OUR SHIPPING TRADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2070, 20 December 1919, Page 2

OUR SHIPPING TRADE.

MOKE SHIPS WANTED. THE CHEAPEST ROUTE. At Tuesday’s meeting of Hie Foxlun Harbour Board the claims of Foxlon port for the consideration of Palmerston North merchants in getting goods from Wellington were voiced by .Mr W. Bock.- lie suggested (hat the matter of the traffic ■through Foxlon should he dealt with by the Palmerston North Chamber .of Commerce. In support of his claim for Foxton as a suitable port for goods-for Palmerston North, he said that the cots of getting class A goods from Wellington to Palmers - ton North by rail the cost was £2 18s (id per ton, while if they came direct from Wellington to Palmerston North by rail the- most was £2 15s Id, and coming through Wanganui the cost was £3 (is 3d per ton. The difference in favour of getting goods through Foxton was 16s 7d per ton as against by rail from Wellington, and £1 7s 9d per ion as against getting them through Wanganui. The. increased cost was passed on to the consumers. He was inclined to think that if an extra charge of that amount: was put on to coal there would bo a howl through the Dominion. He would like the secretary to place before the Chambers of Commerce the figures he had quoted, as Post on. was the front dour for Palmerston- North, and the people of the latter town should take steps to get further traffic to .come through that way. The chairman (Mr P. <l. Hennessy) said he thought a good deal of the (rouble was on account of the shipping shortage. Mr D. W. Matheson: The waste of lime is the trouble; people art' not able to get the goods quickly enough through Eoxtou.

Mr Bock pointed out (hat the Blenheim used to run to Fox ion previously, but that* .she did not come (here now.

Mr T. ,). Clapham said (hat the (jiiestiou of Ava-ste of lime also applied to the railways as avoll as to shipping. If should lie pointed out that the facilities at Foxton are better now than they Avere previouslv.

Mr Bock said that the goods must be earning some other way than through Foxton, as nothing, Avould convince him that Palmerston N. and district lived on the small amount of goods that came through Foxton. Mr Clapham: I knoAV that a lot of goods come through Wanganui. Mr Bock: And if costs £1 7s 9d 'more per ton. He thought that if bigger inducements Avere offered to the Blenheim she Avould come to the port again. The goods must come into Mahawaln, and if Foxton Avas the cheapest avuy to get the goods why shouldn’t they come that Avay ’ The chairman said he thought the figures submitted by Mi’Bock should go to the Chambers of- Commerce, and the chairman should also -bo authorised to intervioAV the owners of, Hie Blenheim. The matter required looking into, but- he recognised that they Avere -up against a big proposition so far as the shortage of shipping avos concerned. The mosquito licet of boats was smaller than it used to be, and there wasuot a hope of getting the boats’replaced. The wool season was uoav on, and the Blenheim was built particularly for that work, and was at present fully employed. Mr Clapham suggested that the Feikling Chamber of Commerce should also be written to, as a good deal of goods for Feikling went through Foxton now.

Mr Buck said that if only scows came into the harbour they would bring a certain amount of cargo. He thought that matter'd would improve as soon as the Union Steamship Company could get their larger boats to go to the smaller ports, and that would leave the mosquito ilocl loose. It was decided that the information supplied by Mr Bock be placed before the Palmerston North, Foxton, and Feilding Chambers of Commerce. ..