DELAYS TO SHIPPING

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 November 1938, Page 2

DELAYS TO SHIPPING

HARBOUR BOARD’S DISCLAIMER,.

A denial that the Harbour Board, or its equipment, was in any ivay responsible for the delays to the French vessel. Cap Tarifa, and the consequent expense, as referred to in a statement by Mr. J. S. Robertson, in yesterday’s “Star.” was given, to-day, by Mr. W. B. Gilbert, secretary to the Board, in an interview ivith a “Star” reporter. • The Cap Tarifa, said Mr. Gilbert, came into port on Sunday, October 2, at 5.45 p.m. and ivas exempt from charges on that day. On Monday there was no berth for her, but there was no coal ready for her to load. She was put into the coal berth on Tuesday morning, but again there was no coal available for her to load until one o’clock that afternoon. Under normal conditions, the Board’s cranes could load 100 tons of coal, an hour., and by using two cranes, the vessel could have sailed the same day. However, she did not continue loading after 5 p.m.. as there were only 38 trucks of coal available. Intermittent rain then set in and she did not finish loading until 11 p.m. on October G. A fresh in the river then occurred and she was unable to sail until October 9. Altogether, said Mr. Gilbert, the vessel did not pay any fees to the Board for four days, the Sunday that she came into port, and the three days she Avas held up by the flood. Undoubtedly she should have loaded the 1,307 tons of coal in one day, but it. Avas not due to lack of facilities but lack of coal.

Pointing out that there was no shortage of cranes to work the Cap Tarifa. Mr. Gilbert said that on October 4, the Kakapo was using crane No. 5 and the Cap Tarifa No. 3. while cranes Nos. 2, 1 and 4 were idle. On the following day. the Cap Tarifa and Kartigi were using No. 4. the Kartigi No. 5. and Nos. 1. 2 and 3 were idle, and on October 6. the Kartigi was using No. 4. the Cap Tarifa No. 3 and the Kartigi No. 5. Nos. 1 and 2 beingidle.

Mention had been made of the charge for pilotage, said Mr. Gilbert, but a pilot was not supplied unless requested. As it was the French captain’s first visit to the port, he requested special pilotage, the charge for which, based on a rate of four pence per ton. was £l9. At Westport, the charge tvas two pence per ton. The berthage charge at 'Greymouth was 3Jd per ton for the first two days and thereafter 1 l-16d per day, and at Westport it was 3d for the first 51 hours and Id thereafter. Taking all services and charges into consideration, the difference between the charge for the vessel at Greymouth and Westport for the same period in port, would have been approximatelv £l6.

“In 1916, with one less crane than now, we loaded 489,000 tons of coal in the year, in addition to 50,000.000 feet of/timber and 35,000 tons of ordinary cargo. To-day, the coal trade is about half, the timber is about.., 30,000,000 feet and the cargo 12.000 tons, so Avhy should there be all the trouble about it,” said Mr, Gilbert. In conclusion. Mr. Gilbert said that it had been suggested to him that the seat of the trouble lay in the RaihVay Department marshalling all the overland trains on the Greymouth Wharf, thus causing congestion.