DUNEDIN LACKS FOR COASTAL SHIPPING, SAYS AUTHORITY

Evening Star, Issue 26152, 14 July 1947, Page 4

DUNEDIN LACKS FOR COASTAL SHIPPING, SAYS AUTHORITY

Challenging as “highly exaggerated ” some of the statements about coastal shipping delays made in Wellington by Mr G. H. Norman, secretary of the Shipowners’ Federation, Mr A. Matheson, chairman of the Dunedin branch of the Waterfront Industry Commission, told the ‘ Star to-day that before Mr Norman made such sweeping comments about the greater, capacity of coastal shipping now available he should have studied the position in relation to Dunedin. Mr Matheson freely replied to Mr Norman’s, contentions, but beyond warmly endorsing them, importers and shipping representatives were reticent when they were invited to comment on the statement by Mr Norman that the congestion of cargo at New Zealand ports was not due to insufficient shipping, but to insufficient use of the shipping available. The reason for allowing this

mantle of silence to descend on waterfront activities was attrii bated in the case of each Importer or shipping company spokesman to a genuine fear of reprisals. One importer, a member of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, said that on the last occasion he publicly criticised aspects of waterfront activity he was given “ a dreadful example of intimidation tactics.” He would not state the line of his criticism or the tactics that were employed in retaliation, but he did say that they were directed against his firm.

Another importer was more specific. He alleged that were he to come out into the open his business would suffer. “ X have criticised waterfront methods twice before, and after each occasion goods consigned to me were damaged,” he said. “Coincidence might havo accounted for those two separate happenings, but I am not going to take a risk a third time.” FEWER VESSELS TO DUNEDIN. The Shipowners" Federation held that the congestion of cargo at New Zealand ports was not due to lack of sufficient shipping, but so far as Dunedin -was concerned there were fewer coastal vessels coming here than in 1939, Mr Matheson said. For instance, only occasional visits were made to this port by the Holmburn, the Holmglen, and the Holmlea, the only regular run that was being made by vessels of the Green Funnel Line being in the case of the Holmdale. The Canterbury Steamship Company had sent only two vessels to. Dunedin since November of last year, the Breeze coming to this port on February 1 and the Gale on March 13. Before the war, Mr Matheson said, these vessels made regular runs to Dunedin. \ IMPORTERS NOT CO-OPERATIVE. One factor . attributed by Mr Norman to the slower turn-round of shipping was the congestion of goods in sheds, Mr Matheson said. Hejpointed out that there were only two Dunedin firms that co-operated with the waterfront authorities by arranging to keep their warehouses open after 5 p.m. during the week so that goods could be delivered to relieve this congestion. Waterside workers were willing to handle cargo after the employees of these companies had ceased work for the day, and if shipping could be speeded up between ports by the removal of ; congestion of goods the firms had ;.thS remedy in their own hands. ' r - Before the war, the average weekly hours worked on the Dunedin wharves were 68, and now they were 59, although this total was increased to 63 if it was found necessary to \york on Saturdays, Mr Matheson said Before stating that there was a v diminished quantity of carjjo being handled throughout New Zealand Mr Norman should have taken into account the fact that of ail the main centres Dunedin held the best record for loading and unloading coastal vessels, and also overseas ships, said Mr Matheson. The average time for handling cargo might have slipped for a time in the past year or 18 months, but it had definitely improved during the last few months. If more ships would come to Dunedin instead of carrying the increasing quantities of cargo between one port and another in one run there would be no lack of labour to haudle them,” said Mr Matheson.. “ For instance, there are 150 waterside workers at Port Chalmers who have been idle since July 3, when the Australia Star was despatched.”