Harbour Board Calls For Lower Freight

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30882, 15 October 1965, Page 10

Harbour Board Calls For Lower Freight

CN«i* Sealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 14. The chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board (Mr E. R. Toop), after a deputation to the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) yesterday of board members and representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and other parties, has called on the shipping companies immediately to implement the proposed freight reductions and port handling charges.

Mr Toop said today Wellington was changing to a non-wharflngering system on February 1 and he felt sure that “Wellington importers will not accept any handling charges that are not applied elsewhere.”

The proposals, originally scheduled to operate from October 1, have been shelved till January 1 after a deputation from the Port of Auckland to the Prime Minister. Mr Toop said the matter was of national character and

it had long been the opinion of harbour boards throughout New Zealand that the matter of handling charges should be adjusted on equitable basis. “For many years Auckland has enjoyed an advantage over the other ports and particularly over Wellington,” he said. >

The New Zealand European Shipping Association in a statement of May 18, 1965, reported that “all other New Zealand ports are, in fact, being required to meet a proportion of wharf handling

charges . . ." and are therefore subsidising the wharf handling charges of consignees at the ports of Auckland, Opua and Whangarei, said Mr Toop.

“The shipping companies have long recognised this anomaly arising. I believe, from pressure from the Wellington Harbour Board some three years ago. "They proposed to rectify the position by imposing a handling charge in the northern ports of 9s a ton and a national freight reduction of 3s a ton," he said. Opposed Mr Toop said this was strongly opposed by Auckland and it was agreed to make a national survey of port charges. “This investigation has gone on for some two years now, with a continued advantage to northern ports.” Arising out of investigations by nominees of the Minister of Labour, certain charges were agreed on by the companies and Minister’s nominee to operate from October, he said. “For some reasons unknown to us, the companies were influenced, though 1 believe reluctantly, to delay the operation till November.

“At this stage came the deputation from Auckland, seeking further delay and they apparently succeeded in having the date put back to January. “We feel sure that there will be further delaying tactics,” he said.