not. to consign all the stuff to Wellington. They, can send some of it straight, through. M. Baniell added that the war had made it impossible for the board to carry out its - programme of improvements. Hβ Mlieved that the situation could be relied in the way he had suggested. Or!tdn if Arthur, said that die delays > on the wharf were a serious matter. ine Manuka lmd recently been kept here for .twenty-four hours on account of the ditn'cultik The completion cf tlio-eneds on the .TnwnVr Street AVharf. would eife. much relief.' ■ . ' . , The chairman paid-the bnird had tried to hurry the vork, but without success. He had'seen that day.a sheaf of orders for th'o transhipment of cargo that ccultl not be reached' without delaying the ' boats. - Two more electric trucks were on ordff. ■/•■■.■ ,Mr. Cohen said that the sheds on the QneonV Wharf were old and needed to ■be extended. ■ The chairman paid that plans for the remodelling of these eheds had been passed two years ago, but material could not. be secured. ■ . Mr. Sinclair suggested that local firms eftiouid be asked, to quote for these materials. . The chairman .promised. that this would be (lone.:; The matter was. discussed later in committee.

The chairman' of t.ho Imard. explained subsequently that he hiul not meant to 'suggest .that the camoanicß* should not send goods to Wellington. His idea was to secure a reversion to the; .system' of op?n orders for free transhipments. The shipping companies on account of tho shortage of boats had bean landing cargo in Wellington and leaving the agents to make their own arrangements for. coastal transhipments. ' •'