The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 608, 13 April 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1878.

Compmists both and '.v,-U-irn.una.,.l | are beim: made h >~ r * s " f visiting ■ >amaru at the v.TV -reat amount ,>f dd'V occasioned in U'etr ::vj ■ heir ves<e!s unloaded at the wharf. owm- to the naucitv of railwav n neks to Ink" away their tvir.,'.•(-. Oneof t:;en» —Captain SaVM'KRS. of the Siri'.o.-.IM-r -Jane All'hTson—has f-v.-st -s-uc the length •* sendm-' a protest to the charterers »f that vessel :e'ainsr. commix i" this ;«>ri auain. l?i vessel has been diitr.en.-it for twelve ! month.* r» *v\ rr.»»» various i-ins <i the Cohmvand 0-»>.iartt. <>n the present occasion. <.'at>ra::i S.u*.\*>'Ki:s has been detained abo;;r a former, lie havmhad to wait a ui'i-k for hi- rum to a!..nettle the wharf. the remainder of tiie fortnight luivLillt occupied in rtii:L' Ms ,-:iri:»our. Tt is nor i:i the least snri.risiti'7that Captain experience at this port s'i"iihl have led him to adopi the course of protesting a-ainst Coiiiiit-ii.-re a-aiit. Who is ani-naM •_ t-r tinuns;ifi>faetorv state of things i <>f cours. . rtif late UoVermiielit. Thar •.v::e:i is tincaw.se of tin- farmers' troubles is also rh<■ cause of the present unhappy oecunvm* • at the Tort. aV.d thar is M-ardty of trucks. Who else hut the hite (;..Vei-:ilci"!,r ranswerable for to p'ace sutii-,-i-iir rolling s'ock on the lin-s t-> -cp pace with the r rathe ! Tiie evil is strnany ; ;ir the very root of our rontmetw : it ;~ sappi'tix the foundations of ourtraiie ; i:• 1 is' sufficiently serious ruin any community. "if Perpetuated. I.' us 5..,. what the eff-ct of" its coin::i nanc • would be. Kates -t fr.-i-.'hr are arraliirci so as to cof, r ordinary < sp> n-e- ! ■ allow* a lLioriora'e j-r,,lir. C• mpetiti.>:i keens the rate ~f protir down to a liiir.imum. If owners of vessds tind t:,at. instead of bein_< able to do tii-ir wort: m. say a tiay and a-haif. it takes tliem a fortnight, in consequenceof scarcity of the appliaTie s which every port is expected to supply, they must increase their tr-i:rnt diaries proportionately. and that woulo Itritiii them to :i rate' so as to be proliii'irive. Oivitei'.s of v.'ii! li'e. sutler the loss :i«-.-rtitritf it'oia unneei ss-n , 1 ,-rt-titi->ii more than one • »r tv.i.:e : let h nrcttr ofretter. and tie- rates v.i:! rise, or Vessels will be taken U eere th> owners are s. rv-d with ni'-re onsideii;tii>n. It is of virrd moiuenr to i-vt-ry r< si.lent of this district that this dire calamity pliottld be prevented. L-t the question not be viewed li-htly. for tin: continuance of what ir.-.sters of vessels have | iia-I'.'oed cause to complain of since the 1 commencement of harvest will divert our ! trade, or make it unprofitable to ns. 1this not a matter that interests u.s a.l i :We are not guilty of exaggeration. Rui- ! „ „, 3 delays have iu>t occurred in once instance only— they are t!.e rule. Not a vessel co!!ie.-~ into this port that has noi. f. remain for a period far ill excess of that nei-efsarv for unloading under ordinary i circumstances. There would not now In- | such a crush of vessels in the harbor had even a moderate number of trucks been to hand with which to unload vessels as theV ariive. In the j,resent state of atlairs. there isno system, nor can there bi-; for tin' paltry number of trucks that can be allowed for the exclusive use of the l.reakwater line are not capable of performing a tithe of the work necessary to prevent n block, but masters of vessels have had t«. be content to do the best they could with the wretchedly small supply added to any others that might bu filched from other sources where they are as ur.'ently required as it is possible for them to be. The masters of several of the vessels now in the 11 at b >r had every reason to expect, iu the ordinary course of tilings, to have returned from whence they came by this time, instead of iu the throes of unloadiri" under almost insurmountable diiliculties. While ou this subject, we

would sncrgesr. as appropriate, that the inner berth at the wharf should be widened. This would facilitate greatly the unloading of vessels, and help somewhat to mitigate the evils arising from the scarcity of rolling stock. is the dutv of those wlio are most affected by the evil to which we have called attention to use their endeavours to have it speedil} i removed.