“N.Z. Must Prepare For Containers”

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31540, 30 November 1967, Page 1

“N.Z. Must Prepare For Containers”

Container cargo was obvioiisly going to be the pattern of trade throughout the world, but what was needed now was some standard on the size of containers, Mr A. J. Sowden, the general manager of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, said yesterday.

Mr Sowden had just returned from attending a conference on the economics of container transport in London and visits to container and roll-on ports in Britain, Europe and America. Companies which at pre-

sent dominated the container trade had their own standards, he said, but there were countries which wanted a different standard, particularly when inches in the size of containers made a big difference to the economics of carrying companies. The Japanese seemed to have made real progress because they had consulted everyone else interested and come up with what they wanted. One of the problems of container shipping was that some wanted side-loading, others end-loading, Mr Sowden said, but he had no doubt that a pattern would emerge that would satisfy everyone. New Zealand, and Lyttelton, would have to conform to the pattern and be ready to meet container traffic. He would report to his board and would have some recommendations designed to make the port ready for the container traffic that would come.