LEAN AND BUSY PERIODS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1946, Page 6

LEAN AND BUSY PERIODS

FLUCTUATING ACTIVITY AT PORT SHIPPING DIFFICULTIES Activity at the port of Greymouth during recent weeks has varied from high pressure work with- a great deal to be done in a short time to periods of comparative idleness. This has been due to adverse weather, labour shortages, crew disputes, fluctuating coal production and various other factors, some at Greymouth and others at the ports to which ships loading at Greymouth ~ply. Several times recently the local port has been without shipping and the wharf sidings have been fairly congested with rows of loaded hoppSrs. Then, with the arrival of several colliers at the same time, the position has been reversed and coal could not be supplied quickly enough to meet the demand.

There is likely to be a brief lull from this afternoon when the auxiliary schooner Huia and the collier Rata are scheduled to sail, until the next arrival of ships to load coal for Wellington. Two vessels, the Karu and the Gabriella, were scheduled to leave Wellington this afternoon to load coal at Greymouth for return. They will be followed on Thursday by the Poolta. Should they arrive in close succession, as appears likely, Greymouth watersiders will again have a concentrated period of work in turning them round. The need for coal in the North Island is still acute and every effort is being made to ensure that there is no hold-up at the loading port;