STORAGE OF CHEESE

Taranaki Daily News, 26 May 1933, Page 9

STORAGE OF CHEESE

CHARGES AT WELLINGTON. REDUCTION BEING MADE. The existing by-law relating to cool storage charges on transhipment cheese was repealed at Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board. The chairman, Mr. C. J. B. Norwood, said it was proposed to amend the charges in regard to cheese. Mr. C. H. Chapman, M.P., quoted returns showing the concessions given to users of the port since 1925 and asked whether the treatment of the staff was as generous as it might be. During recent years the staff had suffered very considerable reductions of salary, and so far as a large portion of the staff was concerned, overtime payments had been withheld. The chairman, intervening, called Mr. Chapman to order. Mr. A. Fletcher said that nobody in New Zealand treated its staff as generously as the Wellington Harbour Board. Mr. Norwood then called Mr. Fletcher to order. Mr. T. R. Barrer characterised Mr. Chapman’s statement as “most ex parte.” Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., said he did not like to oppose the concession, as it was the duty of the Harbour Board to assist exporters in every possible way. Mr. Norwood explained the -by-law was a managerial charge. For some part of the year the cool stores were not in use, and this measure was merely an attempt to bring them into use all the year round. If the store was only used for the minimum period, it followed that they had to operate it at a loss.

The board had not seen its way to make any reduction in the cost of cold storage ex ship and for the period of a fortnight, but if the board could be of some convenience to the community by offering storage of cheese for longer periods, it would have to be stored at something less than the cost of 4s 6d per ton per fortnight. Otherwise the beard would not get the business, and someone else would. The charge might meant a better return rather than a smaller return.