SHIPPING TARANAKI PRODUCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 1 September 1925, Page 5

SHIPPING TARANAKI PRODUCE.

(To the'Editor.) Sir, —Re your article on shipping cheese and rate's of railage as against New Plymouth: The figures published are most interesting and useful, and prove that Pa tea is a very useful river port. But I would like to know how it woi.ld compare with New Plymouth in the event .of shipping ■ companies not paving coastal freight. It is a certain" thing that shipping ; people must lie paid somehow, and when—as will happen in a. short time —New Plymouth will have wharfage to handle the largest boats trading to New Zealand, and when these will 'be trading there to a time-table, the position will be radically altered. Already the boats trading ' there, like the Port Melbourne, Port Dunedin, and Westmorland, ar 0 right up to date. Now. as a farmer only, it,, seems strange to me that the shipping people will, continue paying freight from, one port and at the same time send a boat to another port to pick: up what they can. I notice in your paper that the advantage of New Plymouth over Patea is that it can accommodate overseas 'boats (a mere detail) and load them “when the watersiders are agreeable.” I do not think- that the last is any worse than in some other ports. Of course I know it did happen to some of ’..Patea’s meat, sent to New Plymoutli— I suppose just to give the port a lift an<l show a spirit of cooperation'.' .very' sadly lacking these days. I. am informed that the coastal f eight from Patea to Wellington is 255, rlus' som© other charges, extra handling, etc. It would he interesting to hear what would he the fate of., thesaviiii.l' of 15s 4d (KaUpokonui) or 12s 5d (Joil’s) in the event of the shipping companies not paying freight. Also, Avhere does the difference in Kaupokonui’s saved rate of 15s 4d and J,oil’s of 12s 5d come in?—l am, etc., OLD FARMER, Man a in.