THE NORTHERN RIVER STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9461, 4 September 1889, Page 6

THE NORTHERN RIVER STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.

TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, —I wish to caJl the attention of your readers to the high freights charged by this company. I consider it a crying shame that the Northern settlers should be victimised by a. company, which, having possessed itself of the whole trade of the Kaip.ira harbour, takes a moan advantage of the settlers, " sticking on" as much as passible, knowing that they have no other outlet for their traffic, but must of necessity commit it to the company's steamers. One settler here got about7olbs of goods up. The freight on them (merely from Helensville to Matakohc) charged wan 2s 3d. This would amount to about. £3 per ton. Another man ordered two ploughshares, weighing about .">lbs each. They cost in Auckland 2s 6'd, and the freight on them from Auckland 3s 9d. Suppose the steamer had Is 6d of this, that would be £16 per ton, or thereabouts. What could be more ridiculous? The Northern River Steam Navigation Company •u'O driving rapidly to their own destruction. Before the lapse of many years coinpetition will come in in the shape of larger and better steamers with reduced rates; t hen, before you can say " Jack Robinson," the Northern River Steam Navigation Company will be out of the trade. Hoping this will soon come to pass, i am, &c., PKOCiKKSS Tilt: Noutii. Paparoa, August 31, ISS9.