HARBOUR BOARDS PLANS TO CHECK CARGO PILLAGING

Grey River Argus, 13 October 1949, Page 5

HARBOUR BOARDS PLANS TO CHECK CARGO PILLAGING

P.A .NEW PLYMOUTH, October 12. Th e right to examine and check the contents of any vehicle using the wharves under the control of the Harbour Boards, is to be sought by the Harbours’ Association of New Zealand, in an endeavour to reduce the pillaging of goods. The Association decided, at its annual conference at New Plymouth to-day, to take steps to have the Harbour Act amended to confer this power upon Harbour Boards.

The exclusion of certain persons was discussed at the last conference of the Association, and, as a result, the Minister of Marine, Hon. F. Hackett, wrote to the Association on May 13, 1949, advising that no progress had been made in the matter. The Minister suggested that the matter be discussed at this year’s conference, with, if possible, factual information of the cases where persons convicted of pillaging in one centre have transferred elsewhere, and indulged in the same practice. He thought a further resolution by the Association, verified by actual cases, might be of advantage to him in endeavouring to make progress with the appropriate authorities. Mr W. R. Clark (Otago) said that he had refused to produce specific cases. He discussed the matter at the last conference on a general principle, and considered that it should be dealt with on the same lines.

HARBOUR DUES FROM STATE?

The storage df Government goods in Harbour Board sheds and upon wharves without charge cost Wellington Harbour Board in the last two years £B2BO, calculated on the basis of storage charges for the commercial community, sir Charles Norwood (Wellington) told the conference. Heavy machinery was being imported for hydro-electric works, he said.

The loss to the Auckland Board would be five or six times as great as at Wellington, Mr W. F. McCullum (Auckland) said.

The conference supported a remit from Wellington that the matter be again taken up with the Minister of Marine, Mr Hackett, with a view to urging the Government to pay the Boards concerned the equivalent of the amount of storage charges upon such goods as would be charged were goods privately owned.

END OF COASTAL SHIPPING CONTROL

There no longer exists coastal shipping control in New Zealand. A statement to this effect was made by the Secretary for Marine, Mr W. C. Smith, of Wellington, when the conference had before it advice from the Minister of Marin e that, after full investigation, it was decided on April 11, 1949, that “the time was not yet opportune for relinquishing the control of coastal shipping”. However, Mr Smith said, since the Minister’s letter was written, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. E. Parry, had determined the appointment of the Shipping Controller, and, for the past two months, there had been no shipping control. The repeal of sections of the Harbours Act, 1923, related to pilotage exemption certificates, the fees for which are paid by the owner of the ship on which the master or mate to whom the certificate relates is employed, is sought in a remit which was adopted by the conference. The certificate, it was pointed out, could be transferred to any other master or mate if, on examination, he is found competent, without payment of a further fee.

A flaw in the amendment to the Harbours Act last year which made the setting up of appeal boards impracticable is to be removed by legislation to be introduced during the present session of Parliament. The Secretary of Marine, Mi’ W. C. Smith, Informed the conference this. After legislation had been introduced, he said, there would be no doubt about the position in future. The Marine Department will be reauested that information from returns made to the Department by fishermen should be supplied to Harbour Boards to enable the Boards to collect wharfage on fish. After the remit had been adopted, Mi' Smith told the conference that the Department would not release the information sought.