Minister Favours Decentralisation Of Shipping

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23217, 31 March 1950, Page 6

Minister Favours Decentralisation Of Shipping

“I am in favour of the decentralisation of shipping:, and I hope that it will lie possible to get overseas ships back to secondary ports. It we can bring that about it is going to save somebody a lot of money.”

This statement was made by Mr. W. S. Goosman as Minister of Marine in reply to an Oamaru Harbour Board deputation, which made representations for financial assistance for dredging and also stated a case for the restoration of overseas shipping. It was pointed out that the centralisation of shipping, a wartime measure, had cost the Oamaru Harbour Board £30,000, and the British Government an additional annual freight charge of £22.000, compared with the cost of shipping direct from Oamaru.

The Minister said the position was not peculiar to Oamaru alone. In fact it was more pronounced in the North Island than in the South Island. On taking office he had come to realise the disorganisation that existed in New Zealand with transport, particularly shipping. and he asked representatives of the owners of overseas ships to come and see him.

“We cannot allow the present position to continue,” said the Minister. "Transport has been designed to use these harbours, and if it is at all possible we must get overseas shipping back to them.”

When the centralisation policy was abandoned, the Minister said, the big thing would be to get ships back to secondary ports, and that would have his fullest support. In the North Island produce that could be sent by sea direct was being railed long distances. “Today the railways are short o£ trucks and personnel, and if we could use these harbours the whole transport situation would be improved,” he said.