DOUBLE WHARFAGE DUES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18941, 12 February 1925, Page 11

DOUBLE WHARFAGE DUES.

j COMPLAINT AT WHANGAREI. LAN AUCKLAND ARRANGEMENT. [BS TELEGRAPH. —OWN COSE ESPON PENT. ] V,"HANGAREI, Wednesday. For some time past the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce has protested against the practice of the collection of wharfage dues by the Auckland Harbour Board, whereby importers at Whangarei buying f.o.b. have been required to pay Auckland as well as Whangarei harbour dues. Whangarei importers object to the double charge. The reply received from the Auckland Harbour Board to a letter on the. subject was referred to the Whangarei Harbour Board yesterday. The reply stated that in 'reference to the outward wharfage at. Auckland, the export wharfage within the province was collected for the Auckland Board by the Northern Steamship Company, and the shipping firms. This was done at the request and to suit, the convenience of the Wholesale Merchants' Association, the Warehousemen's Association, and the Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants' Association. No tender of wharfage by the shipper at the board's office had been refused. It was added that when asking for the board's approval of the arrangement, the associations concerned stated that, the ba-sis of their quotations, which were "t.0.b., Auckland," would be altered to "ex store and cartage," but this apparently had not been done, in all cases. If the suggestion of the chamber were carried out, tho immediate effect would be an increase in prices, to cover the amount of the board's wharfage. Mr. D. W. Jfwk said that at present importers at Whangarei were paying the dues to both the Auckland and Whangarei Boards. Mr. Finlavson: It is only a dodge by the Auckland associations to put the payment of tho Auckland dues on to the Whangarei people. How long, he asked, would the Auckland people stand it if the same thing were done in regard to wool and coal rates payable to the Whangarei Board upon export. Ori Mr. Jack's motion it was resolved to write to Gisborne and New Plymouth to ascertain whether Auckland Harbour dues were collected from importers at those centres.