HARBOUR. BOARD ELECTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 117, 10 February 1908, Page 8

HARBOUR. BOARD ELECTION.

. Sir,T^The'manifesto of Mr. M'Lellan, published tq'-day, prompts, mo to make' an ett'ort; to prove to. the payors' of (lues that his references to Mmpauies ' and their, managers, - are , 'misleading; v; '-He Would have. the general publicVbolieve' that: in the olden'times/ 'presumablywheV'Captoiri'Epse and the, late. Mi\ Wheelor. wero. jnembers' of ■ tho*. Boirdi.•Wellington.'.was' a free; port' for ships.' The row Board will. shpw tho'. absurdity/Of ' this, and; will also sliohv ; that, 'notwithstanding:the; influence "of these ! : two' >Kippjng'nianager?. out .of' a Board'-: of; .about ten'meimbers, the Board at'thatVtime made a concession' to importers in reducing the. wfiarfage by sixpence : per'ton'.'' Oil the present quantity, of imports,' this represent? a' reduction of over' £5000 per annum, which nover. should havo beeii made. If the. Execu- ■ tivb^qflicers' werciallowed to"express, ah opinion, I- believe they would'unanimously agree; that: the. charge of:-two .shillings per ton 'for 'wharfage, limited storage, and handling is -'not The shipping companies' have I 'at' 'times,' by figures, prov^:conclusively; that tho ship's of; late year's . prorided;-more''than half of 'the total revenue'; This has also' been 'borne out in statements' , from' tho Board; If/inquiry, is made' ; at any of th'S, oßicos controlling' the ccoan liners figures: can bo- shown to. prove that,' instead.of'Jft'ellington being entitled to, rarik as" as'cheap' .port,;.it:is actually in' thej erid' the ihost expensive, of the four principal coritres./' Tliis.V'has ' been- brought about in the. course :of' the' :last ■ few: years'*.by,',the policy of the Board in loading tho "ships with harbour • improvement rate -, and,-berthage dues.- ' Tho fact of tho recont Harbour Board conference asking the'.Government, on the initiative of tho ffellingtoii Board, to make certain clauses in the Harbours Act clear as to y'liarbour Improvement, rate showS':ttiat. . th'eyo-is evoii a doubt'.in their ; mintls as. to' jvhbther.- tlii) is; a'legal')ihargp. against ship's. Several 1 ports' iii itho-'Dominion allow a conTcession to, steamers j visiting' twico during a .Voyage/'-' In.'the'''caso. ofj tho Athfenic .discharging ..'a ' largo,'cargo ' at ' eitlior-Port Chalmers or' Wellington, and afterwards calling- again.'to' load','-the''tota] "charges' at' Wellington would-'be" about'so pcr'c.ent. -in'excess of Poft; Chaln?ersV i'.ln; ijuoting Wellington,, a alwaysraised 'in' favour, of' tlie facili'ties offered,, but I' have to, point qiit. that these.frequently,, leadto -.'confusion.';'; The ipolicjr:\6f. tho .Board':' in the-past has' resulted appliahoes 'for rapid discfyargo, 'but,-; unfortunately; 'without. thV necessary accommodation for' ;sto'ragoV' a 'cdiidifcioyi *'of things that lias existed to*-niy' knowledge, for the past fifteen years. I Kayo known instances'comparatively recent: "wfterf.'pcean. liners. ha'vo ; prepared to start,) . gangs','and -have 'Dfien. restricted: to four by/ the. Board's officials" for fear., ofthe ( cargo .- . being discharged too quickly! and ['cpnsijqiwiitly .blocking the sheds. Apart." the; revenue derived from port , charges, , pilotage, harbourmaster's ' fees, berthage -': dues, ' and, harbour , improvement riat;e,,tho B6ari;muat'dorive'a very handsqmo profit from dumping and storage .of-' woqlj ■nempy'etc.*,'almost-entirely'at tho expense of shipping co'mpaiiip's,; and Un .this' respect the. Board-s 'charges ! aro ' heavier than, those chafed .by : private firms' and shipping companies in'the southern "ports of - Nov.- Zealand. \Vliilst -tho /'shipping companies aro burdened with- tlicsß -heavy- charges, what is the position''m- regard to the'importers? Wher'ovtKe Wellington- consignee gets his goods delivered into/bis' store, at a maximum. of about 3s. 6d. per .ton, wo find th.it at Duncdiii tlie consigriee has -fco''pay,'' with the exception of certain '.lines of New Zealand .produce, /harbour improvement'' rates _ from 3s'. for sugar, ; etc., 4s: for; galvanised iron,, aiid ,55.-'; per ton. for drapery, etc., in addition to' cartago and -labour.At;,Christohurch:he pays ls. ,9d. wharfage. a;t .Lytteltqn, about Vs. .for railage'and cartage, in;,addition,-to .labour receiving. , Do tho: Wellington 'consumers'' "reap tho benefit in theso differences?

Harking .back , to .tho matter .that!.brought forth . this J>lea on bohalf of tho shipping iti't'eirosts, m ; attitudo,;whicikiias ■:alw'ay.s been-f(iir;in its consistent antagonism, shows of ;a, dual representation of, payers of dues and owners of ships in one arid; .seeing -.that' tho shipping interests coritributo. the bulk,of 'tho' revenue, ■it .'would' bo only/.an act of'_ justice to give .them l a .voico in tho administration of tho ■Board!* affairs cither;at thoballot'or by Act of Parliament.—l am, etc., ■ SHIPPING. • .February 8. ; .