INADEQUATE SHIPPING FACILITIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2823, 22 April 1908, Page 89

INADEQUATE SHIPPING FACILITIES.

COMPLAINTS BY MERCHANTS.

AN ACUTE POSITION,

Complaint is general and pronounced ambng practically the whole of the grain and produce merchants of Dunedin concerned at what is characterised as a totally inadequate shipping service to the northern ports of New Zealand. The position is tbat there is at the present time exceptionally heavy demands from the North Island for produce of almost all descriptions, and, while the northern people are clamouring- for their stocks, the local people are placed m euch a position as to be altogether unable to forward supplies tbat have been ordered, for the simple reason that the shipping facilities offering •re entirely inadequate. Such is the state of affairs as explained to one of our reporters by several produce firms m the city. " As matters now stand," said one merchant to our reporter, " the position has almost resolved itself into a deadlock. There has been an absolute shortage of available space on the north-going boats for the past three or four weeks, and the position has now reached an acute 6tage. In fact, it is worse than it has been for years past. At the present time we hare about 8000 sacks of chaff and produce awaiting shipment, and we simply cannot get space for it. This applies nofc only to the East Coast ports of call, but to New Plymouth and AVanganui also. And southern ports are almost similarly placed. The. result is that for three weeks past enormous quantities of produce have been left at the wharves untouched waiting to be shipped away. There was no coastal boat laet week, .but the cause of the dissatisfaction does not lie solely there. The present shipping service simply cannot look at what is offering. There is an exceptionally heavy demand from Auckland for chaff, grain, and potatoes* but tbe northern people have to wait indefinitely for their supplies. The Home cargo boats that have been m port will not touch coastal cargo at all. If they did, it would overcome the difficulty m a big measure. In one instance, where space for 18,000 sacks was applied for, accommodation for 1000 sacks was considered a liberal allocation. ThSre is not only an annoying delay, but it, means that storage and railway demurrage charges have to" be met. Natu-rally-we do not care about boing saddled with 2000 or 3000 sacks of grain that liave to be paid for m about 10 days and on wbich we are not able to draw owing to their_ not having been delivered." Another firm approached stated that its experience was that it had only managed to get away 760 sacks of chaff, etc., out of a total of 3000 sacks offered, while of an offering of 1000 sacks for the West Coast only about half was accepted. Again, the firm m question was anxious to send 1200 sacks to Wanganui, but only 400 sacks were got away. The position was that the shipping facilities were not equal to the requirements of the trade. A big- quantity of produce was lying at the wharves, and northern buyers were clamouring for it. .There has, of course, been a greater demand- from northern merchants and farmers this season than there has been for many years. And m this connection the quantity of chaff that bis been consigned from this part of the Dominion to the North Island is exceptionally heavy. Complaint ie made that chaff consignments are excluded m preference to other commodities m the matter of space granted. The freight on chaff . is, of course, lighter than what it is on oats or wheat, while chaff takes up more space. Consequently huge consignments of chaff, arc left m the stores indefinitely. In one instance alone 5000 sacks of chaff are at presnt awaiting- shipment. THREATENED OPPOSITION. A third firm interviewed was likewise pronounced^ m its complaints about what was described as a totally inadequate shipping service. This particular firm was being held up with very large consignments of grain and potatoes. In many cases, it is stated, the shipping company applied to has declined to give more than half the space that has been asked for. Northern buyers are demanding the produce which they have purchased, and the whole thing has resolved itself into a state of abject confusion. What wae wanted was the putting into running of additional boats, not only to cope with the general business, but to take away the produce that has been awaiting shipment for days past. In fact a merchant m the North Island who has been unable to get shipments which should have reached him nearly two weeks ago has already threatened to put a boat into running between northern ports and Dunedin. THE SHIPPING COMPANIES. Inquiry at the offices of the two shipping companies — the Union Steam Ship Company and the HuddartParker Company — m regard to the complaints above stated,' elicited the reply that all that possibly 'oould be done was being done to cope with what was admitted to be an exceptionally heavy trade. Pressure has been felt at other ports than Dunedin, and the whole has meant that space ©n the various boats 'has been very heavily taxed. Every effort was, however, being made to clear out what is now awaiting shipment, and it is anticipated that this week will see everything cleared away. _ The two shipping companies maintain that the grounds for complaint such as produce firms wieb to make apparent do not exiet, and, further, that they aie doing their level best to cope with an abnormally heavy rush, and that m that ■rush they cannot exclude such cargo as forms a regular part of their everyday shipments.