HARBOUR RATES.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 978, 2 January 1883, Page 2

HARBOUR RATES.

One of the first things requiring the attention of the Harbour Board is the wharfage rate. The imposition of the extra shilling a ton has been a source of loss rather than profit to the port. Not altogether so by itself but combined ay!th other things, such as a rise in freights, accidents to the steamer, and vexatious delays in consequence. These led people to look round and see if no other route existed for the import and export of (heir goods and produce. And there is no gainsaying the fact that Waitara has been doing a good deal of the trade that used to and should come through Patea. The Harbour Board of that place recognised that to secure trade cheapness was a necessity, and the

owners of vessels j,ruining to their port agreed with them The result is that it costs less to send a bale of wool from Waitara to Wellington than it does from Patea to the same port, although the distance between the former is nearly double the latter. In Patea a heavy storageJ rate is charged by the Board if the goods happen to remain in the shed more than twenty four hours. In Waitara there is no storage. Further, the Board are building a large shed for the convenience of shippers, and until its completion, arc renting the railway goods shed as a store. They are thus actually paying for the storage of shippers’produce, themselves rather than run the risk of losing any of their connection, This is a liberal policy, and is already bringing its own reward We regard storage on outward goods as an obstacle to trade, On goods inward it is necessary or we should- be always in a state of “ block ” through people not removing their consignments.. But with exports it is different. It is impossible for, say a wool-grower, in the country, to avoid using the sheds sometimes. He loads up his dray and in due course it arrives at the wharf, to find, perhaps, that the steamer has sailed, having only spent a couple of hours in port, as was the case on Friday. Ho has, therefore, either to put his wool into the shed or cart it back again, perhaps ton miles, and run the chance of missing the steamer again. If he

stores lie lias to pay, and that through no fault of his own. We think ho should got his storage froc. The trade of the port would not suffer. It would tend to increase it, and increased trade would strengthen the necessity for harbour improvement. But there is no need to pursue that subject further. The benefits it would confer alike upon town and country are obvious. To compete with Waitara, however, it will be necessary to have lower freights. This wo may hope for shortly, if the Waihi can be kept in the trade. The competition between her and the Patea Company’s vessel should bo productive of good in that direction! And wo are certain that the'owners of both vessels will find that, as rates come down cargo will increase, and that in the end they will be gainers.