CONGESTED CARGO SHEDS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21959, 10 May 1941, Page 6

CONGESTED CARGO SHEDS

Goods Arrive Before Documents Customs To Facilitate Delivery (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 9. To ease the congestion in wharf sheds, special provision has been made by the Customs Department to facilitate the delivery of importers’ goods, arriving at New Zealand ports before the documents relating to them. . In a letter to the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand, the Comptroller of Customs, Mr E. D. Good, says: “Where the delivery of goods is authorised on condition that they will be held intact pending the production of the documents necessary to enabe the entry of the goods to be completed, and the importer is prepared to arrange for the goods to be examined by a Customs officer and a complete Inventory made thereof in his presence, Collectors ot Customs may, upon being satisfied that the revenue and any other provisions of the law are safeguarded, authorise the release of the goods upon the condition mentioned.” In April, the Wellington Harbour Board called a conference of representatives of shipping and commercial Interests to discuss ways of relieving the congestion in the wharf sheds. An advisory committee was appointed with Mr A. L. Wall as chairman. To-day Mr WaU said the committee had met twice and thoroughly investigated the causes of the congestion. AU parties—banks, waterside workers and shipping companies—were co-operating to ease the situation, and suggestions would be put before importers about the ways in which they coud assist. “1 am convinced that the solution lies to every taiporter doing everything to his power to find out whether there are any goods beonging to him to the sheds and then, if there are, to get them out,” said Mr Wai. "Merchants must realise that the wharf sheds are not storage sheds.” The action of the Customs Department to waiving the conditions applying to delivery without documents indicated that it was prepared to help, and it would be appreciated by the commercial community In his letter to the Associated Chambers, the ComptroUer of Customs also said: “While every endeavour will be made to meet the convenience ol importers, it is to be understood that the examination of goods can be made only at a time suitable to the department having regard to other duties devolving on officers. It is passible, therefore, that any such examination may require to be made outside ordinary office hours. It will be understood also that the entry of goods must be completed immediately the necessary documents are available. This procedure will be applicable to all ports.