NEW PLYMOUTH PORT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 April 1925, Page 5

NEW PLYMOUTH PORT.

“GO SLOW” CONTINUES

EXASPERATING TACTICS.

SERIOUS, EFFECT ON TRADE

(BY TEI/UGHAPH — : rKKSB ASSOCIATION.) NEW PLYMOUTH.. April 23. The iiolicy of .“go slow,” which lias considerably hampered the working of the port of New Plymouth for some weeks, continues. If the policy is persisted in. and the trade of the uort suffers in consequence, it may be neces. sai’y for the Harbour Board to increase its "dues and perhaps strike a rate in order to make up for the loss in revenue. t

This was, in effect, the statement made at a special meeting of the Harbour Board to-day by the chairman, Mr. Bellringer. The chairman said he was quite satisfied the men behind the movement were few in number. He was not prepared to believe for a moment that the people of Taranaki were going to allow eight or ten men to dominate the situation and to do the port a grave injury. It had taken a very strenuous effort to develop the overseas trade of the port-and have it placed on the status, in regard to freight charges, of a main port. That position was being jeopardised by the watersiders, and, once lost, the advantages -now enjoyed iby the port would take years to regain. Instances werfe quoted by Mr. Bellringer where vessels had taken twice as long to discharge and load as in normal l.mes.