IMPORTERS MUST PREVENT DELAY IN PORT CARGO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18406, 7 March 1928, Page 9

IMPORTERS MUST PREVENT DELAY IN PORT CARGO.

BOARD CHAIRMAN SAYS INVOICES ARE LATE FROM ENGLAND. That congestion of cargo at Lyttelton could be avoided by importers arranging for earlier receipt of invoices from England, was a statement made by the chairman of the Harbour Board (Mr R. Galbraith) this morning. He said that congestion affected the reputation of the port, and was a factor working against shipments by direct steamer from London and Liverpool. In presenting his report, Mr Galbraith said that the matter did not strictly concern the board in its detail,

but did concern the board as the port authority which had frequently been criticised in the matter of its relationship to the transport facilities between the port and Christchurch, and delays which occurred between the arrival of a vessel at the port and the delivery of goods to the consignee, because it accepted the position of its wharves being worked by the Railway Department, which was really the transport agency. In such criticisms the reputation of the port was assailed and suffered. Members would no doubt have read in recent issues of a newspaper articles referring to the delayed delivery of cargo ex the s.s. Port Caroline, which arrived at Lyttelton direct from London on January 11 and left for Dunedin on January 14. Strong complaints were then levelled against the Customs Department and the Railway Department for their methods, mainly because of the alleged delay in obtaining delivery of cargo from the railway sheds after its arrival from Lyttelton.

“ Criticism Broadcast.” "All this criticism,” continued the chairman, "is broadcast through the Dominion and elsewhere, and naturally the reputation of the port of Lyttelton suffers, and the facts would seem at first sight to show that importers are actually at a disadvantage in receiving goods from Home by direct steamer to Lyttelton. “ I have therefore made some further inquiry into the particular case of the Port Caroline shipment, and I find that, apparently, the Railway Department and the Customs Department were working at a disadvantage inasmuch as the steamer arrived at Lyttelton about ten days ahead of the shipping documents for the cargo. That is to say, the bills of lading, invoices, etc., evidently left England by a mail very much later than the Port Caroline, with consequent congestion and delay at the railway sheds.

“ This seems to me to be a matter where, for the sake of the reputation of the port, the importers might combine with the Chamber of Commerce and endeavour to get over an obvious disability which exists, not here, but in England. "It should be possible, surely, for the importer in Canterbury to arrange with the shipper in England, when forwarding goods by direct steamer to Lyttelton, that the consignee shall not have to wiat for a period up to ten days for his bills of lading and invoices. There are occasions when, through tightness of money and other reasons, it may not suit an importer to lift his draft and shipping documents from the bank, and when it may suit him to allow his goods to lie at the sheds. Unfortunately, this practice will always tend to aggravate congestion at cargo sheds anywhere. “ Taking a Risk.* " I have said elsewhere that the function of the Harbour Board is to provide sufficient depth of water for all vessels trading to its port, sufficient berthage accommodation for such vessels desiring to use the port, and sufficient cargo handling appliances expeditiously to load and unload the ships. As an earnest of its desire to render the best services, the board has undertaken the latter at Lyttelton, although it does not work the wharves.

" I am therefore taking the risk of the board being told to mind its own business in bringing this matter forward, but I feel sure that the importers and other interests concerned are sufficiently keen on the welfare of the port to cooperate in taking steps to remove what seems on the face of it to be a factor working against shipments by direct steamer from London and Liverpool, whereas we should do all in our power to encourage direct steamers. No amount of cargo sheds, whether at Lyttelton or Christchurch, will expedite delivery of cargo to the consignee if he is not in possession of the documents necessary to the passing of Customs entries and the clearing of his goods. The remedy seems to lie in the hands of importers themselves by closer attention to their interests when their buyers or themselves are arranging shipment from England.” Pointing the Remedy. Mr H. Holland, M.P., said that in his thirty years’ experience he had never had any trouble in the delivery of goods when invoices did not arrive. He had paid a deposit to the Customs, and had been able to clear the goods. “ I deprecate the tendency to throw mud and to allege incompetence against the controlling authorities,” continued Mr Holland. "The Customs and the Railway Department have been very obliging indeed.” It was the smaller consignments which made the situation difficult, said Captain Munro. There need be no trouble if consignees obtained a letter of indemnity and then cleared the goods. A member: Consignees leave the goods until they need them. “ Cheap storage,” remarked another member. The report was adopted.