Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1921 LIGHTERING OF FRUIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 12 January 1921, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1921 LIGHTERING OF FRUIT

AS previously stated, the Secretary of the Nelson Provincial Fruitgrowers’ Council wrote to the Motueka Harbour Board “regarding the possibility of making arrangements for Home boats to be brought to Tasman Bay and the fruit cases to be lightered to them from Mapua, Motueka, and Nelson, during the coming export season.” At the time The Mail stated that “while every effort should be made to secure the lightering for the present, it should not be allowed to obscure the vision regarding the fundamental need of harbour improvements at Port Nelson for the efficient handling of the district’s export produce. So far as the, coming one or export seasons are concerned, every possible effort must be made in connection with the lightering business. But there is much to bo done before a satisfactory system can be evolved and very little time to do it in, provided, of course, the shipping companies will agree to lighter. From inquiries we have made we find that little assistance ‘can be rendered by the Anchor Company, for their vessels j are quite unsuitable for the purpose/ of i lightering. Take the largest vos-| B el, the Regnlus, for instance. Shej could carry 15,000 cases of fruit. It, would take about forty hours to unload at the ship’s side, for it is more than probable that only one of her three holds could be worked at the same time, for they would not correspond with the holds on the larger vessel. The Rogulus and, in fact, any of the other Anchor steamers crossing the Strait, could land the fruit on Wellington wKarf at less cost than they could lighter it into steamers just outside the harbour. The time taken in unloading is the determining factor. ft is true that they, would save the coal used on the trip to and from M ellington, but against that they would lose the back freight from Wellington. The Anchor Company gives it as its opinion that lightering by a number ol scows, or better still, a proper system of barges, is the only feasible method, and it thought that every effort should be made by the district to effect this saving. In no sense did the company desire to secure freight on the carriage of the fruit to Wellington if this cost could be saved to the district, but it desired to make it quite clear that its steamers, with the exception of the Koi, which could be used as a tug, were quite unsuitable for the purpose. To, lighter efficiently more than one hold of the ship should be worked simultaneously. Barges or scows would have to be used to lighter other produce at the same time. The whole matter requires immediate consideration. The Fruitgrowers’ Council having undertaken to arrange all these shipping matters itself has a task great magnitude before it. A deputation is in Wellington to-day looking into matters. If they can get the shipping companies to lighter, may we stress the great urgency of immediate preparation.