NAPIER PROBLEM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1938, Page 7

NAPIER PROBLEM

USE OF INNER HARBOUtf CHANNEL LIGHTERING WORK HELD UP. SERIOUS POSITION FOR SHIPPERS & WATERSIDERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NAPIER, August 30. The refusal of the Napier Harbour Board to permit lighters drawing more than six feet to use the inner harbour channel at certain stages of the tide has brought about a crisis in lightering work at Port Ahuriri, resulting in Richardson and Company notifying the freezing works and representatives of overseas shipping interests that lightering of overseas vessels could not be continued under the present condition. An attempt to overcome the deadlock will be made by Mr L. B. Campbell, Secretary of the Marine Department, who is coming to Napier to confer with the parties concerned. The trouble was the outcome of enormous quantities of silt brought down by the rivers in successive floods since last March. This silt so affected the channel that lightering interests claim that it is now practically impossible to work the roadstead except at high tide. At low tide there is only six feet of water in the channel, which is inadequate for a tug and gives no clearance on the unladen draught of the larger lighters. Lightering interests, who are supported by shipping companies, claim that they must have sufficient water to work the inner harbour at all tides. Overseas shipping interests claim that a pledge given in 1927 that the channel would be kept open until the breakwater scheme was completed has not been honoured. If the deadlock between the board and lightering interests continues, the only alternative outlet for the products of the province will be by rail to Wellington. Extensive groundings of lighters hampered the working of steamers in July and this month. A serious feature was that lighters had on one occasion grounded when only 10 yards from vessels in the roadstead loading berth. In a letter to the Minister of Marine, the Hon P. Fraser, the Napier Watersiders’ Union emphasised the danger to the lives of watersiders in the event of a lighter swinging broadside on to the swell while aground. This might involve a repetition of the Doric disaster in December, 1932, when a grounded lighter swung broadside on, obstructing the path of a launch, which overturned and drowned a dozen men. It was pointed out also that if loading work at Napier ceased, 250 watersiders, the majority of whom were married men with families, would be deprived of their only means of livelihood. Staffs employed in lightering operations were given notice today. All interests are hoping for an early settlement, as the Ruahine is. due to load Hawke’s Bay produce for Britain on September 9 and the Napier Star on September 14.