CARRIAGE OF SUGAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21937, 22 October 1934, Page 5

CARRIAGE OF SUGAR

RAILWAY OR STEAMER CONCERN AT NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR BOARD'S ACTION 'j In view of tho expressed intention of tho Railway Department to make an attempt to secure tlio sugar freight trade between Auckland and New-Ply-mouth, tho New Plymouth Harbour Board is proposing to reduce the wharfage charge on sugar landed at New Plymouth to Is per ton. This was done in the form of an amendment to one of the board's by-laws. Thin proposal will come up again for confirmation at a meeting of the board next Saturday. In moving the resolution, the chairman, Mr. C. E. Bellringer, said tho sugar trade was the key to the whole position of the continuance of the particular trade from the north, the quantity of sugar landed at New Plymouth last year being almost 3000 tons. This matter was also concerned with tho Wanganui trade. Mr. Bellringer said it ibad been stated that the Railway Department's new rato had been quoted tentatively, but had not been brought into operation, but they had definite information through the Northern Steamship Company that the rate had been quoted and the company was very concerned about it. Ho understood that the last shipment of sugar had been transported from Auckland to Onehunga by motorlorries at a lower rate than that charged by the Railway Department. It was suggested by Mr. Bellringer that a matter of this kind should be taken up by the Harbour Boards' Association and that a tribunal should be appointed to determine the matter of rates to be charged in such circumstances. Any dispute as to rates on a non-economic basis should be submitted to such tribunal. Mr. E. Maxwell, in seconding the motion, said it was not a case of the board trying to" secure some trade from someone else. In the interests of the port and tho ratepayers, the board must make every endeavour to conserve its legitimate trade, on which an attack was now threatened by others. He emphasised the extraordinary position of one department of the Crovernment coming into conflict with a local body in an attempt to obtain some of its trade. "This board," he said, "has simply got to do something. We are only acting defensively in this matter." Mr. Bellringer said that tlje Railway Department took up the attitude that Taranaki had asked for tljo Main Trunk railway connection and that it was justified in attempting to capture this trade. The proposal was adopted.

UNION COLD STORAGE

LOWER PROFIT FOR 1933 MEAT AND SHIPPING INTEREST The accounts of the Union Cold Storage Company, Limited, England, which has extensive cold storage, meat and shipping interests, show a net profit for 1933 of £820,059, compared with £826,530 earned in the previous year. Gross profits were £23,82? lower at £962,172, but a smaller sum was required to meet mortgage interest. Allowance for depreciation was unchanged at £1125,000. The ordinary dividend is maintained at 10 per cent, and £203,597 is carried forward, against £203,538 brought into the accounts. Union Cold Storage has a paid capital of £12,000,000. It owns the share capita,! in the Blue Star Line, Limited, W. Weddel and Company, Limited, and in a number of meat export companies operating in Australia, Argentina and New Zealand, including Fletchers, Limited. Recently, a merger was announced between Weddel and Company and the Australian meat firm W. Angliss and Company (Aust.) Proprietary, Limited.