PORT CONGESTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27221, 26 October 1949, Page 8

PORT CONGESTION

NORTHERN CENTRES DUNEDIN CARGOES ACCUMULATING Cargo for Dunedin is accumulating at Wellington because of the congestion of shipping at that port. To relieve this accumulation the coaster Holmlea has been diverted from her normal run on the West Coast to make one trip to Dunedin. As the coaster Holmdale, which is a regular caller at Dunedin, is at present undergoing a survey at Wellington, it was considered all the more necessary to engage some other ship to carry the cargo. A coal-burner, the Holmlea is - expected to arrive at Dunedin on Friday. Ic will be the first time that she has visited this port for more than two years. Ordinarily she is engaged in carrying coal and timber between Wellington, Greymouth and Westport. By the time she returns from Dunedin the Holmdale should be ready to recommission.

Other steps have also been taken to relieve the shipping congestion in the north, where there has been a great influx of, overseas vessels. As the result of one, the overseas freighter Nankin arrived at Dunedin yesterday, direct from Adelaide, several days ahead of schedule. Originally the Nankin was to have made Wellington her first port of call on the New Zealand coast, but it was decided to divert her first to Dunedin. Here she will unload about 300 tons of hemp and general cargo. Another step has been taken by increasing the cargo of freight carcasses to be loaded at Port Chalmers into the freighter Sydney Star for London, which in turn will minimise the cargo to be loaded in the north. The quota has been increased by about a-half to comprise about 150,000 carcasses besides other general cargo. Although the Port of Otago has been free from the congestion, which is troubling northern ports, there is the fear that it might spread to here. The gross tonnage of shipping moored at the Dunedin and Port Chalmers wharves yesterday totalled more than 60,000, which, it is believed, was the greatest tonnage recorded this year. On present indications, this tonnage is likely to be greatly increased within the next three days. Ten ships are expected to arrive in that time, while only half that number will sail. There were nine trading ships in port yesterday—five at Dunedin and four at Port Chalmers—and of these six were large overseas vessels. All had labour but two were only halfmanned. One of them was the City of Calcutta, in which the hatches containing the -damaged linseed cargo only were worked.