PORT CONGESTION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22200, 10 December 1946, Page 6

PORT CONGESTION

AUCKLAND PROBLEM ALL ERTHS OCCUPIED AMERICAN SHIP DIVERTED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 9. With 20 large overseas and coastal ships filling every available berth the Auckland waterfront passed its second consecutive week-end in idleness: The congestion caused the diversion of the Fort Coulange to Lyttelton carrying a full cargo of phosphate from Florida. The Fort Coulange arrived earlv on Saturday morning, but anchored outside the port limits to await instructions. The vessel sailed late yesterday. No berth has yet been found for the motor-ship Sydney Star, which arrived from Melbourne on Saturday to complete loading refrigerated and general cargo for the United Kingdom. EMPLOYERS CRITICISED (P.A.) DUNEDIN. Dec. 9. Mr. S. B. MacDonald, secretary of the Dunedin branch of the Waterside Workers’ Union, on his return from Wellington where he attended a meeting of the national executive, stated that one .thing struck him at the meeting and that was the attitude of the employers in refusing to accept Mr. Justice Ongley’s judgment. It demonstrated that the employers’ object was to hamper the Government and demand the end of commission control. Now that the employers had not secured a change of Government, the next meeting of the commission might be more sociable.