LOSS TO OTAGO

Evening Star, Issue 20979, 18 December 1931, Page 12

LOSS TO OTAGO

DUNEDIN BUTTER SHIPPED AT BLUFF HARBOUR BOARD'S PROTEST The Harbour Board has always been anxious that oversea vessels loading should call at this port even though only a small cargo is available rather than that it should be conveyed to some other port for shipment. A case of this nature met with some caustic criticism at last night’s meeting of the board, especially when the action meant a considerable loss to all concerned except the Railway Department. The chairman, Mr J. Loudon, said it had been brought to his notice that 250 tons of butter were to be sent from Dunedin to Bluff for shipment by the Pakeha. .It did not seem right that such a thing should be done, and a telegram had been sent to the head office of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, urging that the vessel call at Dunedin or Port Chalmers to pick up tho butter. A reply had been received that the shipment was small and the vessel’s time-table did not permit ,of her calling at any extra ports. The chairman pointed out that the cost of railing the butter to Bluff would he about £375, whereas the cost of the vessel picking up the butter at this port would be about £l5O. There was something behind the thing that he did not understand. Captain McDonald said it was probable that the company desired to get the vessel off the coast-before the holidays. It would cost the company about £2OO or £3OO a _ day while she was on the coast, and it would he its desire not to allow her to. eat that money up while no work , was being done. Mr H. C. Campbell said the railway freight was 30s a ton, which meant that the cost of railage would be £312 10s, but he understood that the Railway Department was making a cut in the price of carrying the butter to‘ Bluff. If the Pakeha came here it would cost £lO7 10s. The Railway Department could alter its charges at a moment’s notice, but the board had to alter a by-law, which meant obtaining the sanction or the Goverunient. The same thing happened with the Raranga, which picked up 150 tons of butter at Bluff. He thought the public should know what was happening, and that the board was doing all in its power to safeguard the interests of the port. The sending of the butter to Bluff meant a loss to the whole port of Otago. Mr T. Anderson said he hoped such a thing would not happen again in the future. The Chairman said there was no use carrying the matter any further, as no good would result, and the question was allowed to drop.