WHARFAGE DUES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23516, 2 June 1938, Page 12

WHARFAGE DUES

COOK ISLAND ORANGES LANDED WITHOUT PAYMENT AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH. June 1. Said to involve a principle of importance to all harbour boards, the landing of 3769 cases of Cook Island oranges at Lyttelton without payment of wharfage dues, was brought before the notice of the Lyttelton Harbour Board at its meeting today. The secretary (Mr C. H. Clibborn) said that dues were not paid, presumably on the ground that the fruit was “ Government goods,” and therefore free of charge. The goods were unloaded from the steamship Wainui on May 10 and consigned to the Internal Marketing Board.

Mr Clibborn quoted from the Harbour’s Act in which provision is made that no dues shall be payable on “ any goods of, or for, the service of his Majesty in New Zealand, including goods consigned to and the property of the Government of New Zealand, but not including goods supplied by the Government to any person for commercial purposes.” When the present Government instituted the -guaranteed price, Mr Clibborn said, and the marketing arrangements for the export of produce Mr Nash, the Minister of Marketing, told the harbour boards that it was not intended they should lose the wharfage revenue thereby. Wharfage had been paid up to the present on the basis that the Government claimed no title in the goods until they were r.o.b. The fruit in question was an import consigned to a board which might be claimed to be a Government department, and an important principle was thereby at stake.

Mr Clibborn said he had written to the department concerned, but had not yet had a reply. He was informed by a railway officer verbally that the matter was under consideration. It was very important to harbour boards all through New Zealand. The Railways Department was apparently in doubt whether the goods came within the clause he had quoted. Mr E. J. Howard, M.P., suggested that when the chairman and the secretary were in Wellington on other business tf\ey should see Mr Nash. This suggestion was accepted by the chairman (Mr R. T. McMillan), and it was decided also to refer the matter to the Harbours’ Association.