CUSTOMS OFFICIALS

Evening Star, Issue 21753, 22 June 1934, Page 14

CUSTOMS OFFICIALS

CENTRAL WHARF OFFICE DESIRED DEPUTATION TO HARBOUR BOARD The desirability and necessity of providing a central wharf office and examination shed for the Customs Department were stressed by a deputation representing Master Carriers, the Dunedin Custom House Agents’ Association, and the Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association at a meeting of the Harbour Board last night. After the requests had been placed before the meeting it was decided that the engineer. the chairman, and the secretary take up the matter and report to the next meeting of the board. Air J. C. H. Somerville, representing importers and shippers, stated that at present there was a staff of ten examining officers attached to the local Customs. distributed as follows;—Two at the Victoria wharf, two at the cross wharf, two at the railway B import shed, one at the Post Office for parcel post work, and one at the Custom House itself, while the remaining two had been drawn from the wharf to attend to the work of the sales tax, tin's latter fact alone having aggravated what had for years been a difficult situation. In addition to these ten officers there was a supervising! inspector whose duty vvas to visit the various stations and check the work of his officers, and answer queries that might be given him by the examining officers. In face of the above arrangements, it was contended that centralisation would result in more uniform working by the whole staff of examining officers, from the fact of their all being together. This would result in putting the work through more expeditiously, and consignees would receive an earlier return of documents, of which they might be badly in need. ’ Delays in regard to the holding of documents and delays in making examinations would also be obviated owing to the inspector being also on the premises. The delay arising while the inspector was in the course of his necessary duty in calling over documents with bis officers and attending to queries, which at present caused vexatious delays, would be obviated, as other officers present on the spot would be able to carry on, and there would be an enormous saving in the inspector’s time, as it would not be necessary for him' to call at Four somewhat widelyseparated stations—namely, B shed, cross wharf, and Victoria wharf, and Custom House. Examinations could be done in any of the, sheds, and this necessitated an officer from whatever office had taken the entry attending at the examination, so that others waiting with entries could be attended to until such examination was finished. Finally, by having a special shed for the examination of cases attached to the central office the risk of the pillage of a case after it had been once opened for examination would be lessened, as the shed, being much' smaller than an ordinary wharf shed, could be more easily supervised, and only those having actual work in the shed would be permitted to enter. Anyone could wander through a wharf shed at present. In support of these contentions, Air Somerville said that it might be added that evidence of the advantage of a central office and shed was given by Mr Anderson, late collector of Customs in Dunedin, that a decided improvement in Customs work took place when the system was adopted in Christchurch. Mr L. T. Rountree, representing Master Carriers and the Dunedin Customs House Agents Association, referred to the poor lighting facilities in the Customs offices on the cross and Victoria wharves, and to other defects in the buildings. The noise of unloading was a serious factor, and he said that it was impossible to carry on a telephone conversation while trucking was going on in the shed on the Victoria wharf, while the desks on the cross wharf were subject to exactly the same vibration. Considering the important work these men were doing, he maintained that they should not be called on to work under those conditions. Did the board realise that in twelve months over £600.000 was collected by way of Customs duties on imports over the wharf? Another matter he referred_to was the lack of privacy in the present offices, and from the counter it was possible to sight documents on at least four examining officers’ desks, so that anyone seeking information would have little difficulty in securing it. He suggested that if possible the present P shed should be utilised.

“ Every remark made by the speakers is perfectly true,” said the Chairman (Mr H. C. Campbell). “Conditions under which Custom officers earrv out their work are very had indeed.” He thought Mr Rountree was going to refer to one of the offices having been broken into. It had been on one occasion, and he (the speaker) had lost some samples, but the Customs office could not be held responsible. It showed that any office provided by tbs board should be of a very secure nature. He thought that at the end of the cross wharf would be the best place for the office. “ I do not know why they have waited so long to act,” said Mr A. Campbell. The Chairman : The question of a new Customs House has been before ( Dr Craig for eight or nine years. The question of securing accommodation in the new Post Office had also been considered, and he understood that it would be possible to get sufficient space in the latter building. Air J. London moved that the matter be left in the bands of the chairman, engineer, and secretary to report to the next meeting, and expressed the opinion that Soft of P shed, if securely partitioned off, would meet the requirements. Mr A. Campbell seconded the motion, which was carried, Mr F; .Jones, ALP., raised the qnesiion of providing a shelter for waterside workers when being called for labour, and it was agreed that this matter should also be looked into.