HARBOUR BOARD MATTERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20710, 7 May 1929, Page 7

HARBOUR BOARD MATTERS.

TO THB EDITOB. Sib, —It was about two years ago that we, as directors of the Co-operative Dairy Company of Otago, were endeavouring to get a reduction in charges for storage, etc., at the Otatro Cool Stores, and seemed on the point of succeeding when we were informed that such a reduction seemed further off than ever, as the cool stores (the grading store for Otago) had lost about £3OO of storage revenue through the Southland Federation removing all its patronage to Bluff. Inquiry elicited the fact that, owing to the cool stores (situated within a stone’s throw of the Victoria wharf) not being connected by rail with any wharf or any railway system, all dairy produce had to be carted in and out at a cost, if I remember rightly, of not less than Cs Gd or 7s 6d per ton. Very good. Southland went elsewfu.. ■, and our cool store lost, as I have said, roughly, £3OO per ...mum in revenue. Curiosity having been aroused, a couple of us decided to investigate, and strolled do'* ji to the wharf; and this is what we found: The only rail . connection with wharves is to the Birch street wharf, and I am credibly informed that no big Australian or Horae boat discharges cargo there, only coal boats and some minor cargo boats. Result: All cargo arriving from Australia, such as hydro-electric poles, hardwood timber, telegraph poles, fencing wire, and sometimes heavy electric machinery, and thousands of tons of other cargo, has to be man bandied over the wharf on to carts and lorries, and a big proportion of it carted on to trucks and consigned to various destinations throughout the country. The added expense of all this extra handling can easily be imagined. What 1 want to know is, why is the most important wharf not connected with any railway system? When I ask people who know, or ought to know, they just give a knov, ’ .g sort of smile, and sometimes a wink, and reply, “ Oh, don’t.ask me! ” As a son of one of the pioneers of the province, I deplore the fact that thousands of tons of freight are being lost to the port of Dunedin and gravitating to Bluff, and the personal fact that I' have to pay; extra for manure, fencing wire, hardwood timber, and, in fact, everything because of the disabilities I have mentioned. ‘I want to know, you know,”and if elected to the board I will endeavour to find' out. The rails, are laid on the Victoria wharf, but not connected ux with any railway system, so evidently, the board's “ intentions, are guid.” . It's ssan old_ saying that the way to hell is paved with good intentions.—l am, etc., John Christie. Warepa, May 4.