Rate Of Waterfront Work 'A Disgrace'

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30965, 22 January 1966, Page 1

Rate Of Waterfront Work 'A Disgrace '

(New Zealand Press Association>

WELLINGTON, Jan. 21.

The speed of loading and discharge of cargo on the New Zealand waterfront was nothing short of a national disgrace, said a member of the Wellington Harbour Board, Mr G. L. Barker, today.

Mr Barker said he had come to this conclusion after inspecting port facilities in the Pacific and Far East. In Honolulu six men using 25-ton capacity containers discharged cargo at the rate of 1000 tons an hour.

“Under our present methods in New Zealand it would take approximately 2000 of our watersiders using our gear and equipment to handle this amount,” said Mr Barker.

“We have had shipping and export development councils, streamlining committees, and Government commissions all dealing with the waterfront situation, but during the last 50 years the rate of work has

been steadily deteriorating, even though millions of pounds has been spent on the importation of mechanical equipment.” “It is time that the Government and the general public of New Zealand were made fully aware of the whole situation,” Mr Barker said. “This vitally affects every citizen of New Zealand, who is forced to pay more for every-day commodities, and the economy of the country can no longer stand the high rate of freight for the carriage of vital products to overseas markets.”