SHIPPING NEWS

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32810, 10 January 1972, Page 13

SHIPPING NEWS

Tally clerks have important role

In the Lyttelton Herbour Board's last financial year, to September 30, 1971, a total of 1,355,888 tons of cargo (inward and outward) was handled at the port, not including petroleum cargoes from tankers. If all this cargo was not accounted for, chaos would result—and so here the tally clerk plays an important port role.

The Lyttelton Tally Clerks’ Union, according to the president (Mr D. K. Briggs) was formed in 1919 and is one of the oldest anions at the port. It has a full strength of 45 clerks but at extremely busy periods, extra men are engaged. Tally clerks are normally men who like outdoor lite and would need to, because they encounter every kind of weather. For a man who is good at figures, the job is ideally suited. It involves meeting people from all over the world and dealing with every i kind of cargo. A small sack of canary seed from Queensland must be accounted for just in the same way as a heavy locomotive from Japan. Sometimes, an error will creep in. Some years ago, when a circus from Australia was being tallied off a ship, an elephant was strangely mislaid—only on paper, for the beast was there all right. But the error was soon remedied.

Because of the fantastic range of products handled, both inwards and outwards, observant tally clerks soon accumulate a store of general knowledge, which in several cases is passed on to their children to assist with their social studies at school.

Some men> have been tally, clerks most of their working! lives. In fact, one Lyttelton; clerk retired last year after 501 years service. The Lyttelton! union, however, includes certain men drawn from other spheres. They include a former qualified accountant, a farmer, a cashier, a detective, a carpenter, a hairdresser, a businessman, and a cinema projectionist. Every job. and every day, ts different, whether a clerk be tallying each carcase of lamb, each sack of potatoes, a massive churn, or a bulldozer. Naturally they do not tally bulk petroleum cargoes. Roll-on cargoes, in the main, are also normally excluded from tallying by these particular men, but just about every other item handled at the port is accounted for by them. ARRIVALS Saturday Ea (5.49 a.m.), 1967, Capt. J. Langerox, Ecuador (Holm). Maori (7.18 a.m.), 7490, Capt A. P. Heenan, Wellington (U.S.S.). Cape Sable (6.35 p.m.), 13,532, Christmas Island (Br. Phosphate Cmmrs.), (Bulk.) Sunday Maori (6.45 a.m ), 7490, Capt. A. P. Heenan, Wellington (U.S.S.). Crusader (6.57 a.m.), 3461, Capt. B. Roberts, Wellington (Crusader).

Tongariro (7.33 a.m.), 8233, Capt. H. J. D. Sladen, Wellington (P and O (N.Z.) Ltd).

DEPARTURES - Saturday Maori (10 a.m.), 7490, Capt. A. P. Heenan, Wellington (U.S.S.). (Daylight.)

U.S.N.S. Private John R. Towle (9.5 p.m.), 7600, Capt. A. W. Webb, McMurdo Sound. Maori (8.34 p.m.), 7490, Capt. A. P. Heenan, Wellington (U.S.S.).

EXPECTED ARRIVALS Sugar Importer, Auckland, today. H.M.N.Z.S. Kuparu, Plcton, today. Holmburn, Onehunga. today. Maori, Wellington, today (daylight). Erne, Wellington, today. Pukeko, Napier, today. Hawea, Auckland, today. Hollywood. Fremantle, today. Maori, Wellington, Jan. 11. (Daylight.) Hupeh, Wellington, Jan. 12. Natko Nodilo, Auckland, Jan. 12. Athelviscount, Marsden Point.

Jan. 12. Capltaine Wallis, Vila, Jan. 13. Neder Rijn, Wellington, Jan. 13. Gamma Allardyce, Jan. 14. Straat Madura, Napier, Jan. 14. Cumberland, Wellington. Jan. 13 Hurunui, Wellington. Jan. 16. Cymric, Wellington, Jan. 20. Kweichow, Melbourne, Jan 21. Maheno, Wellington, Jan. 21. Howra, Napier, Jan. 22. Northumberland. Auckland, Jan. 22. Iconic. New Plymouth, Jan. 24. Shansi, Wellington, Jan. 25. Slbonga, New Plymouth, Jan. 25. Turakina, Wellington, Jan. 28. Luhesand, Ecuador, Jan. 28. Suevlc, Wellington, Jan. 29. Japan Rimu. Wellington. Jan. 30. Iberic, Wellington, late Jan. Regent Cosmos. Wellington. Feb. 6.

