DUES NOT PAID

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 128, 2 June 1938, Page 7

DUES NOT PAID

FRUIT AT LYTTELTON IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE RAISED (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHUKCH, June 1. Said to involve a principle of importance to all harbour boards, the landing of 3760 cases of Cook Island oranges at Lyttelton without payment of wharfage dues was brought before the notice of the Lyttelton Harbour Board at its meeting today. The secretary, Mr. C. H. Clibborn, said that dues were .not paid, presumably on the grounds that fruit was "Government goods" and therefore free of charge. The goods were unloaded from the steamship Wainui on May 10 and consigned to the Internal Marketing Board.

Mr. Ciibborn quoted from the Harbours Act in which provision is made that no dues shall be payable on "any goods of or for the service of his Majesty in New Zealand, including goods consigned to and the property of the Government of New Zealand, but not including goods .supplied by the Government to any person for commercial purposes." When the present Government instituted the guaranteed price, Mr. Clibborn said, and marketing arrangements for export of dairy produce, the Minister of Marketing (the Hon. W. Nash) told harbour boards that it was not intended they should lose wharfage revenue thereby. Wharfage had been paid up to the present on the basis that the Government claimed no title in the goods until they were f.o.b. The fruit in question was an import consigned to a board which might be claimed to be a Government department, and an important principle was thereby at stake. Mr. Clibborn said he had written to the Department concerned, but had not yet had a reply. He was informed by a railway officer verbally that the matter was under consideration.

It was very important to harbour boards all through New Zealand. The Railway/ Department was apparently in doubt whether the goods came within the clause he had quoted.

Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P., suggested that when the chairman and secretary were in Wellington on other business they should see Mr. Nash. This suggestion was accepted by the chairman, Mr. R. T. McMillan, and it was decided also to refer the matter to the Harbours Association.