GOODS LOST

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 171, 22 July 1941, Page 8

GOODS LOST

CARGO PILLAGING CANNOT BE REPLACED IMPORTERS' EXPERIENCE Difficulties in the way of the re..acement of goods lost in shipment lave made pillaging an increasingly serious problem for merchants and traders in the Dominion during the past year. Although Auckland experience indicates that the actual loss of cargo through pilfering in various forms has been slightly lower than previously, the consequences are stated to be much more serious for importers than in prewar days. "Pillaging now is an absolute loss, in nearly every instance," said one authority interviewed this morning. •'Before the war, and even, in the early months of the war, we had a reasonably good prospect of replacing goods which disappeared en route, but to-day the effects of export restrictions in Britain and the shortages in British factories, combined with import control here, are such that we are virtually compelled to write the goods off." I,yttelton's Position Explaining the position further, he said the pillaging of cargo received direct from overseas appeared to be less than that affecting coastal cargo, and as overseas cargoes were now being landed at North Island ports, with arrangements for transhipment of southern consignments to Lyttelton, Dunedin and other places, the proportion of loss was probably rather higher in the South. In Auckland the figures of claims for shortlanded, damaged and pillaged cargo showed a slight reduction over the past 12 months. Not only had the total quantity of cargo pillaged been smaller, but on a basis per 100 tons of merchandise the loss showed a small decrease. There was nothing in the experience of Auckland importers to indicate any organised operations in pilfering. "Under existing conditions vigilance is the best protection," said another authority. "The greatest problem to-day appears to be that of short-landed cargo, which is exceedingly hard to trace." Mr. Gainor Jackson, president of I the Bureau of Importers, said that having regard to the conditions in Britain, where cargo had been loaded from docks exposed to bombing, and at improvised ports and often by the use of barges during blackouts, the proportion of loss had been fairly well controlled. Owinrr to the exigencies of war there had been isolated instances wnere some importers had suffered more than the average loss, but this was not generaL Coastal Pillaging On the coast, however, complaints have been more numerous, continued Mr. Jackson. The problem had been particularly troublesome at Lyttelton and to some extent also at Dunedin. In the case of Lyttelton. divided control on the wharves, between the harbour board and the Railway Department. added to the oiflicuUies of supervision. It was not easy to determine at what point the pillaging occurred, whether or not it was before the goods arrived at the wharves for shipment or after they left the wharves following discharge, or at what point the risk was greatest. Most of the lines affected were manufactured poods. Sometimes pack were opened and rebailed. at other times there was a jrapins; Mole where I they had been broken and some of the contents taken out.

"Confectionery and drapery are most poDular." said a representative of shipping interests rloselv in touch with the problem. "Pillaging seems to have been heavier since the allnight working of cargo was commenced. Claims have been larger, and supervision is more difficult. Most of the pillaging appears to be from which are more easily broken than cases. Th.->re have l>een more complaints from Dunedin than last year, and that may be connected with the larger amount of transhipment to the South." (See Dunedin story on page five.)