DISPATCH OF SHIPPING

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 March 1941, Page 4

DISPATCH OF SHIPPING

TWENTY-FOUR HOUR DAY.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

AUCKLAND, March 28.

Complete agreement on measures for further facilitating the discharging and loading of ships at all New Zealand ports in order to ensure a quick turn-around of overseas vessels was reached at a Dominion conference of all the major interests concerned, which concluded its sittings at Auckland to-day. The conference unanimously adopted two main principles, namely, that the working of every overseas vessel be carried out completely at one port wherever possible, and that all overseas vessels be worked continuously day and night in view of the increasing seriousness of the shipping situation.

The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) called a conference at Wellington last Monday of the Waterfront Control Commission shipping committee and representatives of shipping companies. ' As an outcome a more re- : presentative conference was called and after sitting on two days at Wellington it was adjourned to Auckland, where it sat on Thursday, concluding to-day. The Minister for Labour (Mr Webb) was present. Mr R. E. Price, chairman of the Waterfroni Control Commission, presided. Complete agreement was reached upon the following proposals:—(l) That every interested party in the industry would give the fullest cooperation to those directly concerned in the work of loading and discharging all vessels; (2) that wherever possible discharging and loading of overseas vessels be completed at one port, that railway and sea feeder transport services be utilised to the fullest extent in supplying cargo required to be loaded on overseas vessels at the port of shipment; (3) that work should be carried out on overseas vessels on all occasions continously day and night, day gangs to work from 8 a.m. to 10, p.m., and night gangs from 11 p.m.’ to 7 a.m., men on night shift to be supplied I with a hot meal at a time to be< mutually agreed upon; (4) that when a vessel commences loading or discharging work is to be carried on continuously until completion of the job. Mr Webb expressed keen satisfaction with the result of the conference, and particularly with the spirit of goodwill and co-operation shown by all parties in a common endeavour to meet the shipping crisis and so help the Empire’s war effort. It was certain that the result would be a quicker turn-around of ships. The tone of the conference. indicated that much better work was being done on the waterfront than previously, but all agreed that there was still room I for very definite improvement. • |