WANTED, QUICKER DISPATCH.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2989, 24 October 1882, Page 2

WANTED, QUICKER DISPATCH.

[To she Editoe.] Sik, —Will you allow mo to draw your attention, - and that of your numerous readers, to a.very great hardship experienced by a most useful class of workers in i this town, ; through the mismanagetqent or carelessness of those of the Harbor Board officials, to whom the landing,qr dispatch of cargo in this port, is entrusted P I refer to the stevedores, who have entrusted to them, the duties of discharging and reloading the various vessels attending the port, and who are, called upon to find men, and all appliances for prompt dispatch, when such auxiliaries are necessary. The stevedore pays his men at the rate of 10s per day, work or play, weather permitting. The master ;of the vessel naturally expects prompt and efficient work, and the men, as, naturally, look for equally prompt'pay. But the unfortunate stevedore has too frequently to endure the . sight of bis men standing idly about, with their bauds in their pockets, because, forsooth there are no boats alongside to receive goods over the side, or vice versa. And this, Sir, does not arise from lack of, cargo boats, there being as a rule, two or three of them lying idle in the shed, , but simply from lack of energy on the part of the landing service staff,; in seeing them promptly discharged or loaded, and sent on their way again. It: is pretty generally acknowledged that the • very quickest despatch is as necessary r ‘ for the good of the Port and the owners of the various vessels/ as for the stevedore, himself, and when the latter goes to all sorts of trouble and expense to ensure this, it is surely very hard that the whole attempt should: be marred, and con- I siderable loss entailed, .both on the stevedore and the vessel, through the indolence, incapacity, or general mismanagement of those to whom the shore transit by large boat is entrusted. Many of the masters of vessels are able and'willing to bear but this' complaint, »nd "as redress at - the hands of •theBoard's official’s' seems unattainable, I be glad if you will give the aid of your powerful pen towards some alteration in ihe ; state of affairs, jand.the removal of this grievance. l am, &c., : Stbvedobb. - 1