WORK ON WHARVES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23859, 9 January 1941, Page 8

WORK ON WHARVES

■HANDLING OF CARGO PROVISION OF MORE GEAR BOARD CHAIRMAN'S ASSURANCE A statement that he had undertaken to recommend to the board the provision of mechanised equipment to facilitate the handling of cargo on the wharves was made yesterday bv the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, Mr. H. Luke. The question of the more expeditious handling of cargo was discussed by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, and harbour and shipping interests on Tuesday. Mr. Luke stated yesterday that the board had 'always been prepared to supply mechanised equipment. Evidence of this was seen in the provision of the cranes, conveyors, elevators and other equipment. Certain special equipment had been provided at very considerable cost but, for reasons which it was not necessary to go into at this juncture, some of this had not been used. Expenditure and Return Referring to' the suggestion that mechanised transport be provided for conveying cargo from slings to (shed, Mr. Luke said it had been the custom for all the small gear such as trucks, barrows and slings to be provided by the shipping companies or stevedores. "Had the board been approached by those people for additional mechanical assistance no doubt this would have been provided." continued Mr. Luke. "It is now suggested that the use of equipment provided by the board, for the purpose of increasing the rate of cargo handling, which in the past has been optional, shall he made obligatory on the persons handling the cargo. "This would justify the hoard in doing what it lias wanted to do for many years but it is obvious that heavy expenditure by the board which brought inadequate return from hire charges would have involved the hoard in increasing its revenue from other sources," Mi . Luke said. He had undertaken to recommend to the board the provision for hiring by the shipping and stevedore companies of such additional mechanical equipment as, by reason of its costs and relatively infrequent use. individual companies could not be expected to provide for their own particular use. Minister's Appreciation Knowing the board's progressive outlook over past years, the chairman felt sure there would be no difficulty in arranging for the additional equipment, it was his and the hoard's desire to co operate to the utmost with the Government at all times and more particularly at. the present time when it was faced with such tremendous difficulties brought about by the war. "When acquainted with the chairman's statement, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, said he was delighted to learn of the board's attitude. It was quite obvious from conditions on the wharves that some action was necessary to expedite the handling of cargo. He felt sure that with co-opera-tion and co-ordination between the hoard and the shipping interests the long-standing weakness in the system would be remedied.