MORE SHED ROOM

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6493, 13 April 1908, Page 7

MORE SHED ROOM

CONGESTION AT WANGANUI' WHARF. MINISTERIAL SUGGESTIONS. The chairman of TTanganui Harbour Board (Mr W. G. Bassett), accompanied by Mr J. B. Murray, one of the members, inteiw jewed the Hon IV. Hall-Jones (Minister for Railways and Public Works) on Saturday morning with the object of scouring an extension of the wharf goods-shod by 200 ft to copo with the heavy and largely increasing traffic. Mr Bassett, reforring to a comparison which the Minister, in some correspiondouco, had mado between Timaru and Wanganui, said the latter was a bar harbour, and could only be used at high water. Therefore the shed was not always in use, while on other occasions it was very much blocked on account of the rush ol traffic. On Friday one steamer brought in FOO tons of. produce from the south, and there were four others also alongside. The shed was chock-a-block, and it was quite distressing to see how tha mon pet into cadi ether’s way. Though the trade of Timaru was in excess of Wanganui’s, the bulk consisted of goods which did net require storage in sheds In Wanganui lost year 41,084 tons of general merchandise were imported, probably 15,000 or 16,000 tons more than Timaru’s imports of the same class of goods. They were spending £IOO,OOO on harbour improvements, and trade was "expected to increase at a greater rate than before, for Wanganui was the natural port to serve the Main Trunk district.

The Minister remarked that he supposed they did about double the business at New Plymouth with a shed 2Toft while that at Wamranui was 280 ft. It struck him that the Wanganui shed was being used as a store, and the penalties for demurrage would have to be more strictly enforced both in regard to trades and sheds. Goods going out by rail were allowed three days in the shocl free, and Your to pass the Customs, but it did _not require so long a time. Ivtr Murray assured Hie Minister that he was in touch with the, wharfusers, and was confident no trouble was caused by their delay. Tho ic gnlations were strictly enforced. In New Plymouth and Timaru the goods shed was a. considerable- distance from the ship and trucks had to bo used. When they arrived in the shed the drays wero : loaded from them. In Wanganui wharf accommodation was limited and there was very little facility for handling goods direct from ship to dray, no submitted that it would bo proportionately cheaper to lengthen tho shed by 200 ft instead of XOOft, as was proposed.

The H’on. W. Hall Jor.cs replied that bis figures indicated a much less volume of business than the speakers had, represented. He would look carefully into the figures quoted, because either the deputation or the de pa’-tment had made a mistake. The regulations in regard to demurrage and storage were extremely liberal, too much so.

Mr Bassett: They are liberal.

Tho Minister; It means that it hampers accommodation. Three days are too long for the country stuff, and if wo can shorten the time for the Customs examination to thirty-six hours, and that for railage to within tnenty-four hours, ynu will have 4000 extra feet of accommodation owing to the greater expedition. He added that he was pleased to see Wanganui, with its great natural advantages, at last tackling harbour improvement, for he knew of no place in the Dominion capable of so mucli development.