COASTAL SHIPPING FREIGHTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 219, 14 March 1912, Page 6

COASTAL SHIPPING FREIGHTS

CONFERENCE AT PATEA. A conference was recently held at Patea between South Taranaki shippers (including delegates from the Hawera Chamber of Commerce) and the representatives of the Patea and Aorere Shipging Companies. A lengthy discussion took place and the representatives of the shipping companies, Messrs Renner (Patea) and Turnbull (Aorere) submitted the following reply:— They had carefully considered the pro- • posed rates of 15s per ton to Patea and Hawera and 14s per tons to EUham, as offered by the meeting. It was not a question of what their customers might think the rates should be, but at what rate the cargo could be carried in order ' to give the owners a fair and reasonable return. This rate could only be determined by those who knew by experien'ce what was the cost of running steamers under the special circumstances whijeh obtain at Patea, namely: ' 1. No steamers able to enter at night. Patea was the only port where this was the rule. This meant a great loss t of time, especially in winter. 2. Nearly every neap-tide steamers have to load light on account of insufficient depth of water; frequently as much as 25 per cent, of the ship's carrying, capacity had to be left on the wharf. 3. From its exposed position, Patj&a suffered more from prevailing westerly winds, the south-westerly sea keeping up long after Wanganui,.has become workable. The strong westerly set at Patea had been responsible for a number of expensive mishaps, to ships. .. 4. Import and export wharves being on opposite sides of the river, and the river not being navigable at low water, meant a lot of overtime ; not incurred else- . '-where.. :■ • ; ' J 5. The harbor works had been con- : structed on borrowed money ,interest on :which was largely provided by a 6d'per; ton charge on ships' imports and exports, instead of by a rate on the district, as was the case in New Plymouth and other ports. . It was only just that the shipping companies be recouped for this by extra freight. The 10s per ton rate was tried, but on account of the very heavy losses at this rate, a 12s <kl rate was substituted; the steamers were still losing money, and apart from the recent large increase *in wages, etc., a rise was' absolutely necessary. They again; emphasised the fact that the 17s fid. rate to which the j chief objection was made, applied to only about 20 per cent, of the cargo, and that the- rate on produce (say 15 per cent, of the cargo) had not been tilter- • ed,' and was 10s per ton—lower than any J other port. As the rates now being charged,were deemed necessary, as the result of a eareful estimate of the amount required to cover the increased, cost of running, they did not see their way to alter them without a trial,, with the exception of the rate on salt, of which a large quantity was used in dairying, etc. This they were now prepared to carry for 12s 6d per ton all round, if shipped in lots of one ton or upwards.' They proposed, therefore, that a six months' trial be given, and promised then to review the position, and if the volume of trade had kept,'as at present, i% might,be .possjtble •to adjust the rates. : , They pointed but that ijhe comparative cost of working, the ports for a boat like the'Kapuni per trip was as follows for berthage, etc:—Patea, £8 4s 4d; Wanganui, £2 12s 4d; Waitara, £1 13s 4d; Foxton, 14s lOd.