Shipping Is Vital To Hokianga

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1939, Page 7

Shipping Is Vital To Hokianga

—MR A. C. YARBOROUGH

Shipping conferred vital benefits upon the Hokianga, which district desired to maintain services by sea, said Mr A. C. Yarborough, chairman of the Hokianga County Council. He said that he did not consider tire railway community trucking system a fair thing without a guarantee that these trucking freight rates would be continuous.

“Everyone realised what would happen if the coastal shipping companies were forced out of the trade,

owing to unfair railway competition,” he said, “the railway rates would immediately go up and importers would be in a worse predicament than ever; they would be at the mercy of the « railway department and the boats that 'yy> they had depended upon from the earliest days would be gone. Would Be Neglected. . 1 ‘ “In any case,” he said, “the railway > could not possibly handle all the goods .and farmers up and down the coast who had been in the habit of getting manures and other necessities by boat would probably be neglected. “Manures in particular were vital for production,” he said, “and unless they were delivered when required ; production would. be adversely .; affected,” There were ports .all along the coastline at which coastal vessels could carry goods economically and it would be a very risky thing to put them out of the trade. However, said Mr Yarborough, the shipping companies could save money - if both for themselves and for importers if they co-operated with each other U and agreed to eliminate any further waste. At, the present time two vessels in opposition to each other arrived in the Hokianga harbour each Friday. Companies Should Co-operate. | Neither carried a full load, and if the companies running them agreed to run, say, three vessels per fortiiight instead of four they could probably reduce their freight charges below the railway trucking system, the rate? by which were from 1/- to 2/- per ton cheaper than the boat freights. 1?; However, - he said, he did not like / monopolies and he thought the shipping companies should be prepared to A; guarantee not to raise their rates in i the event of the trucking system being i discontinued. The Hokianga Harbour Board was free of debt as far as harbour facilities = . were concerned, but the haulage of r goods by truck meant a loss of revenue to the harbour board. ", ■ r.§

The Hokianga County Council, how- ■ ever, was not in a position to- stand the cost of maintaining the ' roads which suffered a great deal of wear ( and tear from the heavy trucks hauling goods between Okaihau and the various districts on the northern side of the river.

If the companies would arrange their runnings so that the district would have three ships joer fortnight instead of two per week it would mean that Hokianga would have more fre- j|| quent deliveries of butter to Auckland and consequently a better grading and : increased revenue. /;:§

The K.aitaia Dairy Company, with .j s ts frequent boat services to Auckland, was in an advantageous position in ithat produce was landed in good condition with the result that grading was high, improving the payout.