South Island Ports.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1922, Page 1

South Island Ports.

A PROTEST MEETING

fav TELEOitArii —run press association]

CHRISTCHURCH, July 31

A meeting of those interested in direct shipping to South Island ports was held here to-day, for the purpose of endeavouring to devise means to remedy ihe disadvantages that importers in 'the South Island labour under, owing to the absence of direct shipping. In the course of a lengthy discussion, Mi If. J. Marrincr said that in respect of direct shipping facilities, the South Island has been side-tracked, and it might just as well not ho part of the British Empire at all. At present, the whole of heir shipping was dependent on transhipments in Wellington, and, as a result, visitors to the Dominion did not visit the South Island unless thay had a special itinerary which included the South Island Tlio result was that they were getting to ho a back number, and unless they made ail effort, they were going to bo left behind. , ur Marrincr referred to the possibility of direct stemers coming from Sydney and Melbourne and calling at Greymoutli, and their goods being railed to Christchurch. The Chairman (Mr S. A. Orchard), (President of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce) remarked that they did not want to take notice of that possibility.

Eventually tl>o following motion was carried:—“That tlio Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and the Canterbury Progress League, ‘obtain from tho various Chambers of Commerce and other organisations throughout tho South Island, dntn in support of an application to be submitted to the Government, and the Union Steam Ship Company, for the rc-instatcment of regular direct services to the South Island, and that a recommendation bo made to the interested bodies that an early conference be hold at Christchurch of their representatives, with a view to compiling a. strong potition for immediate presentation in Wellington