PROJECTED DEPARTURES | Suez Maru, New Plymouth, ! today. Maori, Wellington, today. Erne, Marsden Point, today. Holmdale, Chathams, today. Port Sydney, Napier, today. Ea, Auckland, today. Sugar Importer, Sydney, Jan. 10. Maori, Wellington. Jan. 11. Hollywood, Wellington. Jan. 11. Cape Sable, Dunedin, Jan. 11. Crusader, Napier, Jan. 12. Tongariro, Bermuda, Jan. 12. Pukeko. Dunedin, Jan. 12. Hawea, Auckland. J»n. 12 Holmburn, Raglan, Jan. 12.

Kowhai, Dunedin, Jan. 13. Hupeh, Tauranga, Jan. 13. Athelviscount, Dunedin, Jan. 13.; Natko Nodilo, Dunedin, Jan. 14. ! Tanda. Napier, Jan. 14. Capltaine Wallis, —, Jan. 14. Gamma, Nelson, Jan. 15. Neder Rijn, Bluff, Jan. 15. I Eltanin, sea, Jan. 16. Straat Madura, Dunedin, Jan. 18. Cumberland, Dunedin, Jan. 18. Holmlea. Wellington. Jan. 19. Hurunui. Dunedm. lan 20. Maheno, Sydney, Jan. 21. Shansi, Tauranga, Jan. 26. I Howra, Dunedin, Jan. 27. Slbonga, Dunedin, Jan. 27. Icenic, London, Jan. 27. Cymric, Auckland. Jan. 28. Northumberland. Dunedin, Jan. j 29. Luhesand. Auckland, lan. 29. Turakina. Napier, Feb. 1. Suevlc, Dunedin, Feb. 3. Waikare, —, Feb. 4. Japan Rimu, Dunedin, Feb. 4. Iberic. Dunedin, early Feb.

‘ VESSELS IN PORT Suez Maru, No. 2 Cashin Quay., Port Sydney. G.P.E. Ea, No. 1 B.W. Kowhai. No. 2 East. Holmdale, No. 3 East. Cape Sable, No. 3 West. Eltanin, No. 4 East. Crusader, No. 4 West. Tongariro, No. 6 West. Tanda, No. 7 East. | Waikare, No. 7 West. Holmlea, Graving Dock. Other ports AUCKLAND I Saturday. — Arrived: Straat! (Cumberland (6.38 a.m.), SingaIpore; Jinyo Maru (8.45 a.m.),! Lyttelton. Sailed: Viborg (9.7 a.m.), Persian Gulf; Cymric (2.16 j p.m.), Napier; Jinyo Maru (4.23 | p.m.), Japan; Hawea (4.29 p.m.),| (Lyttelton; Kenan Maru (5.21; p.m.), Tauranga; Hupeh (6.251 p.m.), Wellington; Japan Kauri: (9.10 p.m.), sea. Sunday.—Arrived: Jens! Maru! No. 2 (7 a.m.), sea; Tojoju Maru No. 26 (11.38 a.m.), sea; Maramal (3.51 p.m.), Melbourne; Capltaine! Tasman (5 p.m.). Noumea. NEW'PLYMOUTH Saturday.—Sailed: Otaio (12.35; p.m.), Wellington; British Free-! dom (2.55 p.m.) Marsden Point. ! WELLINGTON Saturday.—Arrived: Hauraki (9.39 a.m.), Plcton; Otaio (1.50 p.m.), New Plymouth; Zeebrugge (5.10 p.m.), Bluff. Sailed: Crusader (2.50 p.m.), Lyttelton; Orient Maru (4.20 p.m.), Japan; Tongariro (4.50 p.m.), Lyttelton. Sunday.—Arrived: Karepo (4.30 p.m.), Auckland. Sailed: Ceramic (6.33 a.m.), London; Jeanne D'Arc (10.10 a.m.), Sydney; Victor Scholer (10.20 a.m.), Sydney; Auckland Star (10.45 a.m.), Panama; Columbus America (8.30 p.m.), Auckland. TIMARU Sunday. — Arrived: Port Chalmers (8 a.m.), Bluff. BLUFF Saturday. — Sailed: Port Chalmers (7.30 p.m.), Tlmaru. Sunday.—Arrived; Bellnes (9 a.m,), Long Beach.