SHIPPERS AND IMPORTERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3713, 12 May 1925, Page 63

SHIPPERS AND IMPORTERS.

meeting of association. SERVICE TO WEST COAST. The usual monthly meeting of the Executive of the Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association was held in the secretary’s office on Tuesday evening. Mr H C. Campbell was in the chair. The Chairman stated that members woifld doubtless have read with a great deal of satisfaction the particulars regarding the improved service trom London to the South Island ports which the new steamer Port Dunedin, owned by the Cunard Line, would inaugurate on her maiden voyage. It was noped that importers would make a special effort to cable Home to their shippers to see that as large a cargo as possible should be shipped in the Port Dunedin, which was to sail from London on or about June 24.

Several members pointed out that some of the names of steamers in the service indicated that they would not, at the present time, be able to discharge at tho Dunedin wharves, but it was hoped that in due course th> companies would be able to arrange their time-tables so that all steamers would be able to discharge their cargoes at Dunedin wharves. It was expected that, within a reasonable time, the new shed now being built at tho Kitchener wharf would have railway connection, and later, now that the north line had been diverted, the Victoria wharf also. This would enable vessels to load as well as discharge at the town wharves. The Collector of Customs (Mr J. M‘lntosh) wrote regarding duty on foreign salt, and it was decided to thank him for the advice. It was pointed out that it was of great value to the association to be advised by the department of any alteration in the tariff.

The secretary read a draft letter to be sent to the shipping companies in London regarding the unsatisfactory condition in which certain classes of cargo have been arriving at ihis port, due presumably to excessive moisture,- in vess'cls arriving via the Panama Canal. This did not occur to anything like the same degree when the vessels came out via the Cape of Good Hope. Tho matter of the West Coast service was again brought forward, the vessel having left 'or West Coast ports on April 15, and the Kahika being tne next—a lapse of 22 days. One firm complained that on March 50 it shipped goods for Greymouth, and pai dthe increased freight for transhipment at Wellington, and yet the goods took ?5 days to arrive at their destination. The secretary was instructed to communicate with the Union Company and to ask if it was its intention to gradually kill Dunedin’s trade with the West Coast, which certainly was being done with the service provided for a considerable time.

Word was received that the Union Company had decided to pay claims for cargo landed in a damaged condition shipped from Australia by the Karetu. Several members spoke regarding the Athenic (now discharging her cargo at Port Chalmers), pointing out that a vessel of this size could not negotiate the Victoria channel. It was hoped that the owners would study the interests of this port by sending vessels which could discharge at Dunedin wharf. One member asked if the shipping companies paid the difference in the cost between landing goods at Port Chalmers and Dunedin. The secretary replied that, provided accounts for the difference (viz., 3s 9d per ton) were sent in (in quadruplicate) to the agents of the vessel within 14 days after the arrival of the vessel, the amount was paid, but t.ie shipping companies did not pay any cranage or sorting charges, which were incurred on a considerable number of lines. Another complaint was that - the Railway Department refused to accept consignment notes from importers for any lines that they might wish to send forward to stations north of Dunedin, thus involving payment of railage from Port Chalmers to Dunedin, and, on the return journey to the north, railage on nine miles from Dunedin to Port Chalmers. It was pointed out that at Lyttelton special provision was made at a reduced rate by the Railway Department for consignments to go direct to the country, even although ihey had to be sorted at Christchurch. One member pointed out that it seemed hardly logical that whilst bills of lading stipulated that the ship’s liability ended ■when the goods were hanging in the ship s slings at Port Chalmers the Railway Department refused to acknowledge holders of bills of lading as owners of any goods landed until fhey reached the railway sheds at Dunedin.