FREIGHT RATES

Evening Star, Issue 18335, 24 July 1923, Page 4

FREIGHT RATES

THE SOUTHERN GRIEVANCE.

UNION COMPANY DENIES DIFFERENTIATION.

An Auckland Association message stated that, discussing tho views presented by the Postmaster-General, an official of tho Union Company said that there was no foundation for tho claim that tho South Island is handicapped. He said that Mr Sidoy was quite mistaken in his information regarding the delivery of cargo to Auckland and Wellington from San Francisco and Vancouver services respectively. If Auckland _ cargo was landed at Wellington, or vice versa, the usual coastal freight had to be paid, in addition to the transpacific charges. As to the claim for a, fiat rate for cargo by mail steamers, he said a service was maintained by five steamers —the Hauraki, Waitomo, Waihemo, Waikawa. and Wairuna, by which cargo was delivered direct to all important ports at the same rate of freight as that charged on the mail steamers to Auckland or Wellington. The South Island and the secondary ports of the North Island had a more frequent cargo service by these vessels than Wellington and Auckland had from tho mail .steamers, and they wore on an equal footing in regard to charges; moreover, they got this service without tho subsidy. As a matter of fact, the amount of cargo for the South Island carried on the mail steamers was a very small proportion of the total. Moreover, if sufficient outward cargo was offering from any South Island ports a direct steamer to the American coast was provided. THE GRIEVANCE REITERATED.

Having made inquiries concerning tho abovo statements, a ‘Star’ reporter was informed that English and American mails landed at Auckland on Friday last from tho Makura from Vancouver reached Wellington on Saturday and DunediW on Monday night. The outgoing San Francisco mail closed at Dunedin yesterday morning, and at Wellington to-day. Wellington business people were thus given throe clear days in’ which to reply to their American and English correspondents, but Dunedin business people. had no opportunity at all to reply. All shippers doing business with Pacific Coast ports have had to pay coastal freight to Wellington or Auckland on their shipments made by steamers owned by the Union Steam Sliip Company, except on ono occasion, when, owing to pressure, one steamer returning to tho Pacific Coast via Australia carried a small amount of cargo. On one occasion Dunedin importers were actually compelled to pay coastal freight from Wellington on cargo landed from a- steamer from the Pacific Coast, although the steamer that actually carried the cargo discharge I it at Dunedin wharf. Recently tho Wlilt awa was advertised as loading at Pacific Coast ports for Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, and Bluff, but later Dunedin was omitted as a port of call. Later, again, Dunedin was included in the vessel’s itinerary, but during the interval local merchants were -compelled to place their orders, the goods to be landed at Auckland or Wellington and transhipped to this port. (Merchants thus had to pay tho extra coastal freight. The high Union Company official mentioned in an interview that the five cargo vessels (Hauraki, Waiotapu, Wairuna, Waihemo, and Waikawa) loaded for South Island porta, but he omitted to say that these vessels also loaded for North Island ports (with the exception of the Waikawa, now loading). Auckland and Wellington merchants had a tremendous advantage in knowing months ahead that they could import their requirements from Pacific ports by the subsidised mail boats, and knew to a day when tiro l goods will arrive.

Mr Coates twitted Mr Sidoy that bis party had never advocated a ilat rate to the South Island, but Mr Sidey’s party was never asked; whereas the present Government has been asked time and again, and until now Jiad never seriously considered the matter.