LOWER FREIGHTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8831, 6 May 1914, Page 6

LOWER FREIGHTS.

A DUNEDIN REQUEST.

(Per Press Association.)

. ■- *...,.. , DUNEDIN, May 5. " A deputation consisting of Mr Moller, Chairman of the Otago Harbour Board, and several members of the Board, waited on the Hon. W. H. Herries, Minister of Railways, at Port Chalmers, this afternoon, to urge a reduction in the freights on the Dunedin-Port Chalmers railway line, and to request the Department to widen the George Street pier at the port, so that the Board might ■■ proceed with the deepening of the berth, and ultimately make it able to accommodate vessels drawing 30 feet.

In reply, Mr Herries said that,the whole of this proposition, so far as/--he (could see, depended upon the policy that tho Board was going to pursue. It was practically a> new Board now, and it seemed to him that the whole question resolved itself into whether they were going to make the principal harbour at Port Chalmers or at Du'k>din. It would not be-a business p-:-» position, if the Government ■ went to -the expense of widening the wharf, and the Board oh its part deepened the berth. If they were going to get big ships up to Dunedin the same thing applied in regard to rates on the railways. The Department was nob sure that it wa,s.npt going to get competition after lowering.the rates by big ships going up to town. The question of rates on -tho railway would be carefully considered, though he did not say that they would reduce them in tho direction indicated. The Department was prepared to meet them if it knew exactly what the policy of the Board was. Since he had taken office he had not been . able- to fathom the policy of the Board as to whether, it was going to make Dunedin; or..Port Chalmers the port of Otago. Before it, got that, information .'he'','did -not. ;think/ t)le Department should chnirait; itself' to an expenditure which might later prove to be .practically; useless..