VICTORIA WHARF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22397, 19 October 1934, Page 13

VICTORIA WHARF

; RAILWAY CONNECTION APPEAL FOR REDUCED CHARGES ; DEPUTATION TO RAILWAYS' ;board . .. The charge .of 2s -fidper ■ ton - freight proposed by the Railways Board'in' respect of the haulage of goods'to, the'railway connection' with . Victoria wharf was the subject of discussion by.Va deputation from the Otago Harbour Board and local shippers which • waited oh . the Railways Board .yesterday morning. The deputation asked that, the charge, ‘which was described a» prohibitive,' be ' revised to place Dunedin- on the same'-footing; as other centres in .this respect. The board promised to consider the matter. The members of the. Railways Board present were:-—Mr-,H. H. Sterline (oh a man), Sir-James Gunson./Mr G. >V. Reid, and manager oPrailwaysVfMr H); Casey) was also present. / ' , / ... > .. . The/deputatioa comprikedi the chairman of the Harbour -Board ' (Mr H. CampbeUL Messrs J. Loiidoni Hi.; E.'.'Moller, RijiS; Thompson, J. B. 'Waters, ;<J;; RentdniE./Rajjisay, and &--H.-.;DiincaD.-'r periejj&di by hhdvth'e/’bpard in tha|(affloidin&_,'qf .Baid’ that all Wes Otago shoul'ds'be other • ’ports (in'.-the PiJfehiixficiß,- such as Aucklaiid,’;.Jlytteltdn, 'and ?Wellington, * ,in the matter board shouldered all the responsibility for; the. connection itself, and requiredj; only vthat trucks-should be delivered to; its..marshalling '.‘yird'' at a "reasonable' rate., The people, of Dunedin insisted on as much shipping «■' possible coming .Tight up to their d^ors,.but without a reasonable arrangement with 'respect to Victoria wharf it was impossible- for the .board to supply that demand. ; It"'was not unreasonable for them to.object to the payment of 7s 9d per ton on goods, landed at Rott:--Chalmers. ■% « , • Mr said 'the Harbour Board was concerned with, operating the port a» cheaply as possible.--Otago, was an expensive ■ port,, and they wanted charges brought ' down- a* low as possible. The charge of 2s ~6d per ton -for; railage.to Vietoria- .yjharf . wag -practically, a prohibitive Tate' as far as shippers were concerned.'- In ; making' representations was''merely Asking that the' Port of Otago be placed bn.’the same; footing, as.; other ports, which paid Is 5d per ton for, extra mileage.;.. v * , '■ Mr Sterlihgl-If .conditions ;at Dunedin : were/Tthq - Idm6 ■ '.as; in other -f ; ports the thing < *6uld.be' easy, ; ', v 'v. ’.' ' ' ■ . Mr; :;.AII : the; Railways Depart,td: truckir/to''the ''.board's i marshailing {yard. We Vjll.do the: rest; - T .r' ; - r.%." • Mr - Sterling: ,-Ybu > thin£ v -2s' •6d- a - ton for of '. the into classes an'df -H ; in the; railway ,C^'Mf^t^ling':^'T^iVfl''jußtttEe:. trouble. Our-''elaßs';E;rate-!iß,so;lownpwtha.t-it carinot' staVd^ny' 'reduction.'' The./R4%,. ways Board ■/has'ite /own’- troubles, hud we have, to look after ;them.’. -j ;-. Mr :Waters:', ,What about; theOamaru breakwater? ' ' V v .;vTV-T:-, ; IfMf’ jSterlirigty Qamartf .is. sTrelaf-iyely easy■ :port :ito: pperjitg.- i //, .*■ 5, ■■■■ A- , MrTDoudon: VC6uld.fyo* tell ’.us ;; wh.at tfi«Xi^iaf r 'wsiatfibiißip4fee. 'ifi Dunedin - -T. , ; d<> not-like :‘tlie .pTpppsition injP'pojnC of: view.; ~;iWc • do ndt;!want to J difficulties' in ..-,the matter.v , , - MS'^Moller--said - that the Harbour Board* a long way .to meet the und .it - was. mow onlv fair-that tbeif; request to be placed an the- sajne footing as other J fpoitsiphould be considered. "The b'oardv.would' do all the shunting on tlie'> r faatf if. the/departnient would simply’ take, thejtrneks-.toj it* IP- the " board t gofe rs-, bd ?per - .ton for all. thp:-. hauling - of, thatidsind - which it did all' oyer New Zealand it would'be on a great iwick'et. VHe;, wohid dike; members of .’the .beard to Jook.af .it from .-the point bf . view of. a £35i000 Vharf, held up by railway "edmimissi^nbc^^hoH-liyould not'faciHtate a.. conhection:;at' a reasonable chatge.'; '-ri .--.'T: , I - Sir St|rjingi; : pf c(mrße," : ,it different. propomtjqh ypn.;;aEe,. ; putting up now. •;. r ■ •: * S ■ ■Mr Moller:: a big lump-in making, the connection;. |nd, T appeal tb =tbe .Railways RogfdX not,, to block ns now.- 1 a. . The'fPhaitmßnyaeid that ,the.; Harbour goods-by rail.. ’ ■ .Mr R; Thbmpson/said tb'at the Harbour Board. was considering, the placing of cranes on the;Gfeorge'-street wharf' at : Port Chalmers,-to assist in the‘ discharge of vessels there. If .this . work were to be carried; ;«qt it would be necessary. to haveirTtbe VhiJs shifted, and-they .Psiked that;fli'e ■Rsiiltvays Board shoUld ! 'bear- J .the expense, of shifting ;them. ’. . ’ In answer-to a? questiohßy Mr Sterling, the secretary,, of -the board (Mr'Renton) said that there was nothing in the agreement regardifigYth'e VGhorge street ■ wharf which , related to the point raisedby Mr Thompson. >. FLAT RATE SUGGESTED. ' Mr X Thompson, said ' that. the Harbour Board.'was, particularly' anxious to i help the-primary producers in Otago to reduce their transport costs. They had two load-ing-points, and the Harbour ; Board roquested a" flat rate to', be charged" from all- country that was, for goods coming 'in ; froin the south to Dunedin and also 'from the north/ to Port Ciialmers. - Mr Sterling: You realise we have no revebue/tb’give'away? Mr Thompson replied .that there was ■ a flat charge; in -other ports in the Domitiion- ■ Sir SterHngr Not. all ports are the same as in.Otago.. - , y';. A- DRASTIC REMEDY. ' ■ Mr Thompson said that ,at Port Chalmers there- was; a severe congestion .during;, the "export • season.;.' He ■ mentioned that officers of the Railways Department who-had been' ,deputed to inspect the various ports had visited Port Chalmers last'year,-and had seen , the position for themselves. - Mr Thompson said he'would' suggest' that the Eaiiways' Board should consider the removal of the station at Port Chalmers to ' Mussel Bay.' _ This would,give moro'room'for-marshalling the trucks,/and. help* to. relieve (the congestion, and assist particularly in the; handling of coal • from, the> dump. Mr Sterling: Make the passenger terminus at Mussel Bay? Do you think the' Port Chalmer* passengers would stand that? V- ;. ; ■; ■ "■ . Mr Thompson said he was putting forward the suggestion in the interests of Otago-as a. whole. ;It was;a matter of: great importance -to the Harbour ;Boaid, and-the: Railways Board might therefore consider the suggestion. . /. . Mr Sterling: The remedy in' this .case appears a ; pretty drastic one; It is rather like a. major' operation. ' He asked now the Port. Chalmers {people would/like to have, to walk over the hill - and - come, for- instance, from : Carey s 'Bay to Mussel M r Thompson, said that; the Railways Department was now running Puses from Dunedin to Port Chalmers. , The Haroour Board • was. ; reclaiming • Mussel; Bay, and there.would be plenty of room there for marshalling the trucks. . ■ • . • SHIPPERS’ ‘ REPRESENTATION S Mr K. S. Ramsay referred to the fact that. no charge was made in Auckland for the haulage of goods. _ .. . Mr Sterling said that historical circumstances .had. come- into ; the position taere, and that they had developed. Ihey were railway, ports in the first, place, and there they. were. It might be a different thing if-they could start de novo. - _ .Mr J. H. Duncan said that Birch street wharf would have to be reconstructed, and even when it;was. reconstructed it would be’ only: 1000 feet long. It would be only possible to put two decent sized steamers there, and the' coastal- vessels alone would require the space. They would still be left without an overseas wharf at Dunedin; - The people of Dunedin were ' insisting that vessels coming here- should berth at Dunedin whenever Possible. Difficulties arose every day in securing berthage for overseas steamers, li the Birch' street wharf were demo-

lished —and it soon would- be —-they would be left hanging in_ the air with no connection at Dunedin whatever. A lot of traffic,-said Mr Duncan, was drifting into the country by other means through there being no connection _ between the railway service and the Victoria wharf. All they asked was to be put on an equal footing with other ports. Mr Sterling: There is not much inward loading at Port Chalmers? , Mr Waters: Oh, Yes. , Mr Duncan-said that all the Railways Department: was asked to do was to meet, the haulage position from the Victoria wharf without imposing a prohibitive charge. The department might be . able to handle goods from Pelichet Bay. Mr Sterling, replying ,on behalf -of the board, said he was familiar with the position with respect to the Victoria wharf, and consideration -would be given to. the fact that the present proposition was very different from that originally made. The other matters brought up were new, but thev would all be carefully considered by the'board. He stressed the necessity for thoi-ough-going sympathy and co-opera-tion between the various branches of transport, and said he could assure the deputation that the board was trying to understand their, problems, while at the same time it kept an eye on its owm. The decision of the board would be communicated a s soon as possible. Mr Campbell thanked the board for receiving the deputation.