WAITARA HARBOR MATTERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 244, 15 April 1912, Page 2

WAITARA HARBOR MATTERS

THE SHIPMENT OF CARGO. LOSSES AND INCONVENIENCE. ' WHO IS TO BLAME? What became of the potatoes? asked Mr. Jennings at the meeting of the Waitara 'Harbor Board on Friday evening. This appeared to be a perfectly innocent question, but it wa3 the forerunner of a rather stormy interlude, and showed Ithat there was some cause for the dissatisfaction that had existed recently over shipping arrangements at the river port, as pointed out at last meeting in a letter forwarded by local shipping agent*. The question arose out of a letter from Mr. A. Kelly, of Mokau River, dated April 10, 1012, stating that on November 8 last lie had shipped, per s.s. Manukau, from Waitara to Mokau, six bags of potatoes, and that was the last he had heard of them. Could the Harbor Board tell him the reason they were lost, and was the Board going to pay for them?

The harbormaster said that lie kept a tally of all goods received from the railway. He could ifind no trace of any potatoes for 'Mr. Kelly, though about 50 bags had arrived at about that time for others.

la reply to Mr. Jennings, he stated that the harbourmaster did not sign for goods from the Railway Department. The agent of the shipping company sign-: ed fqr. them. Mr. Ogle asked him about the missing potatoes some months ago, when he could throw no further light on the potatoes. Mr. Kelly had not inquired for the missing potatoes until his present letter, dated April 10, 1912. To Mr. Hine the harbourmaster said that the Railway Department now forwarded a card with each truck, containing a list of the goods therein, so that now there was not such difficulty in picking out the goods. If by accident this card was omitted he had only to send up to the stationniaster, who at once gave the particulars. At a later stage the secretary road a letter from Mr. C. V. Houghton, local manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, which stated that boyond the | fact that they and their clients had i suffered considerable inconvenience i through wool not being promptly hanI died, they had made no complaints from | that office. He referred the chairman to their Waitara representative, who might know of something which had not been communicated to the Auckland office.

]\tr. Hine: Was that letter in reply to one sent by the secretary after 'last meeting"?) The Chairman: It was sent by me. Mr. Hine: Would you kindly read the letter!

The Chairman then read the letter he had forwarded. It stated that the statements were rather of a vague nature, and asked the agent to "furnish any specific case of goods going astray. The board desired to use every care in the receipt and despatch of goods on behalf of ships and shippers, so that the port would not suffer. He also wished to know if any goods had gone astray prior to the appointment of the present harbormaster.

Mr. Hine: Why did you not write to tile signatories? The Chairman: I went direct to the head office. It was always best to apply direct to the chief. '

Mr. Hine: By whose authority was the scope limited to two months' The Chairman (after reference to the letter): My own.

Mr Hine emphatically stated that the board resolution intended that the letter be sent to the signatories of the application to the board; and the period to be included was during Captain Thompson's jurisdiction. The chairman had confined it to two months, and then .lumping over a .period, had referred to a time prior to Captain Thompson's appointment. That reference was beyond instructions and contained an inuendo regarding the old staff. The Chairman was about to interrupt, when Mr. Hine enjoined warmly: You had your say last meeting. I'm eo!n» to nave mine nowH °

Mr. Jennings interjected: What is the use of the discussion? If it continues 1 will leave the board-room Mr Hine: I don't care if you do. I've a ™ g ™° ex P reS3 m y opinion. .-The Chairman said that the discusmotion before the board. Mr. Hine said he merelv wanted to know why the board's instructions were not carried out. If other members were prepared to submit, he was not The Chairman said that he wanted something definite to go on. If he had taken the proper course last meeting he would not have allowed the letter to come before the board. He had written to all the shipping companies, and no specific complaint had been forwarded Mr Hine urged that as a matter of courtesy the signatories to the letter should have been written to. and there should have been no time limit imposed. He objected in toto.

Mr Jennings suggested that the matter should be approached without heat. In order to do the best for the port they should go into the question as reasonable men.

Mr. Hine: I was interrupted. I have opinions of my own. The discussion then calmed down, while letters were read from the head offices of Messrs Borthwick and Co. and 4 Hatrick and Co., both 'of which referred the chairman to their local manager*, the latter firm also stated that they should judge that the complaints were just and well founded, and should be remedied by the board. Messrs Burgess Eraser and Co. also wrote in reference to a case consigned to Marokopa, which had not reached the consignee, and stating that they were making a claim for the amount on the shipping agents (Messrs Hatrick and Co.), who had signed for the same to the railway.

I The Harbormaster explained that he had turned up the manifests and found a case answering the description, which appeared to have been shipped correctly. The only explanation he could give was that it must have been left by mistake at Mokau, if.it did not reach Marokopa, as the mark would also apply to a Mokau consignee. He also pointed out the difficulty they were in sometimes owin<* to the similarity of markings. ° The limited space allowed for the publie was crowded with spectators, who appeared to take a lively interest in the proceedings. Mr. Brookman, Waitara manager for Messrs A. Hatrick and Co then Pepped to the front and asked it the board would receive a deputation •of shipping people on the subject. The deputation comprised Messrs Ode Vaughan and himself. b '

The Cahirman indignantly protested. He considered it very unseemly of the deputation to spring a surprise on the board; they should have a iven notice m writing. They had no right to come there and make charges against the staff, which the latter would not have time to refute. He would not receive the deputation.

Tins brought Mr. Ilinc to liia feet and ho moved that the deputation he received. The shippers had come to place specific charges before the board after being requested to do so. "I protest strongly, ] u . continued, "against your usurpation 0 f the powers of the board to yourself. The deputation comes to the board, not to you. Are we to be ignored? You say you refuse to receive the deputation. I don't know if the board will. (Applause.) If of your

opinion they will refuse; if they have opinions of their own they will not." Messrs- Jennings and Hicks here interrupted, and Mr. Hine sarcastically informed the latter that he congratulated hiin on regaining his voice. Mr. Jennings hero rose to a point of order, and moved that the board go into committee. This was seconded by Mr. Rattenbury and carried. The members of the deputation pointed out that they had come to the board in a conciliatory spirit, and not to make further complaints. The board then went into committee. On resuming, Mr. Jennings stated that he thought the hoard might adopt the suggestion of Mr. Ogle, one of the deputation (which had been received .after much argument), to have a triplicate consignment note forwarded, and after the contents had been checked the note could he initialled and 'forwarded to the shipping agent. The harbourmaster pointed out thht if he forwarded this note to the shipping company he would have no record at all. At present he was getting notification from the Railway Department. The only way was to give receipts, but as they did not receive any they would be no better off. Mr. Jennings said that he thought on receiving the letter at last meeting that there was some misunderstanding over the matter, but on hearing the deputation he was convinced there was cause. He therefore moved that a committee be set up, consisting of the chairman, Messrs Birdling, Hine, and Rattenbury, to confer with the shippers.—This was carried.