WATERFRONT INDUSTRY'S REPORT ON LOADING AND UNLOADING

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 December 1948, Page 4

WATERFRONT INDUSTRY'S REPORT ON LOADING AND UNLOADING

Average Maintained On Overseas Vessels Except At Auckland

PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Last Night (PA).—‘‘The all-ports average rate of work for loading of overseas vessels has been maintained during the year, but there was a drop in the rate of loading overseas vessels at Auckland,” says the report of the Waterfront Industry Commission for 1947-48, tabled in the House of Representatives today.

‘‘The rate of loading butter at Auckland fell from 780 boxes per gang per hour for 1946-47 to 742 boxes per gang per hour for 194748, while the rate of loading mