THE DISCHARGING OF VESSELS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 870, 2 November 1888, Page 19

THE DISCHARGING OF VESSELS.

(PEE PRESS ASSOCIATION. Christchurch, October 31. _ At the Harbour Board meeting to-day it was announced that the Board’s income for the month was £3550. The Chairman reported : —“ I Was invited to attend a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last week to discuss tho discharge of English ships, more particularly in reference to the delay to ships discharging at Gladstone pier. I accepted the invitation, and afterward went to Lyttelton with Mr Garstin, the traffic manager, and Mr Bradley, the manager of the Lyttelton department. The system of discharging English ships might be greatly _ improved if the whole cargo was put direct into the shed, but this would entail an additional cost of from 6d to Is per ton, which merchants desire to avoid at the present. The plan of inspecting goods in Auckland the ship’s side leads to delay, as packages that are required for Customs purposes have to be picked out and sent to the shed before the balance oau be forwarded to Christchurch, but it is the cheapest way of treating the cargo. In the case of the Marlborough no unreasonable delay took place, as I find this vessel was discharged in sixteen working days. She might have been discharged in less time had both hatches been worked all the time ; but this course was only adopted ; during two and a half days, the ship’s crew being employed to do the work. Delays of this kind will be lessened year by year by the introduction of cargo steamers to take the place of sailing ships. No complaint is made in regard to the handling of steamers’ cargo, except in the matter of passengers’ luggage. I think the Collector of Customs should be asked to arrange that passengers’ luggage or packages that are in the baggage room should be examined on the deck of the steamer on her arrival, and allowed to pas 3 without having' to go into the shed. This course is adopted iu several of the principal ports in tho world, and would be a great convenience to passengers arriving in the port of LytteltoD. Many merchants are of opinion that goods should be sent direct from the ship to Christchurch for Customs examination, but as this would involve a provision of stores in Christchurch, Ido not think the Government would be likely to entertain the proposal, particularly as they get store in Lyttelton free of rent from the Harbour Board. Delays very often take place in Lyttelton from the neglect of consignees to pass entries immediately on arrival of the ship. The railway authorities have promised to take into consideration the question of giving special facilities to vessels wishing to discharge their cargoes without sorting through the Gladstone sheds. I think if this alternative arrangement is carried out, there will be no difficulty in dealing with the now excessive charge levied upon goods thus dealt with.” It was resolved that the Government should be asked to make arrangements for the luggage of' passengers being examined on the ship’s deck.

In fifty years, if the present rates of in« crease are maintained, France will rank sixth only among European nations. In 150 years she will have sunk almost beneath, consideration in a world of Russians and Germans, Anglo-Saxons and Chinese. The following item, which appears in a Sydney contemporary of a recent date, will be of interest to many of our readers who were acquainted with Mr C. O'Neil, a gentle, man formerly well known in this city : —The design of Mr Charles O’Neil, M.1.C.E., for laying out Redfern Park has been approved and adopted by the municipal authorities. The .plan shows avenues of trees, roads and walks; a central kiosk for a band resting on a raised mound of three tiers, a fountain with artificial lake, a cricket oval, one of the largest in . Sydney; bowling greeD, lawn tennis ground, pavillion, grandstand, &c., &c., the whole arrangement forming what will be one of the most beautiful parks in the colony. The ground cost £60,000. The Mayor (Mr T. M. Williamson) and the aldermen are to be commended for their public spirit of progress. A most amusing farce is daily being enacted on our artistically mismanagedj,lina of railway (says the Manawatu Times), and affords a striking instance of the many reasons why railways can be made not to pay. Every morning and evening at the Palmerston station steam has to be got np on one of the engines, an engine driver and fireman have to be employed, and the services of a guard have to be called into requisition, for the purpose of hauling a train the inconceivable distance of four miles ! Red-tapeism again to the fore ! The whole expense thus incurred might easily he saved by allowing the Company’s engine, instead of stopping at Longburn in the evening, to ran threugh to Palmerston. The inconvenience would be nil, and the gain would be considerable. I