SHIPOWNERS COMMENT ON WHARF RAIL PLAN

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28268, 4 May 1957, Page 12

SHIPOWNERS COMMENT ON WHARF RAIL PLAN

For three years the shipping interests tried to see the plans for the rail lay-out on No. 7 wharf, said Mr R. L. Reid, chairman of the Port Employers’ Association and chairman of the Christchurch branch of the Overseas Shipowners’ Committee, yesterday. “We had a verbal promise from the board that we would be shown the plans,” he said, “but repeatedly over those three years we were put off.”

He was commenting on remarks made at Wednesday’s meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board. The engineer-in-chief (Mr J. A. Cashin) was reported as saying that the lay-out of the railway on No. 7 wharf was proposed by the Railways Department and the shipping interests, but, presumably. the board went ahead with the construction too quickly and was asked to change its mind. The secretary (Mr A. L. Burk) was quoted as saying: “The shipping companies and the Railways Department did not know their own minds."

The shipowners were then amazed to find that the proposed lay-out was exactly that of the old wharf. Nothing had been changed, said Mr Reid. Plan for One Side

“After consultation with the department it was agreed that certain improvements should be added, and a plan for one side of the wharf only was approved. The second side would ultimately be completed *on the same basis,’ ” he said. “When the Railways Depart-

ment had actually started laying the rails on one side of the wharf we had still not been given an opportunity of seeing the plans. Eventually we asked the department if they would let us see ■ them.

“This they did, most courteously. It was a courtesy, because all arrangements for the laying of the tracks were between the department and the board,” he said.

As a result of the incorporation of these improvements the shipowners considered the rebuilt No. 7 wharf much better equipped than the other wharves at the port.

“But we would emphasise,” continued Mr Reid, “that any difference of opinion as to the lay-out would not have arisen had the board submitted the plans to us as- promised on a number of. occasions.” “Disconcerted’’ The shipowners had been most disconcerted to find that a letter from the board to the department stated that the plans, as first 'drawn up by the department, had been approved by the shipping companies and the board. “This was contrary to fact, as iat that time we had not been consulted in any way,” said Mr Reid.

The shipowners wished to work in harmony with the board, but it would appear that various statements made at board meetings would ultimately prevent such harmony, he concluded.