BAR BARBOURS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1928, Page 2

BAR BARBOURS

A GENERAL SHOALING. WESTPORT BAB. The state of the AVestpori bar is causing shipping companies a deal of anxiety. Vessels are leaving port slmrl loaded every trip, following the restrictions that were placed on vessels recently. The Opihi sailed lasi Thursday, draught 17ft Min; lxomata on Saturday. 17ft Gin; Kalina. Monday. 1((ft Gin. The Kaituna, which left on W'ednesday, drew IGft Gin. The situation is more serious than usual, and is a severe handicap to the progress of the district. ORFYMOFTH BAB. Owing to 1 lie continued low depth of water on the Grey bar, Hie coal mining industry is experiencing a difficult time. The position to-day is that I here are three thousand tons of coal standing on the wharf awaiting steamers to Lake it- away. The bins at the Blackball Mine, which hold 4POO tons, and those at the State Mims, which hold 4500 tons, and the t’aparoa ( ompain’s bins are full. In addition, several hundred tons of co-operative parties’ coal are also awaiting shipment, a total of some I_> .000 tons. The effect on the distriel is not hard to compute, the loss of wages to miners, as well as the loss of shipping work on Lite waterlwill, being serious. The* Blackball Aline has not been aide to work since midday. The State Mine lias had several idle days this week. The Railway Department hold five hundred hopper waggons oil the West Coast. These are more than ample for normal requirements and there are between three hundred and four hundred hoppers standing on the wharf awaiting release. Last week nearly throe thousand tons of coal were short shipped between Knitnngnta and Txaiapoi, A quarter of a million feet of timber consigned to Australian ports was shut out, and the company has been awaiting shipment to Wellington of over half a million feet of timber, hut cannot risk valuable boats by exceeding a safe conservative loading limit. Over GfiOil in wages has heen lost to the waterside workers, to sav nothing of;wages lost through the timber shipment having heen curtailed, the position regarding employment is largeely dependent on the state of the Grevmouth bar.