PORT CHARGES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8365, 27 February 1913, Page 3

PORT CHARGES

REMOVALS FROM WHARF TO WHARF. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Turakina was recently removed from one wharf to another to enable her to tranship an 18-ton .boiler. For this the Harbour Board charged the company £22 8s 5d removal charges and £ll tonnage. The company protested, ‘and the wharves and accounts committee remitted the removal charge. At the request of Mr Hildreth, correspondence with the company was read at last night’s meeting of the board. The company pointed out. that it had 'special gear on the Turakina which enabled it to lift out the boiler. Through the inability of the wharf to stand the weight, it was necessary to shift the Turakina to the Railway vharf, which resulted in the removal fee being charged them. This was a case which might certainly be considered as a “convenience to the board,” inasmuch as it was not a “convenience to the ship.” If this charge was enforced it must result in serious consequences in the matter of costs and prejudicially affect the port. The harbourmaster reported that he had notified the company 'before the removal of the vessel that there would bo one fee for two- removals. This charge had always been made in similar cases, and no vessel had been removed from, wharf to wharf free of charge under similar conditions. The chairman said he had given notice in committee for the rescision of the motion, with which he disagreed entirely. The matter should have _ teen reported to the. board, specially in a case where a committee had power to override the by-laws. Mr M. Cohen said the whole.matter bristled with questions, The reason why the wharves committee had dealt with it without reporting its decision to the board was that it felt it was justified in doing so under the by-laws. Mr J. Fitzgerald said this question was entirely fresh to some members of the board, who had heard of it for the first time. The committee should have made some recommendation to the board, so that all the members could become fully conversant with the position. On the chairman’s motion, it was agreed that a recommendation on the matter from the committee should come before the open board at its next meeting.