GREY BAR SHOALING

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 March 1936, Page 2

GREY BAR SHOALING

SERIOUS POSITION CREATED.

The shoaling of the Grey Bar, which has continued throughout this week, has. created a serious position, affecting the industries of the district, particularly sawmilling, and concern over the present state of affairs is expressed by shipping agents. Except for several brief periods, the bar depth has been unsatisfactory, and has hampered shipping movements, since the beginning of last month. After shoaling to six feet at low water about the middle of February, there was an improvement, through the effects of the tidal scour, towards the end of the month, to about nine feet, but as the. result of heavy southerly seas, the position has again become aggravated, and the depth at high water yesterday was only 15 feet, equivalent, to six feet, at lowi water, a. decrease of 18 inches from the mid-week soundings.

At. present, there are five vessels liar-bound, as the result of the bar depth, and in two cases, of the seas that have been running. One of them, the Omana, which is the largest vessel trading to the port, has been tied up at the wharf since March 2, and there is at present no prospect of her departure for Australia, with timber. She has been loaded for about five days, the early delay being due to a shortage of railway waggons. Other vessels have been in port from three days to a week'. The Karepo arrived in the roadstead yesterday morning, and was to load for Auckland, but as there seemed no prospect, of her being able to enter port, she was deverted to Westport, and her Greymouth loading has been cancelled.

Another large timber vessel, the Abel Tasman, is due to-morrow, to load timber for Australian ports, but unless the bar depth shows considerable improvement over the next two or three days, it is probably that her loading will also be cancelled. A statement to this effect was made to a “Star” representative by the Greymouth agents, to-day, they being disinclined to allow her to remain in the roadstead for any length of time. The mines are.also affected, and both the State mines will be idle on Monday. The position as regards the bar has been jnade worse by the abnormal low level of the river, which has remained several feet below the usual level for months, in the absence of a flood. SHORTAGE OF WAGONS. Reference to the shortage of wagons for timber on the West Coast was made by a shipping agent,.to-day, who stated that mills all over the Coasi. were clamouring for wagons. “It appears that as soon as there is a little harvesting in Canterbury,” said the agent, “the West Coast is left to do without trucks, despite the fact that the West Coast keeps the lines running all the year round. The U.B. flat wagons were built for the West Crtast, and thev should not be used to carry grain in Canterbury. One of the faults of the port to-day is the shortage of wagons. Quite recently, the loading of timber vessels has been held up for long periods, waiting for wagons. The Railways Department asks for goods to carry, and when they are offering, they cannot cany them.” i When the above complaint was referred to- the Stationmaster, Mr C. Legge, he declined to comment on the position as it affected the sawmillers, but stated that at the peak periods of the year for railway transport, it was inevitable that there should be a shortage of trucks. However, the Railways Department did its best to distribute them fairly.