COASTAL CARGO

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 225, 17 June 1920, Page 6

COASTAL CARGO

RESPONSIBILITY FOR PILLAGE

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DISCUSSION

At the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday a communication from the Greymouth Chamber (received through tho Board of Trade) regarding delay of transhipments reaching Greymouth from Wellington, was considered. It was pointed out that Greymouth was better served, with steamer communication than most outports—that unless it wero that transhipments were held up to bo forwarded by a particular line of steamers, there should not be long delay at 'Wellington, It was agreed that it might happen that cargo from ono overseas vessel might not be linally cleared from wharf shed before the next oargo came in. Generally, the complaint by Wellington merchants was that transhipments were givon preference of shipment 'over local cargo. It was decided to look further into tho matter. The question was then raised of fchipping facilities with New Plymouth. =omo members averred that Wellington was losing its Taranaki trade owing to the irregular steamer service. Another member said that he had sent the samo goods on three separate occasions to a New Hymouth steamer, and then was not able to get them away. Other memberß stated that in regard generally to the coastal service, shipping companies should refuso to stamp boat notes for town cargo when it was found that thcro waß sufflcion* cargo from transhipments and 'local Bourcos to complete loading of a vessel, and thus avoid merchants sendiutj goods to the steamer only to have them turned back. •' '

The president (Mr; M. A. Garr) pointed out that during last year a committee of tho chamber had put in a lot of time In conference with the oillolala _of tho Harbour Board and representatives of the steamship companies engaged in the coastal trade, in an endeavour to devise somemothod of eliminating tho "waiting" timo which shippers had in recent years had to pay carters* The arrangement' fade was that where there was likely to bo congestion shippers might, after arranging with the Harbour Board and tho shipping company,, deliver cargo into the Harbour Board shed for shipment by a speellio steamer, ' This cargo would bo given preference of shipment over. ether town cargo,

A member desired to know who would be responsible for pillage. The president stated that the Harbour Board would give a receipt for tho number of packages received, and delivery of the cargo would be taken undc; By-law 210. The responsibility for pillage would be on the shipper. Tho ship would, in turn, take delivery from the Harbour Board shed. If there were evidence that any package had been tampered with, the shipper's attention would be drawn to the matter and the case would bo examined. He realised that it was not always poasiblo to make these arrangements. It might be that shed accommodation adjacent to the berth at which a steamer was lying was not available, but he had been given to understand that very few shippers had token tho opportunity of avoiding the heavy carters' "waiting" charges by availing themselves of the facilities whioh were oonferred under tho arrangoment set- out above, and paying tho Harbour Board charge for so receiving 'and delivering cargo.

Members thought that the arrangement made should be made more gonTa'ly known among shippers, and It was'resolved to circularise all members