Coastal Shipping Decline

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31321, 17 March 1967, Page 3

Coastal Shipping Decline

(N.Z. Press Association) BLENHEIM, Mar. 16. Concern that the Railways Department was putting coastal shipping out of business was expressed at the annual conference of the Harbours Association yesterday. Mr N. D. Cullen (Southland) said although the day of the roll-on, roll-off vessel had arrived, before coastal shipping was abandoned completely, the new type of ship-

ping should be able to handle the demand. He said the railways were taking over cargo traditionally handled by coastal ships and making secret agreements with consignors. Thir was not in the national Interest, he said. A coastal service could be needed in time of emergency. Something should be done on the national level before it was too late, otherwise another 11,000 tons of coastal shipping could be lost this year. Captain J. B. McGowan (Otago) agreed. Competition should exist, but it should be fair, he said. The railways was a nationallyowned business with easy call on capital. Sea transport was its poor relation.

It costs 7s 6d per ton to load at Kaiapoi, but £2 0s 6|d

at Wellington. There was the answer on local shipping, said Mr L. G. Amos (Lyttelton).

Judge K. G. Archer, chairman of the Transport Commission, said the commission would call a meeting of coastal shippers next month to hear their story. He would be pleased to have the association’s views to put before the meeting.

Committee Members.—The following names were inadvertently omitted from the list of committee members of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association printed in “The Press” yesterday:—Messrs I. M. Ritchie, K. Stevenson, H. G. Stephens, M. Thacker, J. R. Todhunter, M. S. Turton, G. E. Wright and J. J. Wyllie.