NO TRUCKS FOR CARGO.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 65, 18 March 1925, Page 5

NO TRUCKS FOR CARGO.

TIME AND MONEY LOST. MERCHANTS DISSATISFIED. RELIEF THIS AFTERXOOX. The failure of the Railway Department in Auckland to make arrangements for a supply of trucks to receive a shipment of GOOO tons of basic slag ex the Turakina has created a great deal of dissatisfaction among the fertiliser merchants of Auckland, practically all of whom are interested in the matter. Ample notice of the arrival of the Turakina. and of the shippers' requirements in the way of trucks, it is stated, was given to the Railway Department. Handling of the cargo began on Monday, but it was found there were practically no trucks available. The result was that as the discharging of the vessel continued the bags of slag quickly accumulated in the sheds. Under the Harbour Board's regulations, demurrage is charged at the rate of (3d per ton on goods that are not shifted within 24 hours of being discharged from a ship, and consequently this tax became operative through the Railway Department's failure to meet the merchant's requirements. This forenoon practically the whole cargo was standing in the sheds, and those concerned were anything but satisfied at the prospect of continued demurrage with the possible imposition of the penalty rate, making the shed dues 1/(5 per ton. The basis upon which basic slag prices are arranged is largely regulated by the understanding that the cargo is trucked immediately on being discharged. Payment of Harbour Board demurrage is not reckoned upon, and if incurred it soon absorbs the profit on the whole transaction. In ordinary course a cargo of the size of that brought by the Turakina can be discharged and dispatched on the railway in three days without any demurrage being paid. In order to overcome part of the difficulty several carters took heavy loads of the slag to the railway goods sheds but on arrival delivery was refused by the Railway Department, and the carters had to turn their horses and return to the wharf with tons of material. They were loud in their protests against this and similar incidents occurring at the railway sheds, where, they said, they had usually to wait an hour or two every time they wished to hand over goods for dispatch on the railway. Where were the Trucks? The cause of the shortage of trucks at present was stated by one railway official to be due to the new method adopted by the Department in catering for the farmers. Formerly, the practice was tc send fully loaded trucks to various districts perhaps twice a week, but now a daily service of half-empty trucks was being given. Whatever " benefit the farmers might get by that alteration, it was pointed out that the result of a truck shortage on the wharf would undoubtedly increase the price of fertilisers. The season for the arrival of shipments of manure is just beginning and the present incident is regarded as indicative that the Railway Department will require to make better provision for the delivery of these manures. The Turakina ? s cargo represented 800 truckloads, but. according to one merchant, the Railway Department preferred to utilise the trucks as substitutes for passenger coaches in connection with the traffic to Xgaruawahia Regatta. A responsible railway official informed a "Star" representative that the position would be relieved during this afternoon and that the position would be amply met to-morrow. He denied that the sending of trucks to Xgaruawahia had created the shortage, and pointed out that these trucks had been returned. The difficulty was partly created by the large amount of shipping- at present in port"