ELECTRIC CRANES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13747, 12 May 1908, Page 3

ELECTRIC CRANES.

Sir.- When addressing tho Chamber of Commerce I estimated tho working and I A' l i V' r '^ ( '" a " of ''lie Wellington cranes am £1500 per annum. : I since find £2500 ia nearer the mark. Naturally thin reduces thc» net revenue to £1000. Air. Wilford, tho chairman of the Wellington Board, stated his cranes were earning grossly £3460 perl annum, arid which may ho reduced it in- ( quired into, tin ho slated ■ that Wellington,; "blows" and when giving your correspond-; ent the news they may have , been; caught: in.a zephyr}, but it is 'apparent £950 perj annum is not what you would call a good return on at) invostm/mt of, say,' £60,000, without allowing anything for 'depreciation: or the cranes becoming obsolete, and I ■'; think subsequent events will prove I am correct.- The Koromiko is now dischargingcoals at the Railway Wharf, .' ami would?, have no difficulty in discharging into a third row of truck*, yet a few members of our Harbour Board who are not practical me a suggest providing boinething that is not required, at the consumers' cost, which is truer philanthropy-, f have asked for permission to give evidence before the Crane Commit* too. P. Virtue. V-. ; >: Sir,-I am very pleased to notice that th«* Harbour Board are beginning to realise that: after all there is something'. in the argu-) . • ments of your various correspondents, aricli that they had better reconsider the whole] question of electric cranes before they com-/ jr.it themselves by ordering tho full numbeH " they previously considered were necessary! to bring the system of unloading vessels! right up to date. The, decision of the com-, mittee of the Chamber of Commerce arrive# at. a very wise resolution in advising the] Harbour Board to "go slow" and I only it few at first, and then it will bo very ; easy to determine whether a further number . are necessary.- There is- no: doubt that th«i Wellington etfafteH are not used as much is was at, first anticipated, and' if. Mr.-Virtue' figures are correct then there is a loss o£s £3000 per annum on the venture, 'in addi-j tioii to which they a re. becoming moro and; more obsolete''every year, and it is only tkj ■ matter of a -few" years and they will liayo, to bo written off. Now, in reference to railways on thoVari-i ous wharves, there is no doubt that the Railway Wharf is required if only for exporting-, frozen meat and butter, but to think of put- . . ting rails down the Queen-street Wharf in absolutely absurd. My first argument against this procedure is': .Suppose the rails were there, ; where would yon consign cargo, to? : '•••.* None of tho stores or warehouses! have pri-. \*ato " sidings, as is thy cane at ' Dunedin,. Cbri&tchurcis/ Timaru, Oamaru, and « Bluff, and from what. I; can see all cargo! /would. have to bo carted in the ordinary way Again, upon discharging any vessel tho cargo as it comes out of tho bold is so mixed r up that it must be sorted in the sheds before. delivery can be given, to even if there were private sidings to every warehouse' the cargo cannot, be discharged info trucks, but must be put through the sheds. Further, .would the Customs authorities allow cargo to I*> removed from the. wharves without examination? I say not, and to do this the shed* must again be resorted to. Now outward cargo is a 'different thing altogether. If Ih* warehouses were connected by private sidings then merchants could consign goods direct to a ship and save cartage, but wr.ulil ! the City Council allow railways to be placed all along Custom, Commerce, and Queen Streets, and have the streets continually blocked with railway waggons? The whole idea is absurd in every way. • L.U'.UK IU'POBTKIt.