DELAY IN BERTHING.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 27 March 1926, Page 12

DELAY IN BERTHING.

LfNKR ANCHORED OUTSIDE.

II ARDOUR A.I ASTER. EXPLAINS.

Complaints from llie master of Clio vessel concerned and also Irom the local audits, Alessrs D. C. Turnbull and Co., foi' the Ellerinan-Hall Line, concerning the delay occasioned to Clio berthing of the s.s. City of Norwich, were received at yesterday s meeting of the Tiniam Harbour Hoard. [Messrs D. C. Turnbull and Company forwarded a complaint from Captain L. Adams, of the City of Norwich, concerning 1 he vessel being kept at anchorage in the roadstead all day Sunday, February 28. The letter stated that the vessel arrived olf the port at 11 p.ui., on Saturday, 'February d 7, and anchored, On Sunday as there were no indications of a pilot h-aardi ng, the Captain wirelessed the harbourmaster to ask if he could berth the steamer, and received the reply “Perth you 7 a.m. tomorrow.” As the weather was line on Sunday after tine strong wind and rain of. Saturday night, he could see no reason why the vessel could not have been taken into the harbour, then as no rfeamer had left; if a berth was available Oil ai on day morning it would also have been available oii„Sunday. Further two other steamers entered /the port during Sunday and were berthed. Apparently the harbour facilities at Timaru ilid not .seem adequate for the amount of tonnage using the port, when a large steamer as the “City of Norwich’’ should lie unable tn berth on arrival to discharge or load her cargo, incurring heavy expense to the vessel concerned. [Mesr'i'S Turnbull and Co., ulso protested against the delay. The harbourmaster (Captain 1) .McDongall) reported as I'odows: — “[ was informed on Saturday morning at thin that Die ship was t.o leave Lyttelton for Timaru. The ‘weather conditions at the time were bad and very threatening;. 1 bad the two large steamers Cambridge and Surrey berthed at the wharves, and expected the Opihi and Canopus. I considered that 1 already had as much and perhaps more than 1 could manage if the sea made. Consequently I thought it would be neither prudent nor wise to take another large steamer to the wharves, seeing that no work could be stalled before 10 n.m., oil the [Monday. I was told , by that linn that berths were available, and that 1 would have to take the ship in on Sunday or suffer the consequences. Now. sir, I take this as a glaring attempt to bludgeon your Harbourmaster to do tilings against his better judgment, and as I absolutely refuse, to allow any shipping agent to dictate to me, as harbourmaster, I am prepared to await the threatened consequences.” The chairman said that the vessel could not work until 10 o’clock on .Monday, as the watersiders were holding a stop-work meeting. If the vessel had come in. it could not he worked in any case until that hour. Their harbourmaster was a very efficient, man. who had the interests of the harbour at. heart, and the Hoard must support him. It was resolved that the harbourmaster's action he approved.