LIGHTERAGE RATES INCREASED

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 150, 22 March 1938, Page 2

LIGHTERAGE RATES INCREASED

Watersiders’ Wages Blamefl Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, March 21. An increase in lighterage rates for all classes of cargo loaded on to Home liners in the Wanganui roadstead has been made bv the New Zealand Refrigerating (.0., Ltd., and in a letter to the Wanganui Harbour Board received at the monthly meeting to-day, the company advised that in view of the increase in wages winch it had to meet and which was mnd ® retrospective to waterside workers it na found it absolutely necessary to > nc r e «se lighterage rates as from March 1 of the present year. . „ „ The new rates will be as follows, the old rates being given in parentheses: wool, 3/- a bale (2/9) ; casks 12/6 a ton (10/6): butter, 12/6 a ton (10/6). The company added that from iiujuiries made these rates compared favourably with other roadstead ports and in some cases were less. , ■. .. . It was pointed out at the meeting that, the increase in the rate for butter was approximately 20 per cent., ami would represent an increase of about zo4U (oi pared with last year’s figures. Mr. J. Robertson: Have watersiders had an increase in wages lately. I hav e not heard about it. The chairman. Mr. W. J. Rogers: I thought it. was some time ago. The letter was received.