NEW PORT TARIFF.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 775, 26 March 1910, Page 6

NEW PORT TARIFF.

ITS RECEPTION. WHAT BUSINESS MEN SAY. . SOME KEEN CRITICISM. The Harbour Board's decision to largely increase the port charges and the probable effect of this charge upon the trade of Wellington were the subjects of a number of interviews with local importers, exporters, and shipping men, who were waited upon by a Dominion reporter. The past works policy of the board came in for some severe criticism, and while the need for increasing the revenue was generally recognised, there was some apprehensiveness as to the possible effects of the increased charges upon the future of the port. The apportionment of the now burdens as between the merchants and the shipping companies was the subject of diverse opinions.

The Board's Expendlturo. "The commercial community have only got what they knew, they would get sooner or later," said Mr. A. H. Miles, resident. partner in the firm of Murray, Roberts, and Co. "You can't go. on with all' these costly undertakings, which are not reproductive, without coming on the trade of the port to pay the interest,on the outlay. The board, under the circumstances, had no option but to increase the charges, and I don't think either importers or exporters can object to the manner in which it has been done. The board now seems to be aliye to the fact '.that, the expenditure I have referred to.was unnecessary, but they are in the position of haying to make the two ends meet. The! chairman has undoubtedly done his best to face the position, and I am inclined to think he is right in saying that it should have been done before the 'fat months'*' of the year had gone past. However, I hope we shall nave plenty more fat months by-ond-by, and if the board will only pause, as prudent men should do, before rushing into expenditure, whioh will not immediately, or in the near future, be reproductive, it should not take very long for matters to right themselves.. Constitution of the Board. , , "There are a number of men, who are heavy payers of dues, like my own firm," continued Mr. Miles,' "and who consider that the present constitution of the board rather tends towards ex-, travagant 'expenditure. My view is' that there should be a larger representation of importers and exporters, who are in daily touch. with the trade of the port, and see what is going oh very much better than those gentlemen who come from the country or reside at .a distance. I also think the Government representation is altogether too. preponderant for the trade of the port to receive fair play."

A Warning. Do you think the increased charges are allocated. fairly as between merchants and ship-owners ' '"lam,not prepared to give,a definite opinion- oh "that point, being myself a merchant, but on the face of' it, the burden _ seams to be fairly distributed. Those interested in shipping, however, might ■ have reason for expressing a different opinion." • "The inoreases; ( ,in.:my. opinion," said Mr. Miles, in reply ''to another question, "are.not magnitude to affect the. amount of trade of the port, but the,members of,the board will do well to . keep steadily'.. in view the fact that there are other ports, tho tnade of which will augmented by diversion of trade from Wellington if further increases to any extent are made." ''■■■'.

How ThsSßoard May Feel It "The increases ;in the charges are probably as justly distributed as' possible," said Mr. John Duthie, "but it is regrettable indeed that the increases have had to be made,, rendering Wellington much the most expensive port of the main ports of the colony. This will have a bad effect upon the concentration of trade in Wellington, and there will be an increased tendency for ships to collect cargo at various coastal roadsteads. It is very well for Dr. Newman to Kghtly talk of the charges being passed on to the community, but the burdens of the community probably already sufficiently heavy and the effect may be felt by the boarditself, in .the way of a diversion of trade. ' "

Tho Fall In Imports. 'Mr. J. F. Mills, of tie firm of E. . W. Mills and. Co., Ltd., said .thai the public, in the long ran, would have to pay the increased 'charges".' If a .line Of goods is going to cost us a shilling a ton-more, and the profit is already cut down ■ to the minimum, we must charge more to our customers; As a consequence, the public will have to spend more money for what they buy and the tendency will be for them to buy less. .Two or three years ago, when the imports were very much . larger than they are now,, and. the Harbour Board had less accommodation :for handling them, they were getting 'a bigger income than at'present. Imports having greatly fallen off, the board now has a smaller revenue and has upon its hands much greater 1 facilities, for dealing with the cargo. That is the position to which these increased charges are largely due. A few years ago, 'when everything ■was going on well, : it looked as though these big works, like the King's Wharf and Clyde Quay Wharf, would be needed by .the time they were finished. They are finished now,"and the import trade having fallen off, wo find that they are not by any means necessary. The Harbour Board has an •emergency to meet, and I have no doubt that under the circumstances the increases are necessary." Asked whether he agreed with members of the board in expecting a re-vival-of imports, Mr. Mills said: "So far as Wellington is concerned, .1 think it will be some considerable time before we get' back to the old -swing. There is, comparatively speaking, no building going oh, and building, of course, accounts for a very big share of the importations, so far as the hardware and some other trades are concerned. Business is better in the country districts, and I think; the country business' will improve faster than the' town." Is It Equitable? Mr. W. A. Kennedy, the Wellington manager of the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd., said that on a first glance at tho schedule it looked as though Mr. Wilford's phrase, "ah equitable equipoise" was not inappropriate, but on looking a little more closely into tho matter it seemed to him that the shipowners would really have to pay a much larger share than the merchants, because all ships coaling in Wellington Harbour would have" to pay 4d.,' or 2d. more, for their bunker coal, according to whether it-was shipped at the wharves or in the stream. tet the schedule made it appear that all this would be paid by the merchants. The new charge for tho shifting of transhipment cargo was set down partly to the merchants, yet the ships would really have to pay it all. The transhipment charges also foil directly on tho ships. Mr. Kennedy, however, wished to make it clear that he had; .time; ior thoroughly-

examine the schedule. The charges on coal seemed to him the most serious thing in the scheme, so far as shipping was concerned. - "Out of all the increased charges which the Harbour Board has levied on ships during several years past," added Mr. Kennedy, "we have not passed on a single penny to the consumer—and the increases have amounted to thousands and thousands of pounds. But,, mind, I don't say that somethingc* the sort will not have to be considered' now."' The Dock. Another shipping man,' one repie-" sentingythe-direct liners, made the ssana point as Mr. Kennedy in regard to •the new charges on transhipment of coal. He said it was quite inevitable that when the existing contracts ceased, these ■ charges would be boms by the ships. The extra cost would naturally be put on to the'price of the coaL The raising of further revenue by the board was inevitable, but; it was apparent that the pracrpaji cause was the expenditure in connection with the dock. "And here I may say in passing," continued this gentleman, that when the dock proposal was nrst mooted a strong letter of protest was forwarded to the board from aB f™. shipping companies doing business in Wellington, their view being that' the construction of the dock was absolutely unnecessary. No doubt tho shipping companies were guided in coming to that decision by the fact that the docks then in- existence aft ■Auckland, Lyttelton,. and Port Chalmers were quite sufficient-for alls requirements, and were a heavy tax' on their proprietors."

Wool and Hemp Storage. Reverting :to the immediate : subject of the interview this authority went' on to state that the direct liners would feel the increased wharfage charges, an* the increases on storage of wool, skins, hemp, and tow during the months of. December, January, and February. H« believed this ; had been brought about] by the congestion which had "taken? place during the present -season; through no fault of the carrying steamers, but ichiehy owing- to the fact that the brokers had - utilised : the board's sheds in connection with the delivery, of wool received by rail for disposal'' at the local sales. The policy of the board in raising. the charges for storage of etc., would, act as an inducement to build stores for damping at other places. The. increases onships would affect thie shipping com-panies-doing business with the port rather than outside ships entering tht ' port under charter to shipping" conn panies.