RICH CARGOES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 956, 28 December 1933, Page 9

RICH CARGOES.

Canterbury’s Wool Goes Overseas. A BUSY LYTTELTON. On Saturday, upwards of 20,000 bales of Canterbury wool—the first big shipment from the South Island—will leave Lyttelton for the United States, Canada, the Continent and Great Britain. Five big overseas vessels are now in port, clearing the wool from the first Christchurch sale. They commenced loading to-day. A railway yard full of waggons, wharves full of overseas and coastal l shipping and great activity on board land alongside the loading vessels gave Lyttelton its first really busy time since the close of the grain export season in September. Between 600 and 800 men were employed on the wharves, and in many cases it was difficult to obtain skilled labour to work winches : or other ship’s equipment. ' This week the pay-sheets for water--1 siders, railwaymen and unemployed will show a pleasant increase, for overtime is the rule. Loading is going on at night under the glare of big lamps. Cosmopolitan. The Benreoch, from Leith, Scotland, arrived in New Zealand waters last week direct from Japan. She has a Chinese crew of 35, while the officers are Scots. She is at present loading about 7000 bales of wool and pelts, to leave Lyttelton on Saturday for Timaru, and then proceed direct to the French port, Dunkirk, and London, via Cape Horn. At an adjacent wharf lies the Hertford, one of the Shaw, Savill and Albion cargo boats, loading 7000 bales of wool and butter and meat. Iler destination is London, Avonmouth, Liverpool and Glasgow. She will take the first big . wool shipment to Great Britain. The Canadian Highlander will leave Lyttelton to-day for Timaru and then proceed direct to the United States with 500 bales of wool and some pelts and tallow, taking the first shipment to America and Canada. She discharged newsprint at Lyttelton. Butter, Meat and Wool. Shaw, Savill and Albion's Karamea, besides loading butter and meafi is taking direct to London with her 5000 bales of wool. She will leave on Saturday, travelling via Panama. The Tainui will carr} r a consignment of 1000 bales. Another 1000 bales is being taken to Wellington by the Holmdale lor transhipment. The Benreoch is under charter to Scales and Co., and is making her first visit to New Zealand waters. Her usual service is between Scotland, China and Japan. At the Shaw, Savill and Albion wool dumping sheds, hundreds of bales were being handled prior to going aboard. A big train of waggons was unloading butter for storage in the Harbour Board’s cool store. Slack Coastal Trade. As a contrast to the bustle and rush of the overseas trade, the coastal vessels are experiencing a very lean time just at present. The Gale, Tees and Foxton are tied up until after the New Year, with the Foxton's future activities indefinite. This slackness is due to the small import trade an dthe consequent lack of transhipment orders. Another example of how the coastal trade is faring was afforded by the Waimari.no to-day. She arrived at Lyttelton at 7.13 this morning, and was away again at 11.3 Q. Watersiders assigned to work her complained bitterly at getting only three hours’ work. Altogether, Lyttelton has been very busy during the past week. Big crowds have come and gone on the interisland service, picnic parties have been passing through the port, there has been much more work offering for the unemployed, and the watersiders and yachtsmen have made the port thtir Mecca.