WHARFAGE CHAEGES.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 78, 29 November 1864, Page 3

WHARFAGE CHAEGES.

TO THB EDITOIi OS THE SOUTHXAJfD TIICI3. Sic, — I solicit space in the columns of your paper to expose a commercial extortion, daily prarticed in this place ; and I hope, by your means, our interests will in future be protected. I import goods from Melbourne by the steamers Gothenburg, &0., and tlie agents here charge me for fetching the" 'goods from the Bluff, more than half tlie cost from Melbourne ; for instance, they charged me upon last occasion, upon •pme three, tons of goods — 1 Entries and forwarding at Bluff Harbor- sa. 63. ; WJiarfageat do *7s. GJ. Freight to Invercargul 17s. 6d. per ton. What occasion is there for me to pay whartago at Bluff Harbor, when I have to pay here upon the goods being delivered from the lighter ? Consequently at the present moment I am paying 55. , a ton wharfage for goo. is by steamer. What pretence the agents have for - charging entry and for warding from. Bluff, I do n t know. I pass hay own entries here, as is usual; and from my own observations at Bluff, 1 am certain they have no trouble to forward goods. I was at the Bluff the other day, and I saw the Omeo' alongside the wharf, deliver her goods for Invercargill upon the wharf, and they remained ex • posed to the rain of ' Saturday night, >md I don't know how much. longer, without attention from any person. If any of these goods had a high rate of duty upon them ; and when I got them home, after paying dutiot, &c, had found them all destroyed by water, who would refund me the monies expended ? I cannot think the owners of the steamers are studying their interests to allow »ueh a state of things to exist; and lam sure, all importers to this countrr ought to be protected from imposition. — I am, Sir, yours respectfully, PHODUOE. InTorcargill, 18th November.