PRODUCTION LOSS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 April 1946, Page 2

PRODUCTION LOSS

RESULT OF WATERFRONT DISPUTE STOCK FOOD HELD UP (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 12. A prediction that there would be a noticeable drop in primary production after the delay in unloading the thousands of tons of grass seed, hay, chaff, molasses, and other fodder from the five ships which were in port during the waterfront dispute, was made by the president of the Auckland Grain, Seed, and Produce Merchants’ Association (Mr Scott Colville). He said that farmers, as well as members of his association, were demanding some guarantee that there should be no recurrence of such stoppages in future. Mr Colville recalled that the Department of Agriculture had urged farmers to plant grass seed to offset the effects of the recent drought. Two of the ships involved in the dispute, the Yoho Park and the Catspaw, had been specially engaged by the Government to bring vital seed to Auckland from the South Island. The seed was still in the holds, and if it could not be planted while the weather was good, it would be useless. The vessels Korowai, Kurow, and City of Glasgow were also waiting to discharge cargoes urgently required to increase the production of food. It would probably be two or three weeks before the Korowai, which was loaded with chaff, seeds, and general produce, could be turned round.

OVERSEAS SHIP DIVERTED TO NAPIER (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 12. Because of serious port congestion, the Norwegian motor-ship Troja has been diverted from Auckland to Napier with her cargo from Scandinavia, Antwerp, Lisbon, and South Africa. The Troja, which was expected to leave Brisbane on Thursday for Auckland, will now discharge all her New Zealand cargo at Napier, from where it will be transhipped. More than 700 tons of cargo, including wood products from Sweden and cork from Lisbon, are for Auckland. They will be carried in two voyages from Napier by the Richardson Line motor-vessel Pukeko. The Troja, which is carrying a small number of passengers from South Africa and Australia, was originally scheduled to visit Auckland and Wellington, but both these ports have now been by-passed in favour of Napier. This week will see a reduction in the number of vessels crowding the port. Calls for additional wharf labour made by the Waterfront Control Commission received an overwhelming answer at the morning call. A total of 300 non-union workers was engaged, but there was not sufficient work for another 250.