THE SHIPPING- TARIFF.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 697, 13 August 1870, Page 3

THE SHIPPING- TARIFF.

(" Oamaru Times.") I It has frequently been pointed out [by masters of vessels trading to New [ Zealand from the Australian colonies (and elsewhere, that there is great l room for improvement in the tariff of [ shipping dues, and authorised by the [Government of the colony. The scale [of light dues, pilotage, port charges, [harbor-masters' fees, boat licenses, [etc., varying at almost every port, and [there being apparently no definite [principle adopted in fixing the amount. [The more the matter is looked into [the more anomalous the present tariff s appears, dues being charged at this Sport and not at that, without any obl vious reasons for the difference. What - is wanted is that something like an approach to uniformity should be made, so that the master of any vessel would know exactly the charges to be paid at any port in the colony. For instance with regard to the Light Dues, the charges per ton at Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Westport, G-reymouth, Hokitika, Lyttelton, Akaroa, Timaru, Oamaru, Kakanui, Moeraki, Waikouaiti, Dunedin, Molyneux, and Bluff, are—for sailing vessels from beyond the Australian colonies 6d per ton, steam from ports out of the colony, and sailingvessels from tho Australian colonies 4d. Steam and sailing vessels coastwise Id ; while at Russell, Wanganui, and Picton the charges are in each instance half the rates given. At Manukau, Kaipara, Hokianga, Tauranga, Mongonui, Napier, Wairoa, New Plymouth, Patea, and Waitera, no Light Dues are charged. Then there are many ports not mentioned in the schedule, as for instance Catlin's Eiver, Waikawa, the Taieri, and others, where a considerable amount of shipping trade is done. We do not see why uniform rates should not be levied at all the ports of the colony, that is to say one uniform rate for vessels from beyond the Australian colonies, another uniform rate for steamers or sailing vessels from the Australian colonies, and a third uniform rate for coasting vessels either sailing or steam, such rate to be levied upon every vessel passing a light. The theory that a sailing vessel from " over seas," as it is termed, should pay higher rates than steamers or coasters is quite sound, as it is precisely long-voyage vessels which stand most in need of and benefit most by the light-houses. Besides which, the coasting and short-voyage vessels making more frequent trips, pay in the aggregate a much larger sum yearly than foreign-going ships. With regard to pilotage, the rates necessarily have to be varied in accordance with the nature of the ports themselves, and the greater or less responsibility resting on the pilot. In the case of open roadsteads, however, where pilots are kept, a uniform charge might be made on all vessels except such as are exempt, but even in the case of these last, an annual pilotage might be levied towards the maintenance of the pilot establishment. Port charges should, we think, only be made "at ports," that is to say at places where vessels are sheltered by a harbor and should not be made at open roadsteads. Port charges in harbor might, and should, we think, be uniform throughout the colony. At present they vary considerably, while it certainly appears a most anomalous thing, not to say an injustice, that vessels trading to Oamaru, Moeraki, Waikouaiti, Kakanui, or Molyneux, should have to pay a half yearly port charge of 4d per ton, while vessels trading to Timaru, Akaroa, Picton, Havelock, Okarito, Westport, Greymoutli, Nelson, or Wanganui pay no port charge whatever. Nothing could be more obviously absurd than that vessels coming to Oamaru, an open roadstead almost unsheltered, should be charged port dues, while vessels to Akaroa, an almost land-locked harbor, should pay none.

The shifting or harbor-masters' fees are at an even tariff, and the charge laid down (Id per ton) is one to which no exception can be taken. Lastly, with regard to the fees for boat licenses, and watermen's licenses. Here again a uniform tariff is required. Why watermen's boats should be charged a license fee of £1 or £1 la at one port, only 10s at another, and nothing at a third, or why tho license fee for cargo and ballast boats should vary from £1 to £2 2s, while at some ports there is no such fee at all, we cannot imagine. It would bo much better that there should be a uniform charge at all the ports of the colony for ea*bh class of boats.