SHIPPING DELAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27570, 12 December 1950, Page 6

SHIPPING DELAYS

’ Fruit For South Island TOO LATE FOR CHRISTMAS PA WELLINGTON, Dec. 11. The Minister of Marketing, Mr Holyoake, said today that rumours of delayed arrivals of oranges and bananas in the South Island were unfortunately correct. Shipments which were arranged to arrive in tiifte for the Christmas trade had been held up and would not come to hand before the end of the month. The unavoidable delays had been caused by strikes in Australia and bad weather on the New Zealand coast interfering with the despatch of vessels to the loading ports. One example, the Minister said, was an ordinary cargo steamer which was scheduled to make a special trip from Fiji direct to Lyttelton with 12,000 cases of bananas, but rough weather oostponed its departure from New Zealand, and it was now necessary to land the shipment at Auckland to ensure its being discharged before the holidays. Another vessel with about 8000 cases of bananas for Lyttelton direct is also late, but will land her fruit towards the end of the month. Large quantities of Australian oranges will arrive at southern ports between the holidays and early in the new year.