THE WHARF MANAGEMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4986, 16 March 1877, Page 3

THE WHARF MANAGEMENT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sib,— Touching a letter which appeared in your issue of to-day, under above heading, allow me to make one or two remarks. Mr. Beeves throws the onus of tho cartage regulation about to be brought into force upon' the shoulders of the committee, and would have the public to believe that he has had no band or voice in th" matter.

i But there were other questions raised at the late meeting, which Mr. Reeves does not see fit to touch upon, all bearing upon one point,— mismanagement, o*'rather, want of manage-ment,—-and many grievances were or could Have been mentioned that require remedying. For instance, take the free store, a shed into which all and sundry packages, luggage, &c, from steamers ;vnd coasting vessels are placed. If any particular package be wanted, in order to obtain it, or even ascertain if it be there, everything in the store must be examined or turned over ,before it is discovered, occupying often half-an-hour to do what should be done in a few minutes, thus wasting valuable time, simply because a proper system of booking goods in and out ia not in force, but everything left to the memory of a boy in charge. The same difficulty occurs in transhipping, goods landed here in error by steamers, no note is taken of them, and they are left to the ; mercy of chance. Then to touch upon the question of wharf blocks. Does it not all solve itself on one question, " want of labor ?" If men were in readiness to load drays quickly, instead of keeping them hanging about, would not the stuff bo cleared away all the sooner? We all know the wharf is Hmall for the increasing trade of the port ; but surely a little extra labor would alleviate the trouble. Mr. Reeves states in his letter that he will confine himself to the cartage question, but apparently is glad to introduce a letter signed by various merchants as to the efficiency of the shipment of the wool this season. Now, granted that, this is so, and we know it to be true, whatjjsj the cause? An efficient man is in charge of the wool-shed and regulates the work properly, and owing to the competition this year :.the, various wool ships send their own crew to ,re-.; ceive, store, and stack the wool, the wharf doing nothing but truck it from the coasting vessel to the wool-shed door, or, so near thereto as they can get-; an, extra amount of labor, representing sayat-least a dozen men, is thus thrown into this department, nothowever sup--plied by Mr. Reeves/butby j;he English ships! and all credit due in Jthia> respect; must be given entirely to Mr. Backhouse and the crews of the various ships.

"Intone portion of Mr." Reeves' letter ,(' n paragraph c) he says:—" I do not exercise my power of storing after three hours, Bimply because I have no place big enough'to hold the goods;" at the same time, in paragraph e he states:—"ln the late lesseVs time such goodß were quietly stored for th& night." If room then why not now? Many vexatious, annoyances could be mentioned which k daily* t.vke place on the wharf,, but would not interest the general public ; but'« this I do maintain, that if Mr. ; Reeves, would sen the advisability of giving Ilisrsubordinates, whom he justly upraises, a /little more .discretionary power to, - employ . extra, labor, and institute himself, a, little more,system Jthrouih the whole concern, he would, give 'relief,not only to those he; employs,; it'o^the, passengers and public who have to walk up'and.down,the wharf, but also :to the v clerks hav,e to keep the machinery, of their employers'busipesH in working order.—l am,.&c.;,) f, ... Alpha.