MISFORTUNE DOGS SHIP

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 890, 6 February 1930, Page 1

MISFORTUNE DOGS SHIP

Maui Pomare Again

BANANAS LYING ON WHARF

Merchants Reject Fruit MISFORTUNE still dogs the track of the Government motor vessel Maui Pomare. Rejected by Auckland merchants, who refused to accept delivery on account of the soggy condition of the fruit, approximately 400 cases of bananas which arrived from Norfolk Island yesterday afternoon, are lying on King’s Wharf. In good order they are claimed to have a marketable value of £6OO.

The merchants to whom the fruit •was consigned are Radley and Company. Limited, Turners and Growers, Limited, and A. B. Donald, Limited. When the Maui Pomare berthed yesterday afternoon representatives of the three firms inspected the. fruit. They stated that the bananas in all cases were soft and that they had practically no market value. The three firms decided not to accept delivery and Mr. A. G. Brown, representative of Spedding, Ltd., who are agents for the vessel, was advised to that effect. TWO SHILLINGS A CASE According to the merchants it is rather unfortunate that the fruit arrived in that condition, as owing to the short supply available the consignment would have found a good sale in Auckland. They were intended for sale at the markets today and it is claimed that an all-round price of 30s a case would have ruled. In their present condition it is claimed that the bananas are worth at the most two shillings a case. “We claim that the bananas were ruined 24 hours after the ship left Norfolk Island,” said Mr. G. S. Radley. About 310 cases of the total consignment were for his firm. “From what we know, no use was made of the refrigerating machinery, the air vents and fans being relied upon to keep the shipment cool. Bananas will not stand that, and it is evident that they were cooked green. They must have heated quickly, as there is no sign of any yellowing of the fruit.” Mr. Radley also stated that a number of box "shooks” or slats had been stored in the hold at Lyttelton for unloading at Samoa and had been on the ship on its journey to and from

Norfolk Island. It was claimed that the slats had been stacked against tlie air vents in the wind-shoots in such a way that the passage of fresh air had been impeded. The temperature of the fruit had been found to be 87deg Fahrenheit when at most it should have been under COdeg. On behalf of the merchants, Captain C. E. Hood, licensed surveyor of ships, made a survey of the hold yesterday, and Captain C. C. Plunket, another suryeyor, has carried out investigations on behalf of the agents. The fruit stored in the sheds was also inspected. DISPOSAL OF FRUIT

“The condition of the fruit is not attributable to any defect in the machinery or the ship,” said Mr. A. G. Brown, representative of Spedding, Ltd., this morning. -He stated that the hold was only half-filled with fruit and that it was the custom to carry a stack of "shooks” jin the voyage. He said it had been reported that a decision would be reached today by the agents as to what would be done with the fruit which the merchants would not receive. “This is not correct,” said Mr. Brown. “The consignees have paid the freight on the fruit and it is their property. They have notified us that they are going to claim for it, but in the meantime it is no use leaving it there to become entirely valueless. What to do with the fruit is no concern of the agents.” Mr. Brown further stated that the Maui Pomare had been delayed considerably on the voyage. The ship left Norfolk Island on Saturday afternoon and the usual two arid a-half days’ trip took four days. The ship experienced bad weather and this might have had some influence on the fruit.