WHARF PROBLEM

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3249, 7 April 1943, Page 7

WHARF PROBLEM

FREIGHT TO WHITIANGA COUNCILLOR’S COMPLAINT SHED CLOSED WHEN SHIP AWAY 4 A letter received by the Council from the Mercury Bay Dairy Company protesting against the new regulations and conditions in connection with the Whitianga wharf was the subject of a very lengthy discussion at the March meeting of the Coromandel County Council. Cr. A. Watkins remarked: “I’m glad this has come up to-day—wheth-er we’ve made a mistake or the shipping company’s agent is at fault we’ll have to do something about it today.” He went on to state that following the dismissal of the wharfinger at Whitianga .wharf according to the new regulations recently gazetted, when the boat left, the key to the wharf shed went with her —consequently the farmers could not get ifheir stuff out before the. shed was cl'osed. He instanced one farmer who had a large consignment of manure which had to be carried to his farm. It was an impossibility to get it away in the time before the shed was locked.

He also gave other instances of hardship caused through the shed key not being available because it was- \ alleged that the key went to Auckland.

“I take'a serious view,” continued Cr. Watkins, “and I would suggest that a wharfinger be appointed pro tern, till the matter has been adjusted and the shed cleared.”

Cr. E. M. Minifie strenuously obj jected to the suggestion of a pro tern, arrangement, claiming that the position would right itself as soon as the new regulations had been got used to. He said: “It’s like a case of nursing the baby so long that it s got spoiled—that’s what we’ve been do-

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ing, and now the ones concerned must get used to the new order of things. To appoint a wharfinger at this stage would be to nullify the whole scheme which had just been gazetted and put into force.” He further said that the committee appointed to draw up the wharf regulations had been guided largely by one of its members who was a practical shipper, who had traded for a number of years between Coromandel and Auckland, and who had stated that losses over a period of many years had been negligible—in fact only a bag of sugar.”

One instance was quoted in connection with the Coromandel wharf shed when a carrier from Whangapoua came over with a load of wool and had to leave it on the wharf. It was realised that the transport restrictions aggravated the position when only certain days are allowed for the lorries to come in to the town from outside districts.

The chairman, Mr C. C. Rae, stated that he had been contacted by the owner of a scow who was quite willing to' work under the new regulations and would carry out what was required of him. The same applied to the Coromandel shipping owner.

It was proposed iby the chairman and seconded by Cr. Minifie “that Messrs Wat*kin and Wallis be asked to comply with the new Order-in-Council; the council considers it a wrqng action in taking the key of the . shed away from Whitianga. ’ Cr. T. V. Whittle stated that it was with the sole object of getting better service for the ratepayers that the committee was set up to go into the question of wharves in the , county, and in doing so to remove any anomalies, in the carrying out of which the reduction of wharfages was a part. He regretted that the impasse .at Whitianga wharf had occurred and had been the cause of such serious inconvenience to the public. Cr. A. J. Denize asked to be allowed to table a notice of motion as follows: “That the resolution appearing on Page 6-00 A of minutes of meeting held on January 20, 1943, reading: ‘That the wharfingers employed by the council be given one month’s notice of termination of their duties and that the shipowners, etc., be notified of the new regulations,’ be hereby rescinded.” The discussion was resumed after the luncheon adjournment and took up a considerable part of the day’s deliberations. A further discussion took place towards the end of the meeting regarding the keys of the wharf shed at Whitianga, it being finally agreed r 1 a ■ < matter be left in Cr. Watkina’ hands to see that they were left i in Whitianga in future.