SORTING ON WHARVES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16902, 29 November 1922, Page 8

SORTING ON WHARVES.

RAILWAYS LOSE IN PRIVY COUNCiL CASfc. iPer Press Association > WAXGAXCI. November 29. Some yeats ago when the Railway Department imposed sorting charges j on goods handled on the wharves con- I trolled by the Department, objection rt-i;s made by local merchants, and a j test action was taken by Hatrick and ! t ompany. The case went through the local , ( ourts with varying success, ami was iinally sent to the .Privy Council. A cablegram v. as received by Hatrick's this morning ironi London, announcing that the company had been 1 successful in it' appeal to the Council. The decision. it is understood, affects all ports where ttic* wharves are controlled by the Railway Depart j “This won't atfec-t Lyttelton o much." said Mr H. J. Mavriuer. chairman of the Railway Committee of the ( harnber of Commerce to-day in re ilßiona. 1 ' ' In explanation ot the position ot < hristchurch importers Mr Marrine; said that goods were taken from th*' steamers right into the trucks, an i unless especially marked for Lyttelton they are railed through to Christchurch. where' the sorting was done In former years, however merchants had some difficulty. They were required to go to Lyttelton to pass their entries. a« Lyttelton the port. TTiis entailed a tremendous loss f time and often meant fruitless j<fur nevs when good-* were not there. The Government was approached to mnk** Christchurch tin- port fir thr* pacing of goods, and a Bill t-> tlii- effect was brought, in. Therefore the difficulty which aro-o in the cast of wharves where the Railwa\ Department was tlie controlling authority had ' been largely overcome at Lyttelton.