NOT FULLY LOADED

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April 1946, Page 4

NOT FULLY LOADED

FOOD SHIP FOR BRITAIN COMPLAINT (P.A.) .AUCKLAND, April 24. Strong dissatisfaction was ’voiced by the waterside workers loading the American motorship, Flying Dragon, which sailed this mdrning with a food cargo for Liverpool, as they considered that the vessel could take some hundreds of tons more food. They estimated that the ship could take another 1000 cases of butter, and 9000 lambs’ carcases. There was disagreement with a statement that the ship was loaded down to the'Plimsol mark. “I am concerned that the ship should go away with what appears to be an incomplete load,” said Mr. W. Ashton, secretary of the Auckland Trades Council, who went aboard the ship. He said that the matter would be discussed further by the Trades Council representatives on the Famine Relief Committee. On behalf of the Auckland agents for the ship, Captain R. S. Lewis, said that the vessel was carrying more than the alloted cargo. Apart from other matters, the master was not prepared to take away more cargo, stating that the ship was already down to the loadline. Also the freezing works had closed down for the Easter holidays, and loading out could be arranged „only between midnight and 7 a.m. on Tuesday. They were not prepared to hold the vessel for another day when she could have sailed on Sunday morning if the order of the Waterfront Control Commissioner for Saturday work had been observed.