SHIPPING HAMPERED.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 95, 22 April 1924, Page 7

SHIPPING HAMPERED.

SERIOUS DELAYS LIKELY. CONGESTION THREATENED. HEAVY IXWARD CARGOES. Shipping activities at Auckland arc likely to lie seriously hampered on account 01 the strike. Delays arc certain in the case of a number of steamers; and these, besides proving expensive, -will Tiiive still further evil effects.on some of the local industries. IMorc this week i≤ "Ut a number of fteamers should arrive at Auckland from the coast and from overseas, and the possibilities of serious congest ion in port are not the least of the troubles that will have to be faced by t!io city and province on account of the dislocation in the transport services. The steamer' Port Caroline, discharging 1.300,000 feet of Australian hardwood, and the Waitemata, putting out nOOO tons of phosphates from Nauru Island, will probably be considerably delayed, as the cargo which they are working is bulky and requires to be removed in railway trucks. The phosphates, for the works at Westlield and Utahuhu, is carried loose, and has to be transported by special trucks, which are limited in numbers. In view of tiii-, and the fact that another cargo of about UOOU tons of phosphate is due from Nauru next Sunday by the Wathora, the operations at the fertiliser works will be feriously interfered with. Two large steamers arc at present loading at Auckland wharves for London. One of these, the Otaki, which has been taking in general cargo, and at the same time fitting out her holds to receive frozen cargo in the South, will not be afTected, as her cargo is now ready for shipment, and the vessel will »ct away on Friday morning for New I'lymoutlT. Tsut the other, the Ruahine, may be delayed, as a portion of the meat to be shipped by her has to come from Soutsdown. The Alahana, which is the only other steamer to load refrigerated produce lie-e in the immediate future, vill be due about Friday from Gisbornc, .To-day the motor ship Hauraki ar ri\ed from Newcastle and Sydney, bring- . ing a large quantity of coal, "and the Totua from Suva., with a cargo of bananas. The former is to leave for .the Pacific slope after disphargin? at the King - s wharf, but the date of her sail ing is at present very indefinite. The latter is discharging her fruit into cart* and motor vehicles for marketing, and is also to tranship a quantity of hei bananas to the Alua for Southern ports, Jt is not anticipated that the lack ol railway transport will seriously atl'ect the distribution of the fruit, and the steamer's departure is scheduled for Saturday, in accordance with her timetable announcement.