TENDERING DIFFICULTIES

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4827, 26 March 1918, Page 6

TENDERING DIFFICULTIES

THE SCRAMBLE FOR BERTHS

There was some discussion at the meeting of tire Harbor Board yesterday regarding difficulties of tendering and the scramble for berths which generally took place on the steamer on arrival of the tender with' outward passengers. There were two letters before the Board. The first was from the Town Clerk suggesting a conference to discuss tendering matters and asking the Board to appoint two delegates. The other was from Mr. H. J. Grieve, who wrote complaining about the scramble for berths on steamers in the roadstead, and suggested that this could easily be avoided by having a berthage iist at the local office, where those who booked early would have preference. A number of berths could be reserved at Auckland. The Chairman said there was great difficulty in getting berths. There used to be a time when they could get the number of the berth placed on the tickets. Mr. Preston: Never in Gisborne.

The Chairman: Then in other places. Still, I don’t see why it should not be done here. If it is possible this pushing and shoving for berths should be (done away with. Mr. Preston: Hear, hear! I agree with you? Mr. Long said he understood that when there were two launches the berthage list went out with the first launch and berths were allocated. It was only when there was one launch that the scrambling occurred. Mr. Preston said he considered the suggestions made impracticable and impossible and they could not and would nofc be carried out. He and his company had always done and would always do what they could for the port, and he was prepared to discuss the matter with any person who came to him. A Chamber of Commerce deputation went to him and he gave it information in confidence which he could not give to the public. The port was being worked, as far as the company was concerned, at the irreducible minimum. When there were two launches there was no cause for complaint. On Sunday niMit the Tuatea left the wharf at 8 o’clock with 2ft of tide on the gauge and the tender hit the bank. It was 12.0 a.m. before the boat got back to tlie wharf with 200 passengers all of whom were transferred by a basket. The bank which had formed at the entrance had caused great concern to the master of the Tuatea, and it was a menace to the working of the port. He had always done Ins best for the port, and lie resented this captious criticism, which he took as a reflection to himself. Mr. Lewis said be considered that the way in which the passengers were handled was disgraceful. Mr. Preston: I agree with you, but can’t help you. Mr. Lewis thought that some system of hooking berths could be devised without this scramble for berths. He thought that it .could be easily ascertained from Napier or, Auckland what number of berths were available for Gisborne. Token maru Bay could look after itself. He considered that it was really due to the public of this place that they should be able to book their berths without all this scrambling. Mr Quirk said lie considered most of the trouble the passengers’ own faults. They all rushed to get berths and a scramble and confusion resulted. If they had a little patience there would be no trouble. The Chairman and Mr. Long were appointed to represent the Board at the proposed conference.