SHIPPING FREIGHTS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 March 1929, Page 9

SHIPPING FREIGHTS

FLAT RATE SYSTEM. DISSATISFACTION EXPR ESSED. •By Telegraph—Press AssooiaUou.) WELLINGTON, March 21. At the annual meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board there was a long and rigorous discussion on what is known as “the flat rate” charged by shipping companies under which small and costly ports, are worked at the same charge as well equipped harbours, and' the loss on the former is made up by the latter. It was alleged that this meant an extra 10s per ton as compared with Australia and was entirely due to vessels wasting time in calling at numerous small ports along the coast.

One speaker said that the Government was committed against the policy of concentration of shipping. He did not object to small ports having' oversea vessels calling there so long as they were pi on a red to pay, but to expect the people served by main ports to foot the bill was economically and morally unjust. Another speaker said that meat was damaged by lighterage. At one of those ports a freezing company had to pay £30,000 for lighterage alone ancl then incur the expense of reconditioning the meat. In his district the people were tired of the flat rate, which was a most unjust system find was a great economic waste. No action, however, was taken beyond expressing dissatisfaction with the svstem.