THE CHEAPEST PORT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 234, 28 June 1921, Page 4

THE CHEAPEST PORT

WELLINGTON AND NEW‘PLYMOUTH COMPARED.

At yesterday’s meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce the president (Mr. M. A-. Carr) took occasion to refer to the comment his romarks at the last meeting on freight charges had induced in Taranaki, Those remarks referred to comparative charges on certain goods from London to Wanganui via 'Wellington or New Plymouth, which arose out of a claim put forward to favour- importation through New Plymouth rather than M'ellington. "I notice,” said Mr. Carr, "that the president of the Taranaki chamber, in referring to my remarks, stated that the comparisons which were drawn by the Taranaki Chamber o f Commerce did not apply to all imports, but to specific articles such as slag, phosphates and salt. The Press report upon which my first remarks were made indicated that tho comparison was of general application. Certainly it included the remark that for salt required for agricultural or pastoral purposes the railage was 7s. 3d. per ton less from New Plymouth. However, it is interesting to note that the president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce tacitly admits that for the bulk of imports transhipments via IVellington can be effected much more cheaply than transhipment via New Plymouth. . "Even for the lines which ho spccificially named—superphosphates, slag and salt used for agricultural purposes—the comparison, is not so unfavourable to M’ellington as might appear. The president of the Taranaki chamber stated that his comparison was based upon bulk lines of agricultural salt and artificial manures. Assuming goods are bulk lines of artificial manure enabling an overseas vessel to bo berthed at a railway wharf in M’ellington, and her cargo discharged into railway wagons, the comparison would be as follows: — Via New Plymouth to M’anganut. s. d. Wharfage, etc., New Plymouth... 5 1 Railage E rate, approx. 110 miles. 14 2 Per ton 19 9 Via M’ellington to Wanganui. s. d. Wharfage, etc., under By-law No. 236 ” ” Railage—lso miles 16 6 Per ton 18 9 "The fact is that for artificial manure which can be carried under the railway classification E, it would be cheaper to rail from M’ellington to Wanganui than to ship by coastal steamer p’ovided that the overseas steamer is ,° n 0 of the railway wharves in Wellington, and the discharged direct into railway trucks.”