HUGE DAILY LOSS

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 50, 28 February 1921, Page 8

HUGE DAILY LOSS

WHxVT IT MEANS TO SHIPPING

COMPANIES,

The impressive spectacle of fifteen boats, including eleven Home liners, anchored in the stream interested a, large number of people who yesterday viewed the harbcrar from the heights. It is doubtful whether they realised what the idleness was costing the shipping companies. While a boat is in the stream it is essential for safety purposes to keep up steam, and although the boats are earning nothing, the officers and the crew must still be jjaid and "found." It is stated that the 'demurrage on a passenger liner is about £500 per day, and on' a. cargo boat about £360 per day. It is estimated, therefore, that the hold-up of liners in Wellington is. costing at least £5000 per day. The actual los 3to the shipping companies is probably more than double that figure.

It is estimated that the watersiders, through their idleness, are losing between £16C0 and £1700 daily in wages.

Since Saturday there have been six additions to the number of idle vessels ;it Wellington, bringing the total xip to 31 out of a total of 45 boats in the harbour. The number of vissela anchored in the stream has been increased' to fifteen, the newcomers being the Kumara (from Wanganui), the Port . Hacking (from Napier), and the Calm (from Lyttelton). The Marama arrived yesterday from Sy-duey and bwUtttl n,t the Queer's , Wharf to disembark passenger*. Cir-

cumstanoes permitting, th» Marama. wilt leave Wellington to-morrow afternoon for San Francisco.