HARBOUR BOARD MATTERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20743, 14 June 1929, Page 7

HARBOUR BOARD MATTERS.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib— I notice that Mr Christie returns to this subject, but I think I can show that his position is not any more happy than when he wrote before. I am not one who seeks publicity in correspondence columns, but I have a duty to our board. In my letter of May 7 I was guarded to avoid " personalities," but I am sorry to see that Mr Christie throws about" some cheap jibes about myself and the secretary. I would like Mr Christie clearly to understand that I look upon his remarks with respect to any executive officer as quite out of place. I am quite able to discuss the matter with him without bringinjr in an officer. As Mr Christie knows, an officer has not the same privilege of replying to criticism as a member of a local body enjoys. It looks like another instance of " a bad case, abuse the other side." Mr Christie goes on to say: " Surely Mr Moller offers an insult to any man's average intelligence .when he details" (particulars in reply to Mr Christie's assertion). But, surely, Sir, "the boot is on the other foot," for did not Mr Christie say in his first letter ". . . no big Australian . . . boat discharges cargo there (Birch street wharf)"? He made a definite assertion, and then when I proved that he had committed an inaccuracy ha turns round and says something about my insulting " intelligence." Why does not Mr Christie "play the man and own up that he was " bowled out" ? " Twisting" gets a public man nowhere! By the way, the Manuka is not a stranger to the Birch street wharf, but this wharf is covered with railway lines, and is not a convenient wharf for passengers "to pass t and from the ship. Other matters referred to in Mr Christie s letter are of small moment, and call for no comment. If Mr Christie is "credibly informed" we must just wait and see how things eventuate. But the " thousands of tons of freight being lost" cannot be passed over in Mr Christie's flippant style. I threw out a challenge, p.nd now he gets down to " 500 to 1000 (p bia; margin in so small a quantity) tons oi fertilisers," and says "the same applies in a lesser degree to fencing wire and other material." Mr Christie's mere assertion does not prove his case. Now, a* a matter of cold fact, during the past six the average fertiliser basic slag trade of the port has been 10,564 tons per year, Our trade for last year was 11,272 tons, or an increase of 708 tons over the average. These figures do not improve Mr Christie's " thousands of tone of loss." Mr Christie refers to the Kelso and Tapanui Dairy Companies railing their products to Bluff, but Mr Christie knows, surely, that in consequence of the cool stores at the Bluff being taken over by the Co-operative Society, all the factories in the Southland district became shareholders, and naturally thev cmisian tn ,1 n> Bluff. Further, does Mr Christie not know that this has been going on -nu-c 1025, and doe R lie not know that the total output of these two factories last year was under 150 tons?

With respect to hemp from Milton and Kaitangata, we are at a loss to know why this is sent to the Bluff, as the chargee to Port Chalmers (grading port) are less than to Bluff. Mr Christie does not refer to tow but with respect to it 1 may say that our charges are more than they are through Bluff, but the By-laws Committee is now waiting to recommend to the board a reduction in dues which wi'l bring the charges below those through Bluff. Be this as it may. we still cannot get up to Mr Christie’s “ thousands of tons of loss,” 1 for during the past nine years the. average tonnage shipped at oar port was COO tons, CO6 tons being shipped last year. I think 1 have shown that Mr Christie is not too careful about his figures. I think 1 ought to remind Mr Christie that, to give him and his farmer friends the benefit of a first-class port, a liability of over £1,000,000 has been incurred, widen entails the payme i yf over £50,000 a year in interest. This money has to be found I think it can be proved that Mr Christie’s assertion of “ iniquitous delays ” and '* clumsy man handling ” are inaccurate, but I leave him to the Waterside Workers’ Society and the Union Steam Ship Company and other shipowners.—l am.

etc., _ H. E. Moli.er Dunedin. June 13.