PORT OF WELLINGTON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1941, Page 7

PORT OF WELLINGTON

FACILITIES AND OTHER ADVANTAGES PRESENT CONTROL Or LABOUR. ADDRESS BY MR T. R. BARRER. At Wednesday's meeting of the Women's section of the National Party, an address was given by Mr T. R. Earrer on the port, of Wellington. After referring’ to the early history cf the port Mr Barrer said Wellington Harbour, with its arear of 20,000 acres and deep water channel 1000 feet in width, contained an entrance 3,600 feet wide at its narrowest part, and had sufficient capacity to accommodate within its limits the whole British Fleet and probably that of the U.S.A. as well, said Mr Barrer. As a transhipping centre to other parts of the Dominion, the port had a particularly favourable position, and it was the nearest main New Zealand port te Sydney and Panama. There were 10 city wharves and almost continuous breast-works and sea walls extending over 2:; miles of the Wellington water front, he said. The facilities for storage, loading and discharging were exceptional. The Wellington Harbour Board was constituted under a special Act in 1879, which came into operation in 1880 when the first election was held. The board now consisted of 14 members elected and appointed as follows: Payers of dues, three members; electors of the City ol Wellington, four members; electors o'Hutt and Makara counties and suburban boroughs, two members; electors of Manawatu combined district, two members; electors of Wairarapa combined district, two members; appointed by Governor-General, one member. The port of Wellington, said the speaker, owed its existence to the necessity for an exporting centre for the produce of the hinterland. The tota> amount of exports, other than primary produce, from the port in the last 10 years would not exceed £50,000 in value. It could be seen, therefore, that it was of the greatest importance that country interests, such as that of the Wairarapa. should be well represented. The Wellington Harbour Board was the only board in the Dominion that, in addition to its primary junction of control and regulation of the port, acted also as wharfinger, receiving 'the cargo from the ship's slings and delivering goods to consignees or transhipping to other vessels where required, said Mr Barker. Townspeople were allowed 24. hours free storage, and country people free storage for a week. It was advisable, however, in order to prevent double handling', that goods should be sent direct to the consignees. A special concession, which extended as far as Masterton, had been made whereby country consignees, instead of taking delivery in Wellington, on giving the necessary authority to the stationmaster. might make their railwaystation their port, and have goods delivered there without extra cost to themselves other than the usual railway freight charge of 32s 6d per ton plus a ten per cent increase recently imposed by the Railways. This privilege. which was in the nature of an experiment, had not been made use of to the extent expected. The stability of finance allied to a policy of progression which was formerly characteristic of the Wellington Harbour Board, owed much to the constructive ability of the late Mr W. Ferguson. His policy had been carried to further completion by Mr Marchbanks, now retired. Briefly, it might be summed up a “pay as you go ’ policy, every advance in construction and port facilities being provided by the building up of funds for the purpose. It was due to this foresight that when the floating dock had been purchased for £250,000 plus the cost of towage, the whole cost had been met by reserves, and the fact that it was a cash transaction had also enabled the board to obtain a concession of 15 per cent in an exchange rate which had been raised to 25 per cent. Today under war conditions the value of this floating dock was particularly evident, said Mr Barrer. Yet, but for the prudent policy of the Harbour Board, the facilities for repair thus placed at the disposal of merchant and. navy shipping would not have been possible. It would be well it today that prudent policy were continued. Today, control of labour on the waterfront had been vested in a Commission. Under the bureau system, no matter how much money was earned one week, if the worker was idle the following week he was given a retaining wage of £3. The Watersiders’ Union had a membership of 1450, admission to vacancies being by election. It was self evident, said Mr Barrer. that the volume of debt and taxation and the serious decline in the quantity and value of exportable produce must be met by a reduction of costs and not by the lavish increases now proposed. The farmer already worked long hours in all weathers. Any changes, therefore, should also be in the direction of a greater equalisation of working standards. Mr Barrer concluded his address by saying that, if permitted a further term on the Harbour Board, he would do his •utmost to work for the benefit, not of one section, but of the whole community.