WHEAT STORAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23226, 21 December 1938, Page 16

WHEAT STORAGE

ISSUE AGAIN EAISED QUESTION OF EMERGENCY mm HARBOUR BOARD'S ATTITUDE SPACE SOUGHT FOR 1300 TONS Whether storage facilities should be granted tho Wheat Committee for grain brought to Auckland was again an issue at a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board yesterday, wlion a telegraphic request was received from the committee to make space available for 1300 tons of wheat which is arriving by the Kauri this week. The opinion was expressed by some members that the situation was sufficient to justify the board's treating tho application as an emergency. The chairman, Mr. W. 13. Darlow, said that, while the board had very clearly stated somo weeks ago that in tho event of a national emergency it would move anything to meet accommodation requirements, he dicL not regard the present position as constituting an emergency, and he did not consider the board should depart from its ordinary procedure. He saw no reason why the Tvheat in this particular case should not be landed under the usual conditions, particularly as the penal demurrage charges would not operate between December 24 and January 2. „ Urgency of Request Mr. Darlow moved that a reply should be sent to the committee stating that the board had space for all goods brought into- tho port, but that goods left in the wharf transit sheds were subject, to demurrage charges. "It seems unlikely that the committee would make a request of this nature unless it was an urgent matter," said Mr. J. Savegh. "There is ample room in tho sheds and .it seems bad business not to take advantage of storing goods when the opportunity offei*>. Moreover, it is well known that there is a shortage of wheat in the Dominion." An Amendment Proposed As an amendment Mr. Sayegh moved that the board should make the storage available in accordance with the committee's request, but Mr. Darlow said this could not be accepted, as the board would then have to rescind a resolution passed two months ago. If the Government was in any way penalised by the hoard's policy it could make its representations. Mr. J. 13. Donald said a more opportune time to consider the question would be in the new year. There was liot sufficient wheat being grown in New Zealand for the use of the people during the next 12 months, and it would be necessary for the Auckland Province to import all its requirements from Australia. Under those conditions he thought the board should do its best to assist, but, as the matter would be raised early next year, he was not raising tho point at tho moment. Shortage of Accommodation In answer to several members, the traffic manager, Mr. W. R. Golden, said there were complaints of difficulty in securing suitable storage in the city, particularly when the goods were in large quantities. At the present season of the year there was no accommodation avaliable in the wool stores. Mr. H. R. Mackenzie: If that is so, this is a case of emergency and we have to see the -committee through. Mr. R. T. Keid agreed that, the Government should be assisted in its roquftst, but Mr. F. H. Clifford said that to grant the application would be to change the policy which the board had fixed some weeks before. The emergency appeared to be one raised by the' holidays rather than by any calamity. , . , The chairman's motion was carried by eight votes to four, Messrs. Reid, Mackenzie, Sayegh and E. J. Phelan dissenting.