NEW PLYMOUTH SHIPPING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 281, 30 April 1914, Page 7

NEW PLYMOUTH SHIPPING

THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT. DEPUTATION TO UNION COMPANY. A deputation, sonic j'orty strong, comprisiii" representatives of the Taranald Chamber of Commerce, the New Plymouth Harbour Board, the Wnilara Chamber of Commerce, and .importers and exporters from Waitara, Inglewood, Eltham and other parts of Taranaki, waited on Mr Aitken, the general manager for the Union S.S. Co. at the Chamber of Commerce rooms yesterday, to Jay before him complaints as to the service accorded by his company to New Plymouth, more especially from southern parts. . Mr C. H. Burgess (Chamber of Commerce) after expressing pleasure that Mr Aitkin should have been able to visit New Plymouth and discuss the . question whit they wished to bring before him, stated that the strong dissatisfaction which existed at the shipping service to and from New Plymouth, dated back to the opening of the Main Trunk line to Auckland. Previous to that, the town had the service of two cargo boats per week. When the line was opened, the Rosamond was put on but proved unsatisfactory, and then the Haupiri, which ran last on June 4. Importers now had to depend on produce boats for transhipment from Wellington. There were now three boats in every fourteen days but the service was most inconvenient, the two boats arriving too closely upon the heels of each other. There was undue delay in transhipment from Wellington, and the New Plymouth importers could not get their English goods in time. Then again, transhippers at Wellington were told that there was no space in ships which afterwards arrived in New Plymouth with plenty of space. He had received a letter which shewed that in one port seven days' notice was required before the Company would receive cargo for transhipment.

IMPORTERS' GRIEVANCES. Mr C. E. Baker (Tradesmen's Association) in comparing the service of today with that of six years ago, said that then there were two weekly steamers between Wellington and New Plymouth, one calling at Nelson en route, and in addition another calling about every ten days. Now the boats caiied at irregular intervals with apparently no settled time table, and averaging about six days between each trip.

TRADE OF THE PORT. In January, February, and March 14 boats wliich averaged about one in every six days. This was not enough. It was not 'because the 'business of the port had declined, for notwithstanding the difficulties!, which had I been felt, the trade had increased considerably. In 1907, 553 boats entered the port, in 1910, 389, and in 1913 332. Nur could it be said that if the boats were fewer they were larger to make ifp for it; because in 1907 the tonnage was 281,500, in 1913 only 183,745, and this notwithstanding an increase of 20,000 tons in the amounts carried. Dealing with the trade of the port, Mr. JJakpr saiil that in 11)07 the imports and exports totalled 72.250 tons, tha imports alone 57,240, ana the boats 553, in 1910 imports and exports were 80,849 tons, imports alone 72.507, and the boats 389, nnd in. 1913 the figures were 92,46'7 tons, 77,040 tons, "and 332 boats. Between 1907 and 1910 the total imports and exports.rose by 14,593 tons, or 20V4 per cent., imports alone 15,321 tons, or 20% per cent., while the boats dropped 104, or 30 per cent. Between i;) 10 and 1913 the total rose 5,(i18, or (i l /, pel - pent., imports 4,457, or (> 1-5 per cent., and the boats dropped by 57, or 14% per cent., and over the whole period 1907 to 1913 there hail been a rise of 20,211 tons, or •28 per cent., while the boats had decreased by -221, or 29% per cent. Taking the year April 1, 1913, to March 31. 1914, it would be seen that in the first three months, April, May and Juno, there were *22 boats from South. In the last three months, January. February and June, there were 14 only! In January, February and March, 1913, 22,5C0 tons were handled, and in January, February and March, 1914, 27,200 tons. There was no certainty as to coming or going, and it was not unusual to see an announcement that the boat would be delayed, or would sail via Picton and Onehunga, taking Nvw Plymouth o n its return journey. Goods Bhown in the Wellington shops did not reach New Plymouth till fourteen or eighteen <li\ vs afterwards. He referred also to short shipments and to careless handling, and concluded by saying that what was wanted was a dependable service of two boats per week.

Mr James Moray sujiported Mr Baker's remarks. Speaking of the delays in transhipment, lie said that he and the other drapers had experienced as much as three weeks delay in the arrival of Home goods from Wellington, and this just at the beginning of their season, this was manifestly unfair, and was calculated to. drive trade from New Plymouth to Wellington and Auckland. lie quoted a letter from a Wellington firm bearing on the matter.

Air A. E. Sykes spoke of the irregularity of departure of boats from New Plymouth, lie had on one occasion been tol'l that a boat would be leaving the port on October 25 for south, but instead of calling at New Plymouth as promised, this boat went direct to Auckland, and passed .New Plymouth by on her return trip. Utterly the service from New Plymouth had improved, but they must have a reliable timetable. Mr (J. Carter, speaking on bshalf of the Taranaki (N.Z.) Oilwells Coy., Ltd., detailed the troubles what his company had experienced in getting' away supplies ordered by southern purchasers, lie had on one occasion bespoken space to meet his ret|iiirenier.ts, and later his arrangements were upset by the reduction of this space by the company bv •2U per cent. So great were the di/liculties in this respect that consignees sometimes instructed the company to consign by rail, which (especially to Wellington) was afterwards cheaper than by boat—a- fact which the company in if 3 own interests should consider.

THE Xi-XSOX TRADE. ?.!!• K. Webster dealt especially with Hie Nelson serviee. Tii<; service of a. tew .years afro was a fine one, and the regular boats enabled importers to tranship from Wellington produce from Blenheim and fruit from Nelson. Now the service was irregular and infrequent. The Nelson grower collected his fruit .from the orchard and was then advisnd that 110 boat was leaving. The Nelson trade of to-day. including fruit which now came by rail from Wellington, was not :!<) per cent of what it had been four years ago. This was entirely due to the service. If that were as regular today as it was lour years ago, the trade would increase again. The Nelson Fruitgrowers' Association had asked him to emphasise tlici urgent need for a remedy. Vrom December 2:3 to February 1 there had been no boat. The remedy was a more regular and frequent- service. ill liendall (Ward & Co.) represent-

lug the coal dealers of the town, referred to the anomalies existing in LSurates of freight, lie instanced Hint on Newcastle coal, tile trade ill which in the last few years, sii.re its introduction by his firm, had increased from 300 tons to as much as 17110 luiia in 0110 cargo. It cost 2s Gd more per ton to tranship eoai frohi the N'cweasfb- boats to New Plymouth than to Napier, which was further away than the former. The freignt to New Plymouth had increased by Is per ton in the last three years. Mr. F. C. J. Bcllringer referred to the need for improvement in the method of settling claims for breakage and pillage. There was too much delay }n the matter. There were, moreover, less . breakages from England to New Zealand than in transhipment. Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Eltham) speaking on behalf of importers in a country : town, thanked Mr Aitken for affording the deputation an opportunity of expressing its views. Generally speaking, I the U.S.S. Co., was not so popular in j Taranaki as it might be, but he hoped ] that after Mr Aitken's visit this would i be remedie. The present service was totally inadequate, and when the boats did arrive, goods were found to be left out. This caused inconvenience and loss to importers. What was wanted was bigger boats, and an alteration in 'rates. Instancing the rate of freight on grass seed in support of this contention, he said that to bring- cocksfoot from the BlufT cost 31s per ton, and from Lyttelton (a shorter distance) 37s Gd per ton. For rye, the rates were 21s from the Bluff, and 27s 6d' from Lyttelton. The shorter the distance, the liigjier the j freight. The direct' boats which occasionally ran from Australia to New Plymouth were also uncertain in their movements, and importers frequently were not aware that one was leaving until she was full. Without wishing to convey the suggestion of a threat, he was certain that unless the Union S.S. Coy. could see its way to improve the conditions, the importers and exporters of Taranaki would help themselves. Their determination to secure better conditions was evidenced by the size of, the. deputation. Mr. Surrey (Inglewood) supported the previous speakers. His experience was that the delay in delivering goods to the importer was often due to the unexpected arrival of one boat elose on the heels .of another, causing congesti n on the railway. Mr. Ronnie (Waitara Chamber of Commerce) agreed with these remarks. Importers got their invoices and sometimes had to pay for the goods twentyfive days before they were delivered. Latterly a large portion of this importing had had to be done through the Post Office.

Mr. S. Teed referred to the fact that Wellington firms frequently asked for instructions to- rail goods, as they could not ship them. Mr. S. Goldwater advocated a better check against pillages. Mr. H. Goodacrc (Tradesmen's Association) expressed the opinion that there had been less pillage since the* strike than before. In fact, lately there had been little or none. He took this as evidence that the pillages must have. taken place after the arrival of goods in New Zealand.

THE COMPANY'S VIEWS. Mr. Aitken was glad to hare had the opportunity of a, conlerence. which he hoped would be attended with good results. lie acknowledged the loyal sunport accorded to the Company 'uy New Plymouth, and hoped it would continue. The trouule, he said, really dated Iwck to the opening of the; Main Trunk line to Auckland, which nad done mvav with tli,e pasttangcf ttfaf-fc 011 which the boats had largely depended. Then the company ran cargo boats from Wellington, but. that was unsatisfactory, both the Rosamond and the Ilaupiri showing a loss. Then the service was strengthened by bringing in first one and then two southern boats, giving three every fortnight. Certainly, the service was not as regular as the company could wish, but the amount of back cargo, except dairy produce, from New Plymouth to Wellington was small, and to compensate for this, the boats had to go to the bar harbors of the West Qoast of the South Island, and the consequent delays and risks reacted on the New Plymouth service. The question of a more regular service would have to be carefully considered, and he did not see ' how the company could under present conditions give as good a service as the old one. It might be possible, in the event of delays on the West Coast, to substitute a cargo boat, and so give a service from New Plymouth to Wellington. The delay during part of the time quoted by speakers, while it was not actually at the time of the strike, wis due to the labor unrest which brought on the strike. The company had, however, come through those troubles, and everything was normal. The difficulties in transhipment from Wellington were often due to the fact that the Union Company could only handle the goods when they were brought alongside its boats by the Harbor" Board official. Nowadays the goods were scattered about the numerous wharves. As to tnc question of assessment claims, his company's practice was to pay them, and he would look into those mentioned. Some of these had to be settled with the Home boat companies, and this led to delay. The handling of cargo was difficult, but since the strike it had been better, and there had been less breakages. As lo tlm question of short shipment, he was a little at a loss to account for it, as many of the instances quoted had not been previously brought under his notice. If the boats were always so full that they could not carry all the cargo, of course the position would be an ideal one for the company. He had tlwt day made enquiries as to short shipment at several ports in the last two or three months. Timaru had wired that short shipments on April 9 amounted to five tons, and on April 7 eleven tons, and that these had been due to belated applications for space. Lyttelton reported SO tons on March 10, nine tons on March 24, and ten tons on April 11. and b« the l'likaki on April 4 SIO sacks, or over SO tons (which latter had been sent by the ferry boat to Wellington at the company's expense. It would thus lie seen (hat the question was not ,so serious as it had appeared. If the quantity of cargo warranted it. the company would put on larger boats, but it would not pay (o do this for the sake of Die short shipments evidenced by the wires lie quoted. As (o the freight rates, some of those quoted were certainly anomalous, and would be looked into. Expenses had increased, and the company had refrained from increasing its rales during the strike. As to the direct boats from Adelaide, these were run at irregular intervals, but lie would see that importers were notified of Ihem in future. He assured the deputation of the company's best attention to the points raised, while he could make no definite promise. A COMMITTEE APPOINTED. On the suggestion of Mr. Johns, n committee was set up. consisting of Messrs 0. H. Burgess. F. S. Johns, C. A. Wilkinson. If. fSoodacre, and C. K. Baker, to confer with Mr. Aitken on fhw suggestions for an improved service