WELLINGTON.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1660, 14 June 1875, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

(From our own Correspondent.) . ... This day.

Port Charges. , The general opinion of the Chamber of Commerce is that Wellington Bhould either be made a free "port, or have her harbour and light dues very much reduced. The Post, in a sensible and well-informed article, shows .how impossible it would be to benefit Wei-, lington by adopting the course indicated, as if by so doing the trade of the other ports of the colony was drawn towards Wellington, they wonld have also to become free ports, or hold equally attractiveinducementß to increase their shipping; ana if all were free alike, the people of the colony would not be benefitted, at all in the way of increased shipping, but would find themselves saddled with the coat of providing for light-houses and harbours by seine new way of taxing themselvesi It says it is an insult to common sense to suppose ?_y vessels are deterred fibm coming to New Zealand by the weight of pore dues, or that if all New Zealand ports were free there would be any great increase in the number of ships frequenting them. L N«w Zealand ports are not like Singapore !_&,; >°d St. Thomas, convenient places of call on <-rlS* Bre&* nautical highway, nor is it ships or shipowners who pay those charges in reality. It ib the people of the colony for freights are ao doubt regulated by the expenses of the voyage. In conclusion it says :—" We Will tell the Chamber of Commerce where the

real injury done to the trade of the port lies, it is in the enormous charges made by the members of the Chamber themselves, under the head of agency. We can mention a case B ST Pi^ re not Jon S ago, whose little bill came to £2400, of which sum only £84 was clown for port charges. If the Chamber is really desirons of attracting shipping to this port, and it? members are in earnest in wishing to lessen the cost of vessels coming here, let them show their sincerity by reducing then- own charges." .