THE DIRECT STEAMERS.

Evening Star, Issue 7167, 22 March 1887, Page 3

THE DIRECT STEAMERS.

The Borough Council of Port Chalmers have addressed the following letter to the Harbor Board Borough Council Chambers, Port Chalmers, 22nd March, 1887. The Chairman and Members of the Otago Harbor Board. Sire,—l have the honor to inform you that at a meeting of tho Borough Council, held last night, the subject cf the direct steam services was discussed, when it appeared to those present that the excessive rates obargt d by your Board for pilotage, port charges, and towage have caused several ol them to proceed to other ports instead of first oalliog heio, as was originally intended. It was resolved that your Board be communicated with, urging the expedienay of reducing the charges referred to to those io force at other principal parts of the Colony. In approaching your Board on this matter, I desire to point out the disastrous effect a continuance ol those heavy chargee will have upon the entire provircial district by lowering tho status of this port to that of a second or third-class one. 1 venture to think that tho natural impediment offered by the port to vessels entering of great draught, require that extra fao iities, which are under the control of tho administrators of the harbor, should b > extended so as to compensate as far a* possible for the evil which they am powedcsß to immediately remo-c. Tncru can bo no question ai-out the gr. at. advantages the Colony reafs by the enterprising shipping companies who provide such magnificent vessels, thereby inducing to come to our shores immigration of the right class, and forming, as they do, the chief support of our meat-preserving industry. Surely those

and many other benefits received through the services, make it desirable that every oncouragttfient should be afforded them.

Other ports evidently recognise that fact, and regulate the charges to a scale which I. aves but a small margin of profit towards general revenue. I may be pardoned for suggesting that the finances of the Board would not be disarranged by reducing the charges by one-balf If by so doing the whole of the direct steamers would bo induced to ball (in their Intended order), instead of only half their number, or only those that wore compelled to do so far the purpose of taking in frozen moat. In some ports the scale of dues is based upon vessels’ draught of water, and not on the tannage. Such a system could be so arranged as to fail exceedingly light on vessels of the class of our direct sei vibes.

Narrowing down the question to Its local aspect, the loss of the steamers is keenly felt by a forge number of people here, whose chief moans of living depcDf's upon the work of discharging, loading, and coaling them, while the less to the Board in not receiving the port dues and pilotage on the ships tbtmseives, and similar dues on vessels bringing coal to supply the large steamers, must be considerable under the olrcumßtanw 1. I most respectfully venture to hope that your Board may see its way to make such concessions as will induce the Homo steamers to make this port a first port o(call.—I have, etc., Edmund G. Allen, Mayor.