SHIPPING FACILITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1920, Page 4

SHIPPING FACILITIES.

DELAYS FROM THE SOUTFDEPUTATION TO MANAGER OF TIE UNION S.S. COMPANYA deputation representing the Tttlftnaki Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon waited upon Mr. D. A. Aiken, general manager of the Union Steamship Company, who is on a business visit to New Plymouth, regarding the irregularity and inefficiency of the Company's services between New Plymouth and southern ports. • The'Preaident (Mr. A. E. Webster), Mr. A. Goldwater, Mr. S. W. Shaw, and others stressed the great loss and inconvenience caused the Taranaki commercial "community by the irregularity and Inadequacy of the services, particularly referring to the long delays in the transhipments (it being mentioned that some transhipments had remained as, long as ten weeks at Wellington), and hoped the Union Company would see its way to reinstate the former' Mapourika service, than which they never had anything better. The replacement of the Rarawe, by the little boat Rimu, on the New Ply-' mouth-Onehunga service, was also touched upon, and the assistance of the Company sought in providing a bigger and better boat.

Mr. Aiken said his Company Was anxious to do its best for Taranaki, it was laboring under pretty considerable difficulties at the present time. It WM* % known that the Company had lost" a large number of vessels during the Wat. Most of them certainly had since bteri replaced, but trade had developed fast, am* arrears of work, caused by the War, hat to be overtaken. Then owing to the coal shortage in New Zealand the Gov* ernment had ordered every availably ves» sel to be placed on the Newcastle* Jtaw '. Zealand service. Again, there was the epidemic, which interfered With marine transportation, as did the recent visit of the Prince of Wales. But thegrSSteSt trouble was in getting despatch from the various porta. For instance, at present it took a third longer for vessels in th,« Dunedin-Auckland service to make the run than it did a few years ago. The • same applied to the overhauling of Vetsols. They would realise what all this delay meant. The operations of the vessels were limited, and made, the problem of coastal transportation the harder. A( Home they had a number of vessels, largi and small, in course of construction,, but for the same reason— reduced ontnut-**tl the work was behind-hand; in fact the chairman of the company Was now in England endeavoring to • expedite the completion of the vessels. When the new boats were available, as he hopel they would be in the course of six or nine months, the company would be able to do . more than was possible just now in connection witfr the coastal services.

At the same time, lie pointed out that the Mapourika was far from being a payable proposition to the Company when it was on the Lyttelton-Welllng-ton-New Plymouth service, chiefly be* cause the run took thirty to forty per cent, longer to make than was estimated. If the Company acceded to the request to reinstate the Mapourika, heavy rates might have to be asked, and probably tha public would not like that.

Mr G. Fraser: There would be no objection to an increase, bo long as yo'i gave us a regular service. He> went on to say that regularity was more essential than speed.

Mr. Aiken said he would look Into the matter again on his return to Dimedin, and see if the Mapourika could be put on again, but he knew the loss on her running before was substantial. As for the transhipment delay at Wellington, he -was afraid the Comion Company in this respect was more sinned against than sinning. He referred to the congestion of cargoes in the sheds, and the difficulty of getting goods out from behind piles of cargo for any particular coastal boat, the consequents being that oftimes the cargo that came to hand first from overseas wag the last to reach its destination. Over this Hotter the Company had no control; it concerned the Harbor Board entirely. As regards the New Plymouth-One-lmnga service, this, of course, wag managed by the Northern Company, but if it was possible to assist them In the direction mentioned his company would do so.

The deputation thanked Mr. Aiken, and hoped the interview would result in aa improvement in the local services.