WEST COAST DIRECT LINE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12868, 2 January 1906, Page 3

WEST COAST DIRECT LINE.

NEW PORTS OF CALL. • It! is authoritatively ' stated, in London that the Federal Ctompany'B. vessels will in future call at Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow. . Considerable chragin is expressed in South Wales at Barry and Cardiff having apparently been passed over; Dealing with the matter, one of the leading Cardiff papers, says: —" It was recently announced that'.thi NSw; .'Zealand direct liners would call . regularly : at Barry to .discharge the cargoes of frozen meat ih-. •tended for consumption .in South n WalecWithin the last day -.'it. has been stated that this'arrangem'ehfchas. been upset, and importers and those-interi ested in the trade are asking the reason why. The rates charged at Barry are as, low as it is possible to make them consistent with leaving any margin at all for profit, but the Bristol Harbour authorities have gone a point lower, and their terms are such that the cold storage will practically have to : be done for nothing.., 'lt is one thing to; - bidl fwrlyvfor &a'ific£ and quite another to .carried to such a ppoint:[.that.; -tie ratepayiera of Bristol may haW-to pay to'make'up' the interest on the capital outlay on the accommodation provided. .".The advantages which Cardiff and, Barry possess as, distributing centres-for'. South Wales, the, West of England., 'and:the Midlands are such that these must one day be recognised as the natural discharging ports. Bristol; however, ■is "de-. terminated to get all she can, an dthe authorities are, apparently; looking forward to the time when they will need trade to fill their new Avonmouth dock. Cut-throat competition, however, is not likely to help them, for if it is carried to the extent touched by the New Zealand business, the ratepayers will find that in addition to pro-, viding for the interest on the outlay on the new works, they are practically paying a bonus- for trade as well. The disadvantage to the South Wales importers and ccynsumersj-also, is serious. -Hot only have they to pay the extra \cost of carriage from Avonmouth, but they-will also find the meat deteriorated in hot weather by the extra handling and the time lost in conveyance from Avon mouth to the point of consumption. This w ill tend to throw the balance of favour , on the side of -the; Jonded- at Calrdiff and placed directly in tliei cold- Stores; until ready for consumption. The fact thati the owners of New Zealand direct steamers will sacrifice the difference in the cost of "bunken coals, fe; another factf pointing- to •the > severe cut- made; by Avonmbuth authorities to secure this trade. - "The; %3- ; vantages which Cardiff, and Barry possess as distributing centres are so'numerousithat space forbids their enumeration. Sy means of the Great Western, the Midland, and the London and to say ! northing of the Barry, Rliymney, and Taff Vale railways, all South Wales is in di-i dect communication, while the Midlands and the western counties of England are as.readily accessible as from. Bristol."