OLD AND NEW.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20354, 10 March 1928, Page 12

OLD AND NEW.

TO THE EDITOR. Sih, —Mr Moloney’s Recollections and Contrasts, as given in your issue of the bth, are interesting apposite, ai" recoilections go 10 years rurther back, to 1866. and they suggest to rue that for the sake of nearer correct history some amendments should be made. The offices in Crawford street were occupied by the Harbour Steam Company, the forerunner of the Union Steam omp Company. The name was not. altered to Union* till the Northern Steam ship Company had been absorbed. That company had steamers trading to this port before the local company had. No overseas ships discharged cargo from London or Glasgow on tire Jetty street wharf Their cargo was discharged into lighters at Port Chalmers, which unloaded on to tho Jetty street wharf when the weather per nutted, and tarpaulins had to be kept handy to cover cargo when the weather was showery. There were no cargo sheds in those days, most of the Customs duties were charged on the cubic measurement, and it was not easy or pleasant work for Customs clerks to measure goods on wintry days on an exposed jetty, especially if the landing waiter was “ grumpy.” By 1378 most, if not ad, oversea, cargo was* brought from Port Chalmers by rail, which ran from about 1870. The cargo sheds being opposite where the Leviathan Hotel now stands. When the Victoria Channel was available, in 1882, th«i oversea ships were brought to Dunedin and discharged at Rattray street and _ cross wharves, and later on to the Victoria wharf. The first steamer to land and load London cargo at Dunedin was tho s.s. Worcester.—l am, eto.. J.B.S.C.