COASTAL SHIPPING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 152, 29 June 1945, Page 3

COASTAL SHIPPING

NORTHERN COMPANY'S MEETING

"During the year the company's general trading to outposts increased considerably," said Sir Ernest Davis, chairman, at the annual meeting of the Northern Steamship Company, to-day. "Inward cargo showed similar increases, especially as regards dairy produce, maize, kauri gum and timber. Unfortunately, large quantities of cement were not obtainable for shipment, due, we understand, to the mills being short of coal and not being able to meet demands; also, large shipments of fruit, usually shipped from Nelson and adjacent places to Onehunga, were diverted to other ports."

As with all like companies, the ever-advancing prices and the difficulty of securing stores, together with increases in the cost of labour, caused considerable added Sir Ernest The proSi that no loading or unloading of ships would be undertaken on Saturday afternoons, if insisted upon might embarrass the company in running shins during the dairy produce and wocl seasons. Railway competition during the year continued as keen asm the past. However, the Government, Jlalisfng the Position of coastal shipping, set up a committee of inquiry regarding rail competition with coastal ships. The case of the coastal shipDine companies was fully and ably put before thf committee and action was now awaited. The accounts (published on June 22) were adoDted and the retiring directors, Sir Ernest Davis and Mr. E. Anderson, were re-elected.