CARGO HANDLING

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 116, 14 February 1928, Page 8

CARGO HANDLING

WELLINGTON’S FACILITIES MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY UNSURPASSED EX-CHAIRMAN’S BELIEF A visit to the United States, where he saw many ol the iarg. est ports and their facilities for the handling of cargo, has convinced Mr. M. Cohen, a member of the Wellington Harbour Board, and an ex-chairman, of the efficiency of the methods for the working of vessels discharging and loading at Wellington Although the outlay is naturally much larger in some of the American harbours, Mr. Cohen-is of opinion that the mechanical efficiency at Wellington, in comparison with the quantity of cargo handled, is not surpassed at any port he saw.

While in North America, Mr. Cohen, who returned to Wellington by the R.M.S. Tahiti yesterday morning,, attended the convention of United States port authorities’at" St; Louis, representing the Wellington Harbour Board at

the conference. When he left Wellington it was his intention to visit Great Britain, Egypt, and .the Continent of Europe, in addition to America. In New York, however, he became seriously ill a few days before he was to sail for Cairo. Mr. Cohen thereupon cancelled the

remainder of his intended tour, and when he had sufficiently recovered from his illness returned tb New Zealand. Mr. Cohen was in St. Louis two days after the tornado that devastated six square miles of the densely populated section of the city. He saw the disastrous effects that’followed in the wake of the tornado, and remarked that had it occurred at night there would have undoubtedly been an enormous loss of life. Menace of the Mississippi. Mr. Cohen told a Dominion reporter that representatives from all parts of America attended the Port Authorities’ Convention, and that many very interesting papers were read, one of them in particular dealing with the menace of the Mississippi River and its floods, lhe consensus of opinion seemed to be that, seeing that the Mississippi carried the greatest portion of production in grain and other important elements of agriculture, it'was the' duty of the Federal Government of the United States to take this huge matter in l hand. The question was now engaging the attention of the foremost engineers in America. Many United States ports were visited by Mr. Coben, and although he found the outlay on cargo handling facilities was much larger at some ol them, in his opinion the mechanical efficiency at Wellington was not surpassed at any port he saw. At the convention he read a paper on matters dealing with , New Zealand ports, more particularly in regard to the development at Wellington. This had caused a great deal of discussion and led to,inquiries for general information of interest in connection with harbour development in New Zealand and the methods in force. Democracy in New Zealand.' “How is New Zealand legislation viewed in the States?” was a question asked’ of Mr. Cohen. “There is,” he replied, “a great deal of interest in New Zealand legislation in America. I found generally among men of affairs and commerce that the legislation of New Zealand attracted considerable attention, and that this Dominion was looked upon as one of the best governed ■ countries in the world. The outstanding difference that I noticed in America was their method of democratic government as compared to ours. In America there appeared a good deal of patronage in official appointments. That is to say, that changes of political control of any State led to a system that might be .described as ‘spoils to the victors.’ Unless my convictions are in error, no one in an official position could look upon himself as fixed in his appointment. Time and again I explained that with us it was a purely democratic'system, and it was more readily accomplished by our process of election’'to all public offices, in which those with whom I discussed the matter were in cordial agreement.” Western and Eastern States. A striking feature that appealed to Mr. Cphen was the difference of characteristics in the peoples of the Western and Eastern States. He said that, for instance, there was California, a most delightful country, with the same climate as our own, its people similar in every respec| and imbued with the same aspirations, kindly, helpful, and friendly to the stranger. In contrast with this there was the great city of Chicago, with its three millions population, and the stupendous, overwhelming aggregation of practically small nations which go to make the eight and a half millions of New: York’s population. “Without going into further detail,” added Mr. Cohen, “anyone who judges America’s nature from New York experiences alone does it a great injustice. Yet in that city one finds' the most splendid educational institutions where the arts, particularly that of music, always find a multitude of adherents. The rush for the dollar is paramount, and one has to forget all perspective of standard value as compared with our own'country. Speaking for myself, I found New York very expensive to live in, and when all is said and done New Zealand compares more than favourably, if one wants happiness and contentment, with any other country in the world.”