PORT CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 148, 19 December 1929, Page 10

PORT CHARGES

TO BE REDUCED

"OPPORTUNE AND DUE"

BOAKD'S DECISION

■•Reductions in port charges amounting to £15,880 were decided upon by the Harbour Board last evening. The chairman (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) stated that the bylaws would require to be amended, and as that would take some little time the full effect of the reductions woulJ. not be felt this year.

Moving the adoption of the report of the Charges and finance Committee, Mr. M'Ewan said that as members were aware the surplus for the financial year ended 30th September last was £30,281. Of that sum, in accordance with the board's policy, £15,000 was set aside for the dock fund, which it was- estimated would amount to approximately £136,000 .at the end of the present financial year. That wquld leave a balance to bo carried forward of £15,000. The question naturally whether the board could reduce its charges thu year. The committee said it could be done to the extent of £15,880 (exporters and importers £11,000 and ships over £4000). The whole of the proposed reductions had been carefully considered, and the committee, was convinced that the move was a safe one. The adoption of the report would mean that the bylaws would require amendment, and that would take some little time. Thus, the full benefit of the reduction would not be* felt this year. Should the board be so unfortunate as to strike a bad year, which secnied improbable, it had the reserve fund to draw upon. Since that fund was established teu years ago, there had been no need to draw upon it to balance the board's accounts, and' judging from present indications it was not likely that it would be necessary to touch it for two or three years, and past that it was impossible to say what the position would be.

Captain F. A. Macindoe asked whether the committee had considered the abolition of the harbour improve--ment rate, which he was strongly of opinion should be done away with altogether.

The chairman replied that the whole position relating to charges upon foreign ships had been considered, and the decision of the committee was set out in the report. The concession which the committee was prepared to make to assist the ships was confined to a reduction of . the harbourmaster's fees, which had been reduced by ■25 per cent. The question of reducing the charges, for water .for ships was . still ■under consideration, but he thought he. was justified in saying that a reduction would eventually be made. ; The motion was seconded by Mr. C. J.8.-Norwood, who said he thought the committee was to be congratulated on the.report. He had been very nervous as to what would be the result of such proposals, but he could see in the report a most careful study of the various items. There was nothing he could see in the decision to impair the progressive policy of the board.

In, the opinion of Mr. T. E. Barrer, to attempt to wipe out the-harbour improvement rate would be such a violent wrench on the board's revenue that it would be impossible for tho board, in its sober senses, to agree to it. In due time, however, he thought the rate ■would be reduced until it was finally eliminated.

Mr. C. H. Cjapman considered that the past year had been sufficiently successful to justify some reduction, and the proposals were on the safe side. It would Tie too much, he thought, for the harbour improvement rate to be abolished; in such an event, it would be necessary to make up the revenue by some other means. Mr. H. D. Bennett endorsed the findings of the committee, and said he thought the proposals were a step in the right direction, and were justified at the present juncture. It would be impossible to consider the elimination „„<>£■ the harbour improvement rate at present, and the committee had done wisely in spreading the differences as ,in the . report. The reduction were • opportune and due to the consumers. AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS. In agreeing that the proposals, were opportune, Mr. M. A. Eliott said the announcement would be welcome bocause they all knew of the increased Government and local body taxation, and the board's reductions would serve as an example to others. Captain C. M'Arthur contended that the charge of Is a ton after 5 p.m. was a very obnoxious one. In his opinion, , the harbour improvement rate was not a fair charge, and he hoped to see tho time when it would be practically nil. Mr ; T. Moss added his appreciation of the committee's report. /'' As a member of tho committee, Mr. W. L. Fitzherbert said the task of investigating the position had been facilitated by the assistance of the executive officers .of the board. A port like "Wellington should not have a harbour improvement rate, said Mr. C. M. Turrell. He had always been a strong advocate of a reduction in the rate. He thought the reductions in the charges should have been centred on that charge more than on *' the others with a view to eliminating it altogether. Mr. Turrell added that he considered the charge of Is a ton after 5 .p.m. should not be made; the ships paid the.overtime, and that charge was ■ inequitable. Mr. J. G. Harkness also congratulated the committee on its work. The motion' was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. The secretary was authorised to prepare the necessary consequential ; amendments to the bylaws so that the new tariff might come into operation on Ist April, 1930. THE REDUCTIONS. . The following are the reductions:— Inward wharfage on general cargo from 4s to 3s 9d per ton. Outward wharfage on wool, ex shore, from 7d to 6d per bale, and wool, ex rail, from 6d to ud per bale. Transhipment wharfago on wool from lid to lOd per bale.

Inward wharfage on wool from Iz to lOd per bale.

Outward wharfage on butter from shore, from. Is 3d to Is per ton.

Transhipment wharf ago on butter, from 4s to 3s 6d per ton.

Butter transhipped direct across wharf, from 2s (3d to Ss 3d per ton.

.Outward wharfage .on cheese from shore/from Is 3d to Is per ton.

Transhipment wharfage on cheese, from 4s to 3s 6d per ton.

Cheese transhipped direct across ■whs-f, from 2s 6d to 2s 3d per tor..

Outward wharfage on fresh fruit, from Is1 Gd to Is per ton, and railway, wharfage on fruit from Is to 9d pef ton.

Transhipment wharfage on fruit, from 4s to 3s 6d per ton. The same privilege is to be granted" for cool storage of fruit as that granted for cool storage of butter, that is, transhipment rates will be allowed on such fruit landed in excess of the quantity that can be cool stored by the board, and which is removed from the wharves for cool storage and subsequently shipped, provided that such cargo is offered to the board for cool storage and refused by it on account of insufficient space, and '■hat .satisfactory identification of tho fruit is proved when the cargo is returned for shipment.

Tho rate for.dumping double dumps

of wool from 2s Id to Is lid per bale. The extra charge for payments made for handling cargo such as slag, cement, benzine, etc., from 2d per ton on inward cargo to Id per ton for every Id paid per hour, and from 3d per ton on transhipment cargo to 2d per ton for every Id paid per hour. The harbourmaster's fees f)e reduced from Id per ton to'Jd per ton. The proportions of the reductions proposed will be made to: £ Importers and esporters 11,517 Ships 4,363 £15,880 In order to minimise the loss now existing on the working of the board's weighbridges, the committee recommended that the charge for weighing loads be increased from 5d to 6d per load, and that a charge of 3d be made for taring vehicles. PREVIOUS ADJUSTMENTS. In 1925, reductions in charges to the amount of £20,000 per annum were made. These reductions consisted principally of 25 per cent, off export wharfage; 14 per cent. oH railway exports; 11 per cent, off transhipment rates; 50 per cent, off the maximum cartage charge; 14 per cent, off harbour improvement rate on cargo; 25 per cent, off harbour improvement rate on coal; 33 1-3 per cent, off harbour improvement rate on fuel oil; and a free w.eek's storage was allowed on transhipment of wool and hemp. In 1926, provision was mado for a low rate of wharfage on artificial manures landed direct into railway trucks, by reducing the charge from. 2s 3d to Is 3<H per ton. In July, 1927, fiirther reductions costing another £12,000 per annum were put into force. These reductions were, mainly to assist exports, and in this connection, the outward wharfage on wool and skins was reduced by over 20 per cent., on hemp and tow by 25 per cent., and on butter, cheese, frozen meat, tallow, pelts, and hides in bulk the various rates were reduced by 20 per cent to 25 per cent. The cost of wool dumping was reduced 2d per bale, and provision was made for country importers to have the benefit of a free week's storage on goods arriving on a through bill of lading for stations beyond twenty-five miles from Wellington. A further 20 per cent. was also taken off the harbour improvement rate on goods.