THROUGH BILLS OF LADING.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1921, Page 4

THROUGH BILLS OF LADING.

AUSTRALIA TO NEW PLYMOUTH. •

Recently the Taranaki Chamber of t Commerce addressed the following letter I to the manager of the Huddart-Parker Company: — “The attention of our Shipping Committee has been drawn by local importers to the fact that, while the Union S.S. Co. issue from Australian ports a through B/L to New Plymouth, your company will not do so. The charges in | Wellington on goods consigned to tha r . port only and re-consigned to New Plymouth are almost prohibitive, so th.it importers are unable to enjoy the advantages of your service unless they arc prepared to incur this extra heavy coat. I am directed by my chamber to ask your company if it can put those importers, who wish to avail themselves of your ships, on aii equal footing with those using the Union service. The latter charge a through rate from Melbourne - Sydney to New Plymouth of 69/6 per ton for general cargo.” A reply has now been received from the Huddart, Parker Co., as follows: "We received a letter from you last week, during the writer’s absence, asking ns to resume issuing through bills of lading from Australia to New Plymouth. The position was that during the war it was next to impossible for us to pet transhipment carried on from Wellington to out ports. The goods lay in the Wellington sheds for weeks, and even months, and did not improve by lying idle, and the danger of pillage was always present, and we were charged with storage by the Harbor Board. At the same time consignees were very hard on us. and wanted compensation for the delay es well as for any loss that occurred. We, therefore, had, in self-do-fcnce., to cease issuing through bills of lading. The position is not very much better now. as the Union Company only have a boat about once a fortnight, but wc shall be glad to try again and see whether it is within the bounds of reason. You can hardly compare us with the Union Company, as they have a boat of their own running to New Plymouth, and would naturally suit themselves first. We are writing to Sydney to ask them to accept cargo for New Plymouth