SHIPPING FACILITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20171, 4 February 1929, Page 12

SHIPPING FACILITIES.

POLICY OF CONCENTRATION. A RESOLUTION CHALLENGED. Ail offer to debate the question of shipping freights and the concentration of overseas shipping at the main ports with Mr. A. E. Jull, chairman of the Napier Harbour Board, or with Mr. A. G. Bignell, chairman of the Westport Board, or with both combined, or with anyone else in New Zealand, before any body of commercial men or other judges, was made on Saturday by Mr. G. Mitchell, a member of the Wellington Harbour Board.

Mr. Mitchell has consistently championed the policy of concentration, and his challenge was issued because he thought it might be assumed from the debate which took place on the subject at the Harbour Boards' Association conference on Friday that a resolution: "That centralisation of shipping would be wasteful and detrimental to tjie main country, and therefore should not be encouraged or entertained," represented the considered judgment of the delegates. The resolution was moved by Mr. Jull and seconded by Mr. Bignell. "This was far from the case," Mr. Mitchell said. '.'Those of us who have so strenuously advocated a reduction of the appalling national waste which is going on to-day around our coast did not consider the last hour of the conference, with twice as many delegates from the small ports as those from the four main centres, a proper time to consider such an important matter, so they remained silent. In any case, a vote would only divide the main ports against the secondary ones. If this question was debated at each conference it would overshadow all other matters, and consequently prejudice the work uf the conference, if not actually threaten its destruction."

Mr. Mitchell added tiiat the subject would lie discussed by a conference in Wellington shortly, with a view to putting the question mitro plainly before the people.