INFERIOR EXPLOSIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 255, 3 November 1897, Page 2

INFERIOR EXPLOSIVES.

A THAMES PROTEST.

(By Telegraph—Own Correspondent)

THAMES, this day,

In consequence oi the clamour raised over the admission of inferior explosives and their transhipment to Thames for storage at the Tararu Magazine, the local authorities addressed a communication to the Auckland Collector of Customs, which elicited no reply, and the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board has answered the Board's enquiry by stating that he cannot give any additional information, such information being regarded as confidential. In consequence of this, and being left with practically no source of information save the press, the chairman of the Thames Harbour Board has addressed the following telegram to the Commissioner of Customs, Wellington : " Collector at Auckland informed the Chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board that explosives have been admitted that were refused in Australian ports. I have tried to get information on the subject, but the Chairman of the Auckland Board has refused, as the communication was, in his opinion, confidential. In view of threatened disaster to the Thames people I respectfully ask that all information on the subject be placed at this Board's disposal. At a meeting of the Board last evening considerable discussion took place, Messrs Davey and Clark contending that in admitting dangerous explosive the onus lay on the Auckland Customs Department. The Secretary said the inference from the recent statement was that there were 200 cases in the magazine (out of a total of 600) which were dangerous. The following resolution was carried: " That the Collector of Customs at Auckland be requested to disallow any specially daugerous explosives to be transhipped to the Thames."