PORT OF WANGANUI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19455, 11 October 1926, Page 12

PORT OF WANGANUI.

DIRECT SERVICES DEFENDED. | SAVING IN CHARGES EFFECTED. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] WANGANUI. Saturday. At the Harbour Board meeting last evening the chairman, Mr. A. G. Bignell, referred to statements made at a recent meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board in regard to secondary ports. He said an attempt was made by figures quoted to show that a large amount of money.was being lost by overseas vessels through having to call at secondary ports. Mr. Bignbll characterised the statement as purely propaganda in favour of Wellington and said it was not even fair. For the past 21 months the transhipment of cargo from Wellington to Wanganui meant that the importers of Wanganui had to pay for this coastal trade from Wellington £150,000 in freight and transhipping charges for what, to his mind, was a useless service. Oversea ships in the roadstead at Wanganui took 30,000 tons of direct cargo and direct oversea steamers discharged alongside the wharves about 15,000 tons, which meant a saving in transhipment costs of approximately £32,000. Direct trade to Wanganui therefore meant a saving to the district of approximately £182,000 over a period of 21 months, continued the chairman. He would do his best to encourage direct shipments to Wanganui. No effort would be spared by the board to foster direct overseasi trade. At the present time they were getting large quantities of Australian wheat and flour through Wanganui for distribution to Palmerston North, Hawera and other places.