COASTAL SHIPPING

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1934, Page 13

COASTAL SHIPPING

DOMINION TRANSPORT

BOARD'S QUESTIONNAIRE

As one section of its investigations into the wide question of transport in the Dominion, the Transport Co-ordina-tion Board has addressed a comprehensive questionnaire regarding the operation of coastal shipping to the companies concerned. In a covering letter the board asks the eo-operatioh of shipowners as operators in the transport field and invites, them to submit any information they may have which would be of assistance to the board in investigating any aspect of the whole .transport problem or of the shipping part of the industry. The board recognises that the completion of the questionnaire will involve quite a considerable amount of valuable time. It is confident, however, that the matter will be viewed in the light of a public duty and as a valuable contribution towards the solution of one. of the Dominion's major economic problems at a crucial Xime. "

It is understood that the matter will be considered by the New Zealand Shipowners' Federation.

The board asks, through the questionnaire, that each owner should supply copies of revenue accounts and balancesheets for the last five years,- and to set out his ideas regarding the extent of competition in the shipping industry and its effect on his business. . He is also asked to state his views regarding competition between motor transport and the railways and coastal shipping services and its effect on his business; and whetherv he can suggest any schemes for the co-ordination of coastal shipping with the railways and inotortransport services.

. The shipowner is also requested to state his views regarding the "flatrate" system, i.e., the charging of the same overseas freights, from different ports in the Dominion; and whether he has any suggestions to make regarding improvements in the organisation and working of the harbours in the Dominion. He is further asked to furnish the scales of freight chai-ges observed by him or his company, together with details regarding the basis of the charges, and cases where special rates are given; and to give details of improvements in the design and mechanical equipment of ships in his service during recent years. In addition to answering the above questionnaire, the shipowner is asked to fill in a supplementary data' sheet in respect of each vessel operated by him in coastal shipping during the last five years, giving the name and tonnage of each ship, and routes, frequency of trips, the total distance covered during the year, total tonnage of freight, passengers carried, operating costs, and the revenue.