CARGO DELIVERIES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 December 1945, Page 3

CARGO DELIVERIES.

[to the editor.! Sir,—The Chamber of Commerce, according to a paragraph in the “Star” last evening, entered- a protest about the delay to a small consignment of goods shipped at Auckland and intend to bring the matter before the Shipping Controller with the object of having shipments on the New Zealand coast expedited. I, too, have experienced isolated cases but appreciate the fact that with the difficulties existing with labour and shortage of bottoms cargo is subject to some delay at Wellington but before the Chamber places their protest to shipping circles in my opinion it would be politic for them to clean up our own backyard first. A vessel at least can arrive here and discharge her cargo -forthwith, but to get delivery of consignments is another question. For example: I had a package shipped at Auckland and according to information received from the shipping company it was discharged in Greymouth four days later—but it was no less than 10 days after it was discharged from the ship that it reached the floor of the goods shed, only a few yards away, and was available for me to take delivery. I would ask in.sporting parlance—will the local Chamber of Commerce “wipe that off.” It appears that in these fast days ships can win the race against our fast working railways. Anyhow, why worry about delays when if we do get a consignment, particularly sugar, most of the bags are torn—cases are received in a bashed condition, and the contents distributed from a coal-basket. It might-give the “Chamber qf Com-

merce” a good object lesson to visit the wharf and see for themselves the careless way in which cargo is discharged and handled by the watersiders' —the Chamber then might interest themselves in another direction—and we then at least might get delivery of our goods in good condition. Yours, etc,,