THE TRANSPORTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 82, 7 April 1902, Page 2

THE TRANSPORTS.

TO TUB XDITOB. Sir — The gentleman who writes to you on sth hist, under the norn de plume ■of "Merchant" appears bo genuinely anxious to obtain some information — pro bono publico, of course— respecting the charter of the troopship^ Kent and Devon, that I hasten to enlighten him on the several points to which l\e refers. Let mo answer his questions seriatim: — 1. The charter was entored into between the Imperial Government and the Federal Steam Navigation Company, their tender being lowest and generally the most favourable. 2. Under this contract, the carriers, as has already bqeu publicly stated, by the Right Hon. the Premier, received a round sum of so much per head for the transport of officers, men, and horses, to South Africa, the contractors finding everything hi the shape of stores, provisions, lodder, water, coal, etc. 3. Being in the service of His Majesty, a clause was inserted in t"he contract, as is customary in such cases, freeing the ships from tho payinont of all port charges and harbour dues. As this exemption is specially provided for under 'tie Harbours Act, "Merchant" will recognise that* the Imperial Government was quite within its legal rights in stipulating that the aforesaid charges and dues should not bo paid. 4. Tho contract 'also provided that cargo could bo carried in lower holds. If no I such right had been reserved, the price to be paid by the charterers for the conveyance of officers, men, aud horses, with their necessary equipment, would, as a matter of course, have been much higher. t 5. In the case of tho Kent and ftevon; '30,000 carcases mutton were shipped at this port, and this circumstance prompted the Harbour Board to raise with the Governm&nb the question of unfairness of exempting, from the payment of dues, any steamer savo and except those that might bo engaged in trooping only. In reply to a letter addressed to the Marine Depnrtmcnt by the Board, on this subject, tho Secretary for Marine stated that the exempting of the Kent and Devon froni port charges had been submitted to the Crown Law Ofttcer, and that gentleman had held that, in accordance with the Contract and the Harbour Act, the Board had no power to colleot such charges. It would appear, therefore, that, until the Act be amended, steamers cmploved as transports do not forfeit their right to exemption by accepting cargo. As* Chairman of the Harbour Board, I certainly think that the Act should be altered in the direction of making the ex- j

emption applicable to steamers that are emplojed hiinply as transports, and I expressed this view at the interview ihe Haibour Board had with' tho Right Hpn. the Premier and his colleagues on Suturduy last. As the Premier admitted that nothing should bo dono by the Central Government to disturb or interfere with tho linanco of a local body— such as the Harbour Board— l am hopeful that a remedy will be found and applied in the near future 6. For some reason be^t known to himself—"Merchant," with considerable labour, endeavours to make «orne capital out of the fact that the Kent and Devon were ordered to Wellington, to take iv stores, provisions, fodder, coal, water etc., instead of proceeding direct from Sydney to tho port lixed by the Government for tfie embarkation of troops ftnd horses. To this I would reply that certain dates for embarkation were specified in the contract, and so long as those dates ttere kept (as they wero in respect of the above steamers, and all others chartered by the Government from the Federal Steamship Company) the owners could select what ports tney pleased for the taking in of stores, etc. If the steamers had not been in time, a substantial sum would have ucen payable by tho owners for non-performance of contract. It must bo perfectly obvious to the public that Wellington was selected, as a providoring port, on account of its being the cheapest and most suitable place in this colony, and the mention of this fact will, no doubt, be pleasing to "Merchant," who, according to his own statement, has resided in the Empire Citj for so many years, and haß had during that time, so much to do with shipping matters. Andj surely the public, as a whple, will not complain of tho compli- \ ment that has been paid, to thjs city by the Federal Steamship Company — that is, in procuring supplies here— seeing that, in doing no, many thousands of pounds havo, in the last two mouths, been- circulated amongst all classes of the community. It occurs to me that "Merchant" has been one of the vory few who has not been benefited by this expenditure, bine illae lacrimae!— l am, etc., HAROLD BEAUCHAMP. Wellington, 7th April, 1902.