REMUERA'S CARGO

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18902, 18 January 1927, Page 8

REMUERA'S CARGO

DELIVERY HELD UP. QUESTION QF FIRE LOSSES. If the consignees of cargo unloaded from the Eemuera wcro able to take delivery of their goods from the Railway Department's Dshed, the present serious congestion would be relieved and employment would be found for at least 30 more men, in addition to the 200 casual labourers now working for the Department in the sheds. At present delivery is held up through the merchants' inability to present their orders, and the Department cannot allow the goods to be taken from the shed without them, as this action on its part would bo equivalent to assuming responsiblity for the charges made by the New Zealand Shipping Company, agents for. the vessel.

■ One of the reasons for the delay is the recent fire on the Remuera. A general average of the damage must be struck by tho underwriters. In the event of fire the loss is distributed over the whole shipment, irrespective of its particular effects, according to tho value of each consignment. An exceptionally busy time is being experienced at Lyttelton at present, and the holding up of approximately 3000 tons of cargo in its best-equipped goods shed is a serious matter for tho Department. When a reporter was shown over the cargo yesterday, his attention was drawn to a high stack of cases of whisky, blackened by fire, smoke, ;vid water. These must be opened to enable the representatives of the insurance companies to ascertain whether any of the bottles have burst. Although apparently not a great deal of damage has been suffered, odd cases of hardware and drapery show outward effects of the fire.

A Serious Loss. / The closing of the D shed is equal to the withdrawal of approximately 60 waggon loads a day. i A railway oflicial said the whole cargo was manifested to the order of the ship, and the Department, not having tho orders, could, not release the goods. Each merchant must prove the value of his consignment,. and deposit ten per cent, of its valuo with the Customs Department. Another factor causing delays to the delivery of overseas cargoes at Lyttel- " ton is the occasional arrival of Home liners, such as tho Remuera, ahead Of the mail-carrying steamers with merchants' papers.

Limited Delivery. '■ln the afternoon the Department was able to reduce the stacks of merchandise a little by the delivery of some of t}ie lots. .It is impossible to rail into tho shed any goods from other vessels, as this would cause great confusion, and tiiily tend to accentuate the congestion. It is hoped to make better progress today, and to have the shed ready for tho reception of other cargo by to-morrow iiight. Tho shed's contents include Almost every kind of. West of England merchandise, and pianos are very numerous.

Busy Time at Port. , C shed will deal with the cargo from the-Sussox, arid.the Trevprian, from New York. Twelvie thousand bales of corn-sacks, which arrived by the Waihora and West Conob, will be sorted and distributed at Waltham yards by the use of the steam crane.

About 30 gangs of men and two grabs wore employed on the Lyttelton wharves yesterday unloading cargo from thb larger number of vessels in port. These, with their cargoes, included tho following:— , Kemuera, 3000 tons of general cargo; Kiwitea, 400 tons of gerieral cargo; Anglo-Columbian, 700 tons of sulphur; Waipiata,' 25 ; tons of general cargo; Kairanga, 700 tons of general cargo and 2500 tons of coal; Cygnet, 100 tons of general cargo'; Waihora, 2000 tons of general cargo;. Maori, 180 tons of general cargo; Tfevorian, 80 motor-cars and J2.Q00 cases of* petrol, kerosene,, and iaphthai In Addition the Athenic was loading meat and - butter. It 1b" only, necessary to .visit the Railway sheds at.a busy;time like the present to "realiso what an enormous Amount of work is saved tho Harbour Board through the lack of sheds on its wharves,- and the -Bailway Department's Bndertaking the" assembling of consignments in its -Ohristfchurch goods ■hedß>,<_ . ... , , ~...,.

HIGH

■ J . "v-..

U.S. FARMERS SUFFER

(T&B FBEBS Social Strvlct.]

. WELLINGTON, January 17.

"A burning question in America," ■tated Mr. TJ O. Bishop, secretary of 'the New Zealand Employers' Federation, who returned to. Wellington today after a visit to the United States, "is the effect on the farming industry of the high .protective tariffs built up around the manufacturing industries. Pawners ore suffering very acutely from the effect of high wages paid to city workers and the consequent dearth of ■ writable farm labour. A special Commission v representative of the Senate has been appointed to investigate farmers' problonis. <«To a very much smaller degree we In' New Zealand are suffering in the same way, and the findings of the Commission will no doubt prove to be of interest to students of economics in the Dominion.''

DAIRY PRODUCE.

IPBISS ASSOCIATION TELSOBAM.)

'■■''. -WELLINGTON, January 17. ' The New Zealand Dairy Produce Board has received the following cable from its London office, dated January 14th:— Butter,—New Zealand salted finest 1745, flnt grade 1725; nnsalted finest 184s, first grade 182s; stored,, best qualities 164s to 1665. The market is still quiet and the position sound. Consumption is normal. Australian-is quoted at 166s to 170s, Argentine 168s to 1625, Dutch 186s to 188s, and Danish 176s to 178s. The Danish weakness is considered temporary. Retail prices are unchanged. American stocks' are 18,500,000 lb less than last year, and production 5 per cent, to 8 per cent. less. Consumption Is- good. Cheese. —New Zealand finest white 945, coloured 955; first grade 93s to 945; Canadian 96s to .98s. The market is quietly firm. Forward positions are unchanged, and retail prices, are unchanged. .The Board has also received the following cable advice from its agents in Canada, dated January 16th: — ' Butter.—Vancouver, regraded specials 41 cents (Is BJd). The market has a downward tendency. San Francisco, 47 centji (Is Hid),

AUSTRALIAN LAMB. jfBISB ASSOCIATION TELEQBAU., WELLINGTON, January 17. The Mew Zealand Meat Producers' Board has .received a cable from its representative in Australia advising (hat 117,899 carcases of lamb were exported from Australia for the fortnight ended January 14th.