CUSTOMS ACCOMMODATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22295, 22 June 1934, Page 12

CUSTOMS ACCOMMODATION

DEPUTATION TO HARBOUR BOARD. ' - BETTER CONDITIONS URGED With a request that a central office, with an examining shed attached, be provided for examining officers of the Customs Department, a deputation representing the Otago Importers and Shippers' Association and the Master Carriers and Customhouse Agents' Association, waited on the Otago Harbour Board last evening, the spokesmen being Messrs J. C. H. Somerville awl L. T. Rqimtree; Mr Somerville said that at present there was a staff of 10 examining officers attached to the local Customs, distributed as follows:-r-Two at the Victoria wharf, two at the cross wharf, two at the railway B import shed, one at the Post Office for parcel post work, and one at the Custom House itself, while the remaining two had been drawn from the wharf td attend to the work of the sales tax, this latter fact alone having aggravated what had for years been a difficult situation. In addition ,to these 10 officers there was a supervising inspector whose duty/was to visit the various stations and check the work of his officers, and answer queried that might be given him by the examining officers. ,"*."" In face of the above arrangements, it was contended that centralisation would result in more uniform working by the whole staff of examining officers, from lire fact of their all being together. This would result-in putting the work through more expeditiously, and consignees would receive an earlier return of documents, of which they \ might be badly in need. Delays in regard to the holding of documents'.and delays in making examinations would Also be obviated owing to the inspector being also on the premises. The delay arising while the inspector was in the course of'his necessary duty in calling over documents with his officers and attending to ..queries, which at present caused vexatious delays, would be obviated, as other officers present on the spot wonld be able to carry on, and there would be an enormous, saving in the inspector's time, as 'it would not be necessary for him to call at four somewhat widely-separated stations, namely, B shed, cross wharf and Victoria wharf, and Custom House. Examinations could be done in any of the sheds,, and this necessitated an officer from" whatever office had taken the entry attending at the examination, so that others waiting with entries could be attended to until such examination was finished. \

Finally, by having a special shed for the examination of cases .attached to the central office the risk, of the pillage of a case after it had been once: opened for examination would be lessened, as the shed, being much smaller .than an ordinary wharf shed, could be -more easily supervised, and only those. having actual work in the shed would be permitted to enter. Anyone could wander \ through . a wharf shed at present. ." \ In support of these contentions, Mr Somenville said .that it might jbe added that evidence.of the, advantage.'bf a central office and shed was given \by vMr Anderson, late collector of Customs in Dunedin, that a decided improvement in Customs work took place when the'system was adopted in Christchurch. \ '\

Mr Rountree referrred to the "poor lighting facilities in the Customs-offices on the cross and Victoria wharves, and toother defects in the buildings. The noise of unloading was a serious factor, and he said that it was- impossible to carry on a telephone conversation while trucking was going on in the shed on the Victoria wharf, while the; desks oil the cross wharf were subject to exactly the same vibration. Considering the im-, portant work these, men were-doing, he maintained that they should not be called on to work under those conditions. Did the board realise :that in 12 months over £600,000 was collected by way of Customs duties on imports over the wharf? Another, matter he referred to was the lack of privacy in the present offices, and from the counter it was possible to sight documents on at least four examining officers' desks,, so ■ that anyone.; seeking: information would have;little difficulty in.securing it* Se suggested that ife possible the present P shed shouldsbe utilised.. . < .The deputation then withdraw, and.the chairman. (Mr H. C; Campbell) said that every remark was perfectly true, and the conditions .under- which the examining officers carried on their work were,, to say the least,, very-bad indeed.; Unfortunately the office on the Victoria wharf had been .broken into on one* occasion, and he himself had lost-some samples. The Customs Department could not be held responsible. Mr J. Loudon said that it might be possible to partition off about 25 feet of P shed and make it secure.

It was left to the chairman, the secretary, and the engineer to submit • a report to the board. Mr P. Jones. M.P., askedif the board would also take into. consideration the question of accommodation for waterside workers for the , call of labour. He thought'it should be possible: to use part of the shed to give shelter to the men during the winter months. It was decided that that question should also be dealt with in the report.