BERTHING DELAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 277, 22 November 1934, Page 11

BERTHING DELAY.

OVERSEAS SHIPS.

REMEDIAL PROPOSALS.

COMMERCE CHAMBER'S VIEW.

Definite recommendations designed to minimise the delay in the berthing of vessels from overseas are to be made to the Ministers concerned by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

The president, Mr. A. O. Lunn, reported to a council meeting to-day that already letters bad been sent to the Minister of Health and the Minister of Customs. Reference had been made in the letters to the Rangitane, which should have read Rangitiki. Thev were now informed that the delay was not due to a hitch in the medical inspection, but, to the development of a mechanical defect in the steering gear.

'•'Statements were made in our letters a fortnight ago regarding delays that occurred on the occasion of the arrival of the R.M.s. Niagara on October 29. and the times stated by our informants have been confused in the mind of the medical officer as being the times taken from the ship coming to anchor, and unfortunately have been construed as a personal attack on the administration of his office," said Sir. Lunn. "I am glad to be able to give publicity to the fact that in no shape or form was any attack intended or made upon the medical officer. The times of arrival given by the Chamber of Commerce were recorded by passengers on the Niagara and were taken from the arrival of the first launch, which happens to have been the postal launch, and not the Customs launch as stated in the chamber's first letter. It was also suggested in our letter that the doctor did not arrive ou board until 10.55 a.m., this being the time supplied by our informant. Actually, however, we found on consulting the ship's log that the time was 10.43 a.m. (or 18 minutes after the vessel dropped anchor). Support by Dr. Russell. "I have since had a long conversation with Dr. Russell and have explained these matters very fully to him. I am satisfied that Dr. Russell views with great sympathy the main idea in our minds of reducing delays in the dis-

embarkation of passengers, and will accordingly support any reasonable means of so doing. With a view to making a concrete suggestion to the Health Department and the 'Customs Department that would tend to remove the stigma under which this port suffers from delay in this respect, we called a. meeting of representatives engaged in the shipping trade, and - the following suggestions have resulted:—

"(1) That the arrangement of accepting the ship's surgeon's declaration as to the state of health of passengers and crew as it now applies to the intercolonial passenger vessels be extended to include overseas passenger vessels; and, with a view to facilitating the landing of passengers, instructions be given that the port health officer, accompanied by the necessary Customs officials, etc., board the vessel in the stream in one operation at sufficient distance from the wharf to allow for the avoidance of anchoring, and permit of all port formalities being practically concluded by the time the vessel is made fast to the wharf. . .. . "(2) That "the "formalities ctfuld be largely reduced and the landing^of passengers greatly by (a) eliminating immigration formalities in connection with through passengers (e.g., passengers booked from Vancouver to Sydney), and (b), if necessary, instituting a ■ system of- clearance cards to be handed to passengers who had complied with, the necessary conditions and formalities."

The president's report was adopted,