HARBOUR BOARD TARIFF.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 149, 29 June 1897, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD TARIFF.

THE PROPOSED CHANGES.

At the meeting of the Council of bhe Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon, Mr B. Kent presiding, a letter was road from Messrs Carr, Johnston and Co. stating that sonio proposed now by-laws were likoly to come tip for discussion at the noxb meeting of the Harbour Board. Ib wa« pointed oub that na tho laws entailed considerable changes in the wharfage and storage charges on goods imported, transshipped and sborod, and appeared to be of a drastic and unreasonable character, they suggested thatthe Chamber should communicate with th 6 Harbour Board and ask that tho Chamber bo allowed to confer with the Board before bho new bylaws and charges were passed by the Board. The increase in charges they aesertod was in some inetancos 100 percent,, and if enforced would provo a serious menace and hardship to importers both for home consumption and for transhipment. The Chairmun (with a copy of the Stab in his hand) said that if bhia matter of charges was in the position stated in bhe Star leading article of Saburday last, ib would nob be the duty of bhe Chamber bo interfere. If there were anomalies, and bhe Board were endeavouring bo pub mabbers on a more equitable footing, ib was nob the duty of bhe Chamber bo interfere. They ought to hare definite information before them and know whab they were doing. Mr M. A. Clark said so far as bhe proposed changes affected the Roller Mills, there was a perfectly fair increase, and he had told Mr McUorquodale so. He defended bhe proposed changes in the bylaws and asked why should kauri gum, which was worth £40 per ton, be allowed bo land free of wharfage.

The Chairman said ho tboughb the Stab had put bhe matter very fairly in reference to the Sugar Company and coal hulks. He then read bhe following from the article :—" The Sugar Company erected and maintain their own wharf and pay the Harbour Board full wharfage upon every tou of goods passed over it; bub a coal 'hulk or sboreship can be anchored in the stream, receive and discharge thousands of tons of cargo and profit by the harbour works, improvements, and administration for the nominal sum of £10 10a a year." Personally, he did nob regard bhe proposed changes as anything bub a sensible act. Mr McOoiquodale said thab the bylaws meanb double charges on local exports fco the Islands, while no charges whatever were to be made on transhipments from the South.

Messrs Hall and Philson spoke unfavourably of some of the proposed changes. Mr Clark, the Chamber's representative at the Harbour Board, road the proposed alterations and made explanations. He said the Harbour Board Commibtee thought the flour trade had had an advantage which they had no right to. The Chairman to Mr Clark : As representative of bhe Chamber on the Harbour Board, what is your opinion of the changes? Mr Clark : On the whole they are of a reasonable character.

Mr J. Reid said that he would like to mark his disapproval of the increased rates. They should be allowed time to consider the alterations.

Mr McCorquodale thought the changes so far as he was concerned were a grievance on a local industry.

At this stage there were only four members of bhe Council left in the room, viz., Messrs Kent, Reid, Clark and McCorquodale.

On the motion of Mr Reid, seconded by Mr McCorquodale, the following resolution was passed :—"That in bhe opinion of this Council the question of the proposed increase of wharfage charges should be deferred by bhe Harbour Board for a fortnight."