CONGESTED WHARVES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 136, 4 March 1919, Page 9

CONGESTED WHARVES

SITUATION IN WELLINGTON ' VIEWS OF SOME IMPORTERS The congestion of' inward and transhipment cargo on the Wellington wharves at tho present timo is causing a great deal of inconvenience and some actual loss to the commercial community. There is delay in the delivery of goods, and there 'is the cost of extra handling. Some firms, complain 'that they have been threatened with charges' for wharf storage on goods that they are keenly anxious to get into their own. stores, Customers are kept waiting, and further orders are delayed. '■. A Dominion reporter, who made some inquiries on the subject with-the object of ascertaining what prospect of relief could bo offered importers, gathered that there is a conflict of ihtereststo be faced. The officers of; the Harbour Board con-' fcider. that, with the means at their disposal, they, are doing all that can be done to secure the prompt handling of cargo. They admit that there a'ro delays, but" they state that these delays are inseparable from the conditions that havo arisen. If thero had been no war, the Haxboiir'Board ; would have had by this time more storage accommodation,. more wharf space, and better appliances .for tho handling of '.cargo'.-. If there had been no war. moreover, the. supply of •.coastal.shipping .would, havo. been larger, aiid the strain on the port of ...Wellington ■would not have boon increased by a ooncentration. of transhipment work, duo to the; desire> of the pipping companies' to secure, quick discharge of overseas boats. •■; Some of the importers are not con-' vinced that the handling of cargo by the board is the best that could be ■'done, oven .with the accoriimoda'tion and appliances available. ' But'' the reporter, did ■..not hear many definite.complaints' under this heading. ■ One merchant saicj "that ihe thought tho confusing' of marks. ,iri the stores could be reduced by more .careful supervision of. tho, work of the gangs,, and ho mentioned, the annoyance caused by the .piling .of fresh. inward/cargo •on ■ top of goods that the- importers had not lhad time or opportunity to remove from the stores/ But this-merchant admitted that if the. ships- were to be unloaded as' soon as .they, reached the.- wharves; it would bo difficult'.for the board to' avoid this double-banking of •• goods. • The• cargo cannot be left exposed to the weather, and. if tho floor, space of a store is: fully occupied, the fresh cargo necessarily is placed on top. of-the existing stocks. The harbour- officers • claim • that - they do their best to make the'stacks with'proper. regard for marks and destinations', but emphasiso the difficulty of the conditions. ■

► The attention of the reporter was drawn to the.fnct that recentlv■'■ two' large American, sailers, .each carrying ebout 5000 tons of cargo from New York, were berthed one on each side of the King's Wharf.' They were discharged into ; the store on the wharf at the same time, and the delivery of this cargo has been ft matter of great difficulty. The position would have been improved -from the point of. view of tho importers if ono ehip had waited in the stream until the other ship had completed discharging. But this, arrangement would have involved delay,, and tho shipping companies urge that.owing to the grave shortage of shipping, delay-in the discharge" of vessels should be avoided at any reasonable cost. If Wellington kept ships waiting for discharge under present conditions, the" result ' would, be tho diversion of' a certain amount of shipping to other ports. The'shipping companies ■ claim to' have suffered loss already through delay in the departure of ships ' that have 'been required to take transhipment cargo from' this port.

Quicker handling of the cargo on the wharves and in the stores would produce- an improvement in the situation. This seems to be admitted by. all .the .parties; But an improvement in (his respect does not appear to be within reach. The waterside workers set their own gait, and anybody who. visits the wharvescan'see thoi.it is not a- rapid 'gait;" said, an importer yesterday. "I am.not enter-" ing into any discussion as to the rights or .wrongs of the matter. But just look for yourself and see the leisurely way in. ivhicli the men go about their work, the clow handling of "plant and the aunnrent duplication of effort.'.Yon .will, not find a sign of haste anywhere. At least" 'that

is my impression.". ... The Harbour Board recognises that the handling of enrgo could, .be 'accelerated by ibe installation of more, electric cranes and equipment; The hydraulic cranes'are. comparatively "-slow and inefficient.' The remodelling of sheds for electric cranes, at an estimated cost of over. ii30,0(!0, is on'o of the works on the' bird's list at the present time, and it •will be carried out as scon «3 the necessary plant can be obtained. During the last two or three years the importation of electrical equipment has been almost impossible owing to the war, and even now the work cannot be completed in time to give any early relief. The beard is inquiring at the present timj'for some additional electric' trucks, of the type already in uso on tho wharves.