CARGO HANDLING COSTS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 203, 25 May 1944, Page 7

CARGO HANDLING COSTS

Allegations Against Commission

REPLY BY MR. ROBERTS

“Unless the harbour board has defied the law and increased charges on its own account, the costs on cargo handling inward or outward, whatever they are, cannot have been passed on to the public,” said Mr. James Roberts, Labour candidate for the Wellington mayoralty and the harbour board, in replying at Kilbirnie last night to Mr. Appletons statement that the outstanding achievement of the Waterfront Control Commission had been to increase substantially cargo "handling costs, which were reflected in the price of every article inward and outward which had been handled on the Wellington wharf. “May I ask,” he continued, “does Mr. Appleton assert that the Wellington Harbour Board has increased its charges for cargo handling since the commission was established, for on' numerous occasions officials of the harbour board have informed the commission i that the Price • Tribunal has refused to allow an increase in these charges.” He said that Mr. Appleton had also asserted that the commission’s bonus had resulted in a progressive increase, in the board's percentage of the total distribution from 5.3 d. in 1940-41, to 22 6d. in 1943-44. ‘‘lt is not clear what Mr. Appleton means by the total distribution, and we are indeed entitled to something more clear and definite from a man with the accountancy qualifications of Mr. Appleton ; but whatever it is it means to imply that the dividend or bonus distribution has increased. “That in itself has no relation to increases in handling costs, for all cargo is handled from ships to the wharf on a contract basis, and the harbour board pays a similar dividend to that paid on the ship. It naturally follows that handling cargo on the wharf and in the sheds, inward and outward, must proceed at the same rate as on the ship,, and Mr. Appleton’s figures are a clear indication that better work is -being performed now on the Wellington waterfront than in 1940-41.”

While it was correct to say that cargo handling costs had increased since 1937, the remarkable thing was the low incidence of increase, said Mr. Roberts. The fact that ships were how discharged and loaded in a much shorter time than in the days when the shipowners and harbour boards controlled the industry did not seem to concern Mr. Appleton. Under the old system, overseas vessels were detained on the coast of NewZealand from 36 to 41 days loading and discharging. Under commission control the same and larger vessels had been discharged and loaded on an average of 16} days. This speedier turn-round of ships had been obtained by continuous work day and night, Sundays and holidays, by the waterside workers; the cooperative contract system which gave an incentive to the men to perform better work; and centralization of shipping, all of which had bejen introduced by the Waterfront Control Commission. These were facts of which Mr. Appleton was well aware and which tjie citizens were entitled to know,’but apparently it did not suit his purpose to place these issues before them.

When there was a rush cSf shipping about two years ago the Wellington and. other harbour boards were unable to clear the sheds and shipping was delayed; in other words, the board fell down on its job. On the suggestion of the commission, a cargo, clearance committee was appointed which included representatives of the commission, the consignees of cargo, Railways Department, the chamber ot commerce and a harbour board officer. They undertook .the job which the harbour board failed to do. . ‘The. facts are that my opponent knows very little about harbour board work," Mr. Roberts said, “and that he has had no experience whatever was' fully indicated on an occasion when I went before the board and pointed out that continuous work was necessary in order that New Zealand’s produce should be loaded for overseas and that there should be a speedier 1 turn-round of vessels in the coastal and inter-colonial trade. The only contribution which Mr. Appleton made to the discussion was that if ships were loaded and discharged more quickly the board' would suffer a substantial loss in wharf dues. It never occurred to him, it appears, that the carriage of New Zealand’s produce overseas by 'the efficient use of vessels on the coastwise trade was of paramount important to our war effort, to our kinsmen in Great Britain and to the economic life of this country.” Referring to Mr. Appleton’s remarks on the heed for steps to assure a more reasonable and economic margin- of wharfage in relation to cargo-handling costs in order, to preserve the financial stability of the board, and that, as things were shaping, it was faced with a prospect of a loss in the current financial year, Mr. Roberts said the, report of the harbour board for the last financial year showed the most prosperous year in its history. The board, in fact, didi.not know how to hide its reserves, “There is no reason to suppose, that this year will be any different. The Wellington .Harbour Board is one of the wealthiest public institutions in New Zealand. If Mr. Appleton, who is such an expert accountant, went into such details as the assets of the board, its reserves and many other matters affecting its financial stability, I am sure he, would not have the temerity to make such an absurd statement” Citizens’ candidates will hold their six final meetings tonight at the St! John Ambulance Hall, Vivian Street: Parish Hall, Karori, St. Thomas’s Hall, Newtown; Tala Rail, Kilbirnie; Realm Hall, Hataitai; and Methodist Hall, Miramar. All meetings start at 8. . Labour candidates will hold a meeting in the Town Hall tonight, starting at 7.30. Communist candidates will speak tonight at the tearooms. Melrose, and at the Academy Hall, Miramar, starting at 8 o’clock. Open-air meetings at Webb Street and at the corner of Aro and Epunl Streets will start at 7 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. Upper Hutt Citizens’ candidates will address a meeting at the Silverstream Social Hall tonight, starting at 8. •