CARGO HANDLING

Evening Star, Issue 23950, 30 July 1941, Page 4

CARGO HANDLING

CONGESTION AT THE WHARVES A WAR-TIME INCONVENIENCE U nsa tis fa clary handling ol cargo at the Dunedin wharves was referred to by Mr S. F. Abuin, president of the - Otago importers aiid Shippers’ Association, in moving the adoption of the annual report and balance shoot _ at the annual meeting of the association last night. He made particular mention ot congestion, although it appeared to he realised by members that this was a war time development which would have to be' suffered with as good grace as possible. “During tho year,’’ said Mr Abnrn, “a conference was arranged between the local carriers and Mr J. Ji. Waters (then chairman of'tho .Harbour Hoard) in connection with the unsatisfactory methods in vogue relating to tho discharge of vessels coastwise and from Australian ports. At times discharges took place ex the same steamer not only into different sheds, hut even at different wharves, thus greatly increasing the cost of cartage to consignees. At Mr Waters’s request the whole case was submitted fully in writing to the board, but in tho interval of some months little improvement had been noted. CONGESTION AND LOSS OF TIME. “ There had also been personal interviews with the secretary of the board (Mr J. (Renton) regarding the acute congestion which occurred in tho sheds, particularly with the same classes of cargo already referred to, and the fact that little or no effort is made to sort the cargo according to marks, with tho result that carriers are caused much extra work and consequent loss of time in obtaining delivery. If this stale of affairs continues,” said Mr Ahum, “ it must eventually lead to higher cartage charges, which in the end will fall on the consuming public. It is to be hoped that' some improvement may be forthcoming.” WORK OF THE FEDERATION. Continuing in a general vein, Mr Aburn expressed appreciation of the work done by tho NSw Zealand Importers’ Federation, Wellington, to which the association was affiliated, on behalf of importers throughout the Dominion. The federation had continued negotiations with the Minister of) Customs regarding the operations of the import restrictions, and had,been instrumental in obtaining certain concessions.

Mr Aburn also expressed appreciation of the co-operation accorded him by the executive during his two years in the presidential chair, and he added that hig associations with the secretary (Mr E. Wood) had been the happiest, and the association owed Mr Wood a debt of gratitude for his work. Seconding the motion, Mr J. H. Edmond stated that the congestion of cargo at the wharves was not peculiar to Dunedin. It was causing a good deal of anxiety to the authorities in Wellington. He thought that some of the accumulation occurred because the wharves were worked on a Saturday, when most warehouses were closed and it was impossible for carriers :to pick up cargoes. VALUE TO IMPOSTERS. The mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) stressed the value of the association to importers generally, and urged that every endeavour should bo made to increase the association’s membership. There were, ho said, certain firms leaning on the association and deriving the benefits of its work without being members or supporting it in any way. The importing section had been particularly hard hit—more so than any other section of the community—by the import restrictions, and the work done in this regard by the federation in Wellington was of supreme importance, although up against an inflexible gentleman or an inflexible Government.

Speaking as a member of the Otago Harbour Board, Mr F. E. Tyson said that consignees would have to put up with congestion so long as large transhipments were taking place at Wellington. The position, lie said, might be improved if packages were more properly marked than was the case at present. The motion was carried. OFFICE-BEARERS. Mr J. H. Edmond was elected president for the ensuing 12 mouths, and Mr J. D. M'Kechnio vice-president. Messrs W. L. Smith and A. de Beer were re-elected members of the executive. Messrs W. Brown and Co. were re-elected auditors. WORLD CHAOS. At the conclusion of formal business an address, ‘ The Background of Present World Chaos,’ was delivered by Mr Peter S. Anderson. Mr Anderson divided his subject into three sectionsmilitary, economic, and psychological or historical!. The speaker touched only very briefly on the first sections, devoting the most of his remarks to the third, in the belief that psychology, or propaganda, would play a big part in this war. Mr Anderson paid particn lar attention to the development of German conquest and expansion doetrines since the days of Bismarck, and supported his remarks bv quoting numerous extracts from German writings. Ho revealed that the German ideal world dominion and the subjugation of all races was substantially unchanged, despite the passing of years. The German policy was one meant to provoke war. It was a myth to say wo were fighting Hitler and not the German people.