Tobacco For Coast Is In Transit: More Complications

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 June 1950, Page 4

Tobacco For Coast Is In Transit: More Complications

There is relief in sight for West Coast smokers, who have been experiencing a “famine” period through the failure of the June quota of tobacco and cigarettes to arrive from Wellington. However, there are a number of “ifs” to be surmounted before the distribution in Greymouth returns to anything like normal. The quota from one tobacco company was shipped from Wellington this week on the small coastal trader, Hauiti, which discharged cargo at Greymouth yesterday. However, the Hauiti was originally scheduled to proceed direct to Hokitika, and the tobacco for Greymouth was consigned through Hokitika. The result is that it has now to be railed to Hokitika for sorting and railed back to Greymouth, and will not be available in Greymouth until Tuesday or Wednesday. Shipped To Lyttelton

A much larger consignment of tobacco, representing the month’s quota from a big factory, was shipped from Wellington on Thursday, via Lyttelton, but complications have ensued. Unless the tobacco was unloaded yesterday, before the Lyttelton waters were dismissed through refusal to work overtime, it will not reach Greymouth until next Friday. The explanation is that the watersiders are on penalty for two days, and no work will be done on Wednesday because of the Trades Union

Congress “demonstration” on the opening day of Parliament. Thus, in attempting to speed the delivery of tobacco to Greymouth by shipping through -Lyttelton, the tobacco company has probably fallen between two fires and Greymouth retailers are still facing a harassing period.

Air-Freight Proposal

The proposal to fly a small quantity to Greymouth apparently broke down. One distributing firm proposed to Greymouth retailers that they could have some tobacco flown from AVellington, if they paid the additional freight charge. Some of them agreed to this course, but so far, they have not heard any more, nor have they received the tobacco. In fact, the announcement of the suggested arrangement made their position worse, as many people were “demanding” the air-freight tobacco. Actually, there is still a good deal of tobacco and cigarettes in Greymouth, but it is principally of English manufacture and is not popular with smokers who show “buyer” resistance even when faced with an acute shortage of the popular brands.