CARGO HANDLING COSTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 121, 7 May 1934, Page 4

CARGO HANDLING COSTS

Elimination of Lightering NO SAVING TO PRODUCERS The following letter from Mr A. E. Jull, M.P., a member of the Napier Harbour Board, addressed to the chairman of the Waipukurau County Council, Mr A. O. Russell, was read at the monthly meeting of the council on Saturday. The letter dealt with handling costs at the Napier roadstead, and with the question of expected savings in regard to shipping from the port of Napier. “When some ten days ago the representatives from the several county councils and borough councils of this area visited Napier at the invitation of the Napier Harbour Board, the chairman of that board made a statement among other things as to the expected savings that would accrue to the producers of the district if lightwage on meat and wool were eliminated. “It was stated that from the figures supplied by the freezing companies the consolidated rate for slaughtering, freezing, bagging, railage, wharfage, lighterage, freight to London, and Meat Board levy, was 1.15 d per pound for beef, 1.34 d for mutton, and 1.625 d for lamb; that this rate included 15/6 per ton lighterage, and the saving to the producers of Hawke’s Bay if lighterage were eliminated would be £22,845 per annum, based on last year’s output. As no statement was made as to the amount of the consolidated rate on meat from other ports I requested the Prime Minister to obtain the figures for both Wellington and Napier from the Meat Board, so that when the com. mittee set up to review the estimates met they could have the comparison, “On the 27th instant I received the foL lowing reply from the Prime Minister:—'Meat Board advises that consolidated charges on meat shipped from Wellington port works practically sama a B Napier—viz., mutton, 1.34 pence: lamb, 1.625 pence. These consolidated charges cover slaughtering, freezing, bagging, etc., to fob, and shipping freight, but do not include exchange surcharge on freight and insurance.— Geo. W. Forbes.’ “It will be seen from this telegram that the producers of this telegram that the producers of Hawke’s Bay pay exactly the same to get their meat to London as those who ship from Wellington, so the alleged saving to the meat producers of this district of £22.845 would, therefore, not be made. It is also clear that so far as wool old at auction is concerned it is the buyer and not the producer who pays the lighterage and, as probbly 85 to 90 per cent, of the wool produced in Hawke's Bay is sold at the Napier sales, the alleged saving to the wool growers if lighterage were eliminated, stated to be £8,703, would also not be made. 1 brought these particulars before the committee of the board on Friday, and take this opportunity of also giving your council’s members the information obtained.” The above matter was referred to the chairman of tho Harbour Board, Mr. T. M. Geddis, who intimated that he will publish a reply in due course.