LIGHTERING AT NAPIER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1938, Page 7

LIGHTERING AT NAPIER

SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENT REACHED. STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF MARINE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. An announcement that difficulties which occurred recently in connection with lighterage work at Napier had been smoothed out and that a working arrangement acceptable to all parties had been arrived at, was made yesterday by the Minister of Marine, the Hon P. Fraser. He said the settlement was the result of a meeting on Friday between the works committee of the Napier Harbour Board and the shipping and meat interests concerned with the operation of lighters from the inner harbour to overseas vessels in the roadstead anchorage. “The policy of the board has been to maintain a depth in the inner harbour entrance channel of six feet at low-water ordinary spring tides, and this appears to have been done but, in order to improve the position if it is at all possible to do so, the board has agreed to work the dredge J.D.O. on double shifts for at least two months,” observed the Minister. Having stated that the board would provide and maintain an up-to-date chart for the information of masters and owners, Mr Fraser added: “The dispatch given to overseas cargo vessels at Napier is second ti none in New Zealand, and it reflects the greatest credit on all concerned —the port authority, the lighterage company, and the workers concerned —that such an efficient organisation has been built up, despite the difficulties following the destruction caused by the earthquake. It has not been economically possible to maintain a channel of sufficient depth to give free entry for all lighters at exceptionally low tides, but I feel that, with the co-operation of all concerned, the reputation for efficiency which the port organisation now enjoys can be maintained with the arrangements now made.”