DELAYS IN PORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 27, 1 February 1934, Page 10

DELAYS IN PORT.

CLEARING OF. SHIPS.

STRONG CRITICISM VOICED

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VIEW

"The whole thing is a farce," declared Mr. H. E. Vaire at the meeting of the council of the Chamber of Commerce this morning when the method of granting pratique to intercolonial vessels at the j;ort was under discussion.

The chamber has already protested against the delays which the medical inspection of passenger ships from Australia involves and the tedious delay which happened on the arrival of the Wanganella on Tuesday morning was referred to by the president, Mr. Harvisy Turner, as another case in point. The vessel, he said, arrived just after seven o'clock, but owing to the boisterous weather experienced difficulty in berthing, which she did not do until after nine o'clock. Then there was another delay of an hour while the doctor an.l Customs officials carried out their duties.

'•It was most unfortunate when passengers who expected to get ashore about S o'clock did not do so until 10 o'clock," said Mr. Turner. "The delay the weather occasioned could not be helped, but the further delay might have been avoided if the doctor had gone out into the stream." When Mr. Vaile commented that the inspection was a farce, Mr. Turner agreed that it had become so. The .ship's doctor, he said, should be in a position to certify as to the health of the ship. All that the port health officer did was to parade the passengers before him according to a list given him. If one was inlseing, the inspection was held up till the missing passenger was found. A Member: There is no other part of the world where inspections are conducted as they are. in Auckland. Mr. A. G. Lunn said no doubt the officials wished to safeguard the port, but in New Zealand, and Auckland in particular, the delays had become a byword, and it was a question whether we were not paying too dearly for the safety. "Ridicubus." Mr. J. A. C. Allum: The delay of vessels trading between Australia and New Zealand is ridiculous, and it irritatee people immensely. Surely the authorities could waive the formalities in the case of a vessel coming from Australia to New Zealand, 'or where there has already been an inspection in Australia. Our system is creating a bad impression among visitors.Mr. D. Carter, said the delay occasioned by the doctor's inspection was not as serious as that caused by the Customs officials. The latter would not release the passengers until the whole number had been passed. If there was an alien among the pa-ssengere, the delay was worse.

Mr. W. B. Darlow agreed that the passengers should be allowed off the vessels as they passed through the Customs.

Mr. Lunn then moved that the chamber should draw the Government's attention to what had been stated, and that the Harbour Board be asked to jrive its support. This course was approved.