RECEIVING AND DELIVERY OF CARGO EXTRAORDINARY.

Evening Star, Issue 12760, 13 March 1906, Page 2

RECEIVING AND DELIVERY OF CARGO EXTRAORDINARY.

TO THE EDITOR. S.ir,—l notice in your locals of Saturday night’s issue that in discharging the Pakeha ttt°Bunedin wharf all previous records were broken. This may be so, but don’t you think there is some very great error in the time of discharging or in the amount -of tonnage put out? You say there were thees gangs working, which means three hatches, and” in three working days, twenty-four hours per hatch —which means seventy-two hours—the above boat put out 3,700 tons — an average of fifty-two tons per hour. You ask; Could Auckland, Wellington, or Lyttelton compare with this performance? I don’t think you would be wrong in saying a world’s record discharging, with the samv working gear as the Pakeha is fitted wiui. The foreman stevedore, I am sure, has not given these figures or time, os he know* what is reckoned very goon work is an average cf twenty-five to thirty tons per hour (with a London cargo), winch means exactly double the time stated, or half the tonnage. Also later your local says that some of the consignees have nob taken delivery of cargo that was landed last, Wed nesday. This reads to me that the boat has been working four days instead •of three; rather a glaring error on top of the time given in the former part of inlocal. I think it very poor policy if yon wish to crack up a port or the receiving and delivery of cargo by giving misleading figures.—l am, etc., Pxftv-two Tons xs Hour. March 12. [Notwithstanding our correspondent’s erroneous contention set up on irrelevant matters of detail, the fact still remains that the steamer was discharging from Wednesday afternoon to Saturday evening—say, three days—and in that time she put out about 3,600 or 5,700 tons of cargo. Details ns to overtime, etc., do not affect the question, which was ono of despatch for the port, aftd, as was stated, a record. It may also be added that the steamer not only put out the vast quantity of cargo mentioned in the time stated, but she also took in a considerable outward tonnage, as well—a very creditable achievement.—-Ed. E.S.]