Railways Offering Ferry Freight Cuts

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29931, 19 September 1962, Page 10

Railways Offering Ferry Freight Cuts

(New Zealand Press Association)

NELSON, Sept. 18. A complaint that the Railways Department was undercutting shipping companies by ottering freight reductions for produce shipped from Nelson to Wellington in the Aramoana was made by the chairman <Mr H. McGlashen) to the Nelson Harbour Board last evening. It was not right for any Government to undercut the shipping companies, said Mr McGlashen. He had received some “very serious” information about the activities of the department in seeking cargo for the new inter-island ferry. The board passed a resolution that it was very concerned at any possibility that the normal carriage of goods between Nelson and Wellington would be disturbed by the advent of the Aramoana and supported the shipping companies in their efforts to preserve the trade. The matter was raised by a letter from the Nelson Tomato Growers’ Association requesting a meeting next Monday to discuss better handling of tomatoes on the wharf. Mr McGlashen said it was now proposed to extend the scope of the meeting to include matters connected with the Aramoana, and to have shipping company representatives attend the meeting. He had received the additional information that day from a Nelson shipping agent, who had said the growers were being canvassed to send their produce by the Aramoana. The agent had said an offer

of £5 10s a ton was being made to take produce from Nelson to Wellington by the Aramoana. This compared with £6 9s Id per ton under the coastal shipping service—£4 8s freight, 8s 6d wharfage at Nelson, £1 3s 6d wharfage at Wellington and 9s Id cartage —an increase of 19s Id on the Aramoana rate. Mr McGlashen said he felt very concerned about the 75.000 tons of produce that went between Nelson and Wellington in a year. It was not going to take 75,000 tons to put the coastal shipping off the market. Perhaps 25.000 tons might do it There was only one thing to do—to make representations to the Government.