HARBOUR BOARD GRAIN STORES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16193, 20 March 1913, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD GRAIN STORES.

, • TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —It must come as a big surprise to many that the Harbour Board stores are still not paying. The stores are fitted with fairly modern machinery, and their storemen if l,eft alone are equal, if not better, than the majority. No wonder Mr Friedlander is so annoyed fcb learn that his pet electric plant, recently. installed, fails- to make little, if any difference in the cost of handling. At present it would seem that the electric plant only tends to make the work lighter and requires more money being ■pent on it before it is of much use. One would like to , know if handling has been decreased or increased since its installation. Certainly it has not decreased. ' There is another point to which I would like to draw the Board’s attention. Can the Board reasonably expect the one storeman to look after a grain store and its freezing chambers at one time? No wonder the Freezing chambers are on the right side >f the ledger; either one or the other (riust be sacrificed.. Can Mr Friedlan3er explain how it comes about that in 1911 3600 tons less grain was handled than in 1912, while the revenue for 1912 is smaller by £196. Now, on the face of the above, something must be radically wrong. I believe that in 1911 the Board had three storemen, in 1912 only two. The clerical staff also have been reduced, and in addition to this economy, the rate of storage has been increased by such items as the repair-

ing or restacking of an odd sack or two, and a transfer charge is made. I do not wonder at Mr Friedlander speaking his mind so plainly, as not one member of tho Board is in the position to know better than -he that the rates charged should easily cover the working expenses and still leave a fair profit. It is quite evident that if any private firm had the stores on tho same conditions as the Board they would show a good profit. The whole secret of grain storage at a profit so far as the Lyttelton Harbour Board is concerned lies in good and efficient management.—l am, etc., INTERESTED.