RACE AGAINST TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21160, 18 April 1932, Page 12

RACE AGAINST TIME.

BUSY SCENES IN PORTS.

FREE TRADE'S LAST MOMENTS

RUSH TO CLEAR GOODS. [from our own correspondent.] LONDON, March 1. Increased activity at docks and wharves in various parts of the country which has been apparent during the greater part of February, culminated yesterday in a substantial entering of cargoes in time to secure their admission before the change in British fiscal policy became effective. A gale has been blowing at sea for the past 'few days and it is calculated that a largo number of vessels timed to arrive before the closing of the customs office yesterday will come under the new tariff regulations. The most remarkable rush to enter goods subject to duty now appears to have been on Merseyside. It is stated that work at the Liverpool docks has been carried on during the last few days "under greater pressure, with the exception of the war years, than can be recalled in living memory." During the week-end 47 vessels arrived in the Mersey as compared with an average for this period of the year of about 20. Arrivals at Manchester docks during the week-end were above the normal and there was considerable discharging at Cardiff and Newport docks of foreign iron and steel bars, glassware, paper and domestic woodware. Between noon on Saturday and 8 a.m. yesterday (Monday) morning 110 ships, including coasting vessels, had passed Cravesend on their way up (ho Thames. The total entries in the ships' report book at customs house, London Bridge, when work ceased at 6 p.m. last evening, was 127. Usually a ship's captain has to enter his manifest and make his declaration in person at the customs house, but for the convenience of shippers and agents this rule was relaxed temporarily yesterday and as soon as a ship was officially reported by telephone to have entered port at Gravescnd agents waiting in the long room at the customs house could have their papers checked and stamped for free clearances.

From 9 a.in. until 3 p.m. the office was besieged by a crowd of between 200 and 300 —10 to 15 times greater than the number usually to be found there. By 3 p.m. the rush was over and the staff began to breathe more freely. At intervals a ship's captain bustled into the room to register tho arrival of his ship, evidently anxious lest he should be late. Captain Hulsebos, of the steamer Maraboe, which arrived at Erith from Rotterdam with 630 tons of wood-pulp, turned up at the customs house wearing slippers, having had no time to change his boots on leaving tho bridgo to go ashore. The captain of a Russian ship, with a cargo of chairs from Odessa, explained that he had been delayed some hours by the force of the galo and had almost despaired of reaching port before tho new duties came into effect. Seven minutes before closing time the last entry was made in tho ship's report book by tho captain of a ship from Antwerp called the Vanquisher.