SERIOUS DELAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26416, 21 March 1947, Page 4

SERIOUS DELAYS

GOODS FROM AUSTRALIA TROUBLE ON WATERFRONT ACCUMULATION OF CARGO As a result of the accumulation of over 100,000 tons of cargo on the Sydney waterfront owing to the present strike and its predecessors, importers and manufacturers in Dunedin are greatly perturbed at the unduly long delays experienced in getting both direct and transhipment cargo shipped to the Dominion. An importer who was interviewed by the Daily Times said yesterday that goods which had landed in Sydney in May, 1946, had not reached Dunedin until January last —eight months after unloading at the Australian port. The principal reason for this long delay, he said, was the continual strikes on the Sydney waterfront, which caused a huge accumulation of transhipment and Australian cargo. Large Amounts Involved “It takes a considerable time for cargo to be shipped from the original ports, and further delays occur at transhipment ports, so that in some cases nearly a year elapses from the time merchandise is ordered from New Zealand until it is delivered,” he said. At present his firm. had goods to the value of nearly £20,000 in Australian ports waiting shipment to New Zealand ports. Half of this quantity was to come to Dunedin. “When it is realised that these are the consignments to only one firm, the grand total of goods awaiting shipment must be staggering,” he added. “ It is causing us some headaches and is also giving concern to the bankers.” Before the war, he added, ships such as the Karetu used to call at Dunedin once a month. By 1943 the period between calls had extended to six weeks. Now it was more like three months. More Tonnage Operating A manufacturer said that the slow turn-round of ships, both at New Zealand and Australian ports, had caused the position regarding the supply of raw materials from Australia to become really serious. i “There are as many ships on the Australia-New Zealand run as before the war, and in fact the actual tonnage of vessels is greater, but we are told by shipping officials that the turnround of vessels is resulting in fewer trips than before the war,” he said. “The addition of ships to-the run would, in the opinion of the officials, not help the situation. It would lead only to greater congestion of shipping in ports in New Zealand and Australia, with the probability of an even slower service than to-day,” he added. “ Shipping men believe that the rate of turn-round is even slower in New Zealand ports than it is in the Commonwealth. What appears to be needed to speed up the service is more actual work on the waterfront so that the ships can be turned around faster.”