FOXTON HARBOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2110, 1 April 1920, Page 3

FOXTON HARBOUR.

STEAM El.' .BEECH STARVED. A mailer which has boon < ngagmg the a I ton lii hi (» L* tho Eoxton Harbour Boarh and the 15,I 5 , Irii-i'.-'tiin Earth Chamber o 1 ’ Commerce tor some lime pint Ims boon 1 lit* lack of sup]»r 1 j^iveil by the nierchanl- of the Afunawaln itislriol In (lie Eoxton Harbour as a trading medium. Tim malter was again dismissed at the meeting id' the Palmers!mi Chamber of Commerce on Monday la st (says 1 lie Times). It will be remembered ibat at a previous meet ini.; of the Clmmlier it was decided to mrmilarise the merchants in Pa'iin-r.-lon Forth, asking for their reasons for no| utilEing the port to the extent which ll was considered they should. At the meeting hist even in" a number of replies were received from the merchants, and the reasons given in each ease were practically identical. Bhielly, (hey were to the effect that the delay in receiving mauls through the port was too great, that pillaging and loss were extensive, and that shippers had no knowledge as to when boats were sailing. Most tif the linns stated that they would like to use Poxton, but at present the delay was great, and caused more loss through that delay than accrued through the more expensive freight on the railways. Mr At. A. Eliott staled that he had received a call from Air Fuller, representing (Messrs Levin and Cm, who were agents for (ho s.s, Kennedy, the only boat which called regularly at Fox ton. Mr Eliott said that Air Fuller was enquiring chiefly in regard to a remark made hy the chairman of the Fuxton Harbour Board, who said that the Kennedy had not been regularly used. Air Fuller had showed I hat sinee the Kennedy had been purchased it had been used on the Eoxton run. She started on the last week in August, and made two trips, after whieh she was laid np for repairs. She spirted again in October, and mad; 1 a total of -12 trips, only throe of which were not made to Foxlon. It was thus shown that the Kennedy had fnflilled her obligations. In spile of Ibis, owing to the lack of support■ given her hy the district, she was only carrying to half her capacity of 200 tons most of the time. She also travelled at lower freight rate,than she could have received on any other I rip. This was in order to hoop faith with the Alanawalu district. The directors of the company now felt that in fairness to their shareholders they must withdraw the boat unless further support was accorded her. The speaker tell that it would lio a retrograde s’ep if this wore, allowed to happen, and the news were (o go throughout -sen Zealand that the only boat regularly running between 'Wellington and Eoxton had been withdrawn Irum the trade. Air Eliott then moved that Messrs Levin and Co he written lo requesting them to circularise merchants in the district, pointing out the position. The motion was carried, and it was also decided to write to the Eoxton Harbour Board, enclosing the replies received from the merchants and the position with regard to the Kennedy, and also suggsting that a time-table should be published and issued to merchants. Air Cook said that the delay often occurred in Wellington, where he understood that the careers often had to wait four or Jive days before they could load on to the boat. Air Eliott said that could be obviated if the shippers gave notice of their intention to ship, and the company could make arrange men Is and notify them accordingly when the cargo was required.