SOUTH ISLAND PORTS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20260, 21 March 1934, Page 2

SOUTH ISLAND PORTS.

Hon A. Shaw’s Reply

Criticised.

The agitation for direct shipping from the United Kingdom to South Island ports has, so far, not made any progress as a result of the representations to the lion Alexander Shaw, chairman and managing director of the Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last week wrote to the Hon Alexander Shaw suggesting that the South Island ports should be made more frequent first ports of call and ports of departure for British overseas vessels. A reply to the representations has been received from Mr Shaw, through the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, stating that anything said on behalf of the chamber must carry great weight, and he knew that all concerned would be most anxious to meet the chamber’s wishes. He had discussed the matter with Mr Turrell, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Compan\', to whom the letter had been handed. Mr Turrell had spoken to Mr Shaw of the severe economic difficulties which stood in the way of doing as the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce desired, but he would be glad to discuss the matter with the chamber at any time. Commenting on the letter, the secretary of the. Wellington chamber (Mr H. Snowdon Fairchild) said that efforts were made to discuss the matter with Mr Shaw, but he referred them to the oversea shipping companies, who had had the matter so often placed before them.