THE PORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1920, Page 5

THE PORT.

SHORTAGE OF BERTHAGE. TWO LINERS ON SAME DAY. NEW PORT RECORD. The imperative necessity for increasing the berthage accommodation at the New Plymouth harbor has been frequently demonstrated of late, but the most striking instance of the need for more wharfage will be provided on Sunday, when, for the first time in the history of the port, two overseas liners are due to arrive on the same day. These are the Port Alma, from Sydney, to load for, London, and the West Camargo, from San Francisco, with case oil. The Port Alma left Sydney on Tuesday, arid though up to last night no wireless communication had been received aR to the vessel's movements, the ship is expected to reach New Plymouth on Sunday. The West Camargo is scheduled to leave Wellington tomorrow, and therefore should also put in an appearance on Sunday. Speaking to a 'Daily News representative last evening, the harbormaster (Captain Waller) stated it will not be possible to berth both steamers, and. the only couivse open appears to be to give preference -to the first arrival, and tije other steamer will have to anchor in th'e. stream till berthage is available. AN INTERESTING VESSEL. The General Steamship Corporation's liner West Camargo, which is now com"phltihg the discharge of 30,000 cases of Wellington, is a very interesting -.,Ves§el. i &JSe was completed on July 13 of this year, and was built at the Shaw Batcher shipyards, San Francisco. Like the VVrst Mahwah, the other vessel of the sjtfue line to visit the Dominion, the West Camargo is a vessel of 8800 tons, aid has a steel deck. She is an' oil-fuel vessel. She discharged 40,000 cases of oil: at Auckland, is discharging 30,000 cases at Wellington, and has 15,000 for New Plymouth, and 2000 tons of cargo arid 5000 ft. of lumber for Melbourne. Captain L. H. Wes'tdahl is in command, and Captain R. SmiUi, of Auckland, acted as coastal pilot on the West Camargo on the trip from Auckland to-Wellington. Mr. M. Graham, traffic manager for tho' company at San Francisco,, is a passenger by the vessel. He fa making arrangements at various New Zealand and Australian ports for future visits;,by vessels of the same line. After discharging the New Plymouth consignment the ship goes to Melbourne. E.XPORT OF MEAT, i Vessels which will load consignments of, meat from the Taranaki Farmers Company's Smart Road works within the nejft two months include the Port Alma, the Leitrim, and the Mamari. The first vessel is duo on Sunday, and next week will load about 35,000 freight carcases, while the Leitriifr% consignment is 7750 carcases. After the Mamari, the quota for which is not yet known, there will probably be two other boats in to take consignments before the works start killing for the season, so that some considerable relief in the matter of the space nt present taken up may be anticipated. In connection with the Leitrim's consignment tho unusual proposal has been made of loading meat from the Smart Road works on to the ship at Waitara. The management of the works hasrais-, ed an objection with the Overseas Shipping Committee, stating that to load this i|uantity of meat at Waitara will cost the company approximately ;S?00, and suggesting that it be transferred to the Port Alma or the Mamari. A reply has been received that the Leitrim's •shipment,is a special one that the Imperial Government desired shipped by the vessel, and that it is impossible to transfer it to either of the other vessels mentioned. Further information is being sought as to Why, even though the Leitrim's shipment is a special line, it is impossible to ship it at New Plymouth.