WHEAT STORAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 32, 8 February 1939, Page 13

WHEAT STORAGE.

WHARF TRANSIT SHEDS. A NATIONAL EMERGENCY, The decision of the Auckland Harbour Board made last month to etore 11,000 tons of wheat in its transit sheds was commented upon by the chairman of the board, Mr. W. B. Darlow, thie morning. '•The reason why the board agreed to the Wheat Committee's proposal to store the wheat in the board's shede was that it was represented to us that it was a caee of national emergency, and that storage could not be obtained elsewhere," he eaid. "The board felt that in the circumstances it could not refuse." Mr. Darlow said that with the congestion that was taking place on the wharves at the present time, it wa«s inconvenient for the board to place so much space at the disposal of the Government, but it could not be helped. Merchants and shippers would certainly feel the position. The wheat would be stored in the upper portions of the Queen'e wharf and Prince's wharf and would remain there for probably 12 months. The board had made the nominal charge of 2d a ton a week for the etorage.

"I have been opposed in the past to the sheds being used for etorage," said Mr. Darlow, "but with the information placed before the board by the Wheat Committee we could not refuse to store the wheat which is arriving from Australia. Some shipments have already been discharged," he added.

At yesterday's meeting of the board a letter was read from the Wheat Committee thanking the board for making pro vision for the storage of wheat in ite transit sheds. This was "received" without discretion.