The Harbour Charges.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 67, 21 March 1890, Page 4

The Harbour Charges.

no further reductions to be Made. Tho ropovt of the committee rooontly appointed by tho Harbour Hoard to consider 'tho v»rioua dues, tolls, and charges coliliscbcU by tho Board with a viow to eonsiderhy, tho advisablenosn of reducing tho sumo, v.'us submitted yostorduy. Tho committee reoommonded that no considerable chango in the charges should be mado at present; that owing to it having been found th*t tbo Htot-ago übarges on wool und flax of 6d per bate per week press unduly, it is advisahlo that tho chargo for such storage sbtrtild bo reduued after tho first fortnight to one-half ; that in order that the oost of shipment at the Queen's and Railway VVharvOH should be nssimilatod for goods arriving by rail, or landod at the Waterlooquuy jotty, tho chargo for oart.igo botweon t'jo wharves bo rodnced from 3d to 2sd per bale, and tho labonr charge from 2J to l^d per bale. Mr. Ho.itou expressed surprise that as a special committee had boon appointed to consider tho matter a special report had not been 1 repared and a copy sent to eaoh membor. Tho Chairman observed that tho matter was so oasy that there was really nothing to consider. Mr. Hea ton said chat an mover of tlio resolubioti appointing the onmmittoo, he was sorry that no reductions had been recommended. He had hoped that tho committee would havo seen their way to reduce the ■charges. He, for one, would havo been very glad to have supported a reduction. As an amendment he moved, "That, as the committee recommend that no reductions be made to the public upon genoral charges, no reduotiou be made upon the storage of wool untfl next year, when the question of re dnoing charges he again considered." The Chairman pointed ont that the Board had entered into engagements for tho erection of sheds, machinery, Ac , at a cost of .£20,200, and other proposed works would bring the amount up to JE32.000. Under theso oircnm stances he did not think it would bo right for tho Board to in any way rcdnee tho charges until thoy saw what the rosalt of next year's working would be. The profits of the Board this year had been principally made from storage »nd pressing, and this fact must be considered in dealing with a proposal to roduoe the charges. He moved the adoption of the report. Mr. J. H. Cock, in seconding tho resolution, said that although he should like to see some of the oharges reduoed, he nevertheless thought that the qommitteo had acted wisely in not reoommendinK reductions just at present. He agreed that it was desirable to leavo the charges unaltered for another year. Mr. W. Booth expressed a bopo that Mr. Hoaton would see his way to withdraw tho araondmont. Ho considered that it would be an injurious thing to make any more reductions just at prosont. The amendment lapsed for want of a Beoonder, rilid tho resolution was carried almost unanimously, Mr. Heaton alone dissenting.