FEW SHIPMENTS DIRECT

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23323, 8 May 1941, Page 12

FEW SHIPMENTS DIRECT

CANTERBURY'S OVERSEAS TRADE CARGOES HANDLED BY COASTAL VESSELS Very few shipments now travel direct between Lyttelton and overseas ports. Practically all cargoes are dealt with by overseas vessels at North Island centres and transhipped to Lyttelton in coastal vessels, according to reports before the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday. . „ ~. . Imports to Lyttelton from British ports were given as nil in the statistics for April. The secretary and treasurer (Mr P. W. Fryer) explained that this was because shipments, from overseas , vessels were being received through coastal ships from the North Island. Further, only ports in Great Britain were included under the heading "from British ports," the shipments from British Empire ports coming under the heading, "from foreign ports." ■ . Mr R. E. Cairns said that the number of overseas vessels coming to Lyttelton would necessarily be curtailed, but the tonnage of coastal shipping, on the other hand, was increasing. Practically all overseas goods would come via coastal ports. ■ , The chairman (Mr F. E. Sutton) said that nevertheless coastal boats paid only an annual fee to the board, whereas the board might get as much as £SOO or £6OO from a Home boat. Mr R. T. McMillan said that perhaps more overseas shipping could come direct to Lyttelton. when there was pressure on ports in the north. Mr J. K. McAlpine said that exports to British ports for the month were shown as 58 tons. He asked whether a good deal of the exports were: going to Britain via America. Mr Fryer said that exports, as with imports, were going via coastal transport to other ports for shipment. Mr Sutton said that there had been some complaint from importers of delay, but there was a representative committee devising means of ensuring that ships and cargoes were handled "with the greatest expedition at the ports of clearance, and at all ports, and he was sure that this would be done. There was no delay at Lyttelton. Trade Figures The cargo statistics for April, with -those of April, 1940, in parenthesis, -were reported as lottcrws: — Imports: From British ports, nil (1625 tons); foreign ports, 16,790 tons (2034); intercolonial ports, 3155 (1164); coastal, 17,547 (13,203); total, 37,492 018,026). Exports: To British ports, 58 tons (4779); foreign ports, 1108 tons (459); intercolonial ports, 336 tons (701); coastal ports, 17,138 (13,989); total, 18,640 tons (19,928). With transhipments the total tonnage handled in April this year was 56,150 tons, compared with 38,032 tons in April last year. ' Sums paid into the Harbour Board Fund Account in April totalled £7935 17s lid, compared with £8445 5s 2d in. April ■ last year. The totals receipts for the seven months of the financial* year amounted to:' £47,028 6s 6d, compared with £60,293 6s-8d in the same last year, a decrease of £13,265 Qs 2d. : The harbourmaster (Captain James Plowman) reported that 96 trading vessels visited in April, .representing 106,086 tons, compared with 121 vessels (187,204 tons) in April last year. Two vessels arrived direct from overseas and .;• one • departed direct for. , -overseas. 'i