SMALL PORTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 113, 16 May 1918, Page 5

SMALL PORTS.

PROTEST AGAINSfr RAILWAY CHANGES.

A large ,deputation representing harbour boards and allied interests waited upon the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen ( and the -Minister of Railways (the "Hdn.- W. H. lierries) on Tuesday to make. representations., regarding certain railway charges that are eon-,' sidered to .bear unjustly upon the email er ports. Mr W. A. Veitch, M.P..-in-troduced the deputation, and 1 : Mr W. rH; Fiel.l. M.P., was .also present. .: v The, members of the deputation were: (Messrs' A. G. Bignell (Wanganui-Harbour Board), Newton King (Nevv Ply|nouthChamber of Commerce), Tu. E. lias sett (Wanganui 'Chamber of Commerce),; J. : R. Williams (Lyttelton Harbour Board) j N. I>. Anderson (Marton 1 Chamber of" Commerce), A. Ohristensen (Patea H»rbour Board), J. S. Tingey (Feildlng Chamber of 'Commerce), P: Hennessy. (Foxton Harbour Board), W. Brbwn (Wanganui, importeris), H. Collinson (Palmerston 'Chamber of Commerce), •C. F. Millward (Wanganui Chamber of Commerce), C. 15. iMacKay (Mayor *6i Wanganui),' C. A. la Roche (Oamaru Harbour Board), A. Robinson (Wanganui: Chamber of Commerce), and G. Spriggens (Wanganui Borough Council).- ' Mr Bassett said that recently aborting charge of Is 4xl a ton, plus .10 per cent, had 1 'been imposed, upon goods landed at ports where the Railway Department had control. This- charge, . with the two additions, to about l s lOd per ton, and 1 it had been imf posed without any previous negotiations between the ,Railway Department• drid the interests affected. Its effect was tc penalise the small ports, -where* the wharves were worked by the Railway Department, as against the large ports#, administered tuider harbour boards. The landing charge at New Plymouth under the new arrangement was 3s- 6d; a ton, and in Wanganui 4s lOd per ton. The corresponding charge in Aucklandwas 2a a. ton y and in Wellington-. 3s > a ton." The extra Is lOd was equivalent •£o the railway •charges for the convfey*' ance of a ton of goods 42 miles, so that •the small ports wore going to be severe? ly handicapped". In fncT'lt wns certfiiti that goods would be diverted from the small''ports" to the _ largoports. The charge had >to be .paid on between. '6OOO ■ and 6000 tons of goods landed at Wail'gattui. It had to te ndded to ihe-price charged the v consumer, and this meant another increase in tho cost of living. Mr Bassett. proceeded to state that the cost of handling goods at Wanganui waft increased by £h e methods adopted by the Railway Department on tho wharyfes. The methods were cumbrous and wasteful . 1 Sir James Allen said that the matter was one that concerned the Railway Department. He could assur? tii e !tion that Cabinet would very readily assist to remedy any real • Tlie Minister of Railways said that it"'was impossible for "the Railway Department in time of war to do all tho things that it would like to do in tintfe of peace. Revenue had to be secured and provision had to bo mado for the release of men for service- with the Army- These two factors necessarily governed 'policv to a large extent. TJio Department could" not affordi : to work for nothing. Invercargill, and 'Ghristchurch had always had the _ sorting charge. WliCji the officers of tho Department examined the charges with , a view to providng tho money necessary to pav increased wages to railway men, "they had gathered some information regarding the 'cost 'of sortitlg. Figures' collected at Wangatiui during the first, three months of this year had shown that the sorting cost 23d per tori. The actual charge made was ls 6d. plus two additions of 10 per cent. The first 1 . 10 per cent., as the Minister of Finance had explainedlin his budget was.a war. tax. The money was needed for national purposes.. The second 10 pel', cent, was to provide money for the extra pay to railwavmen, " amountinc to about £360.000 per year. The Minister suggested 1 that the members of the deputation should discuss some of the •points they had raised with the CJeneral Manager of Railways.—Dominion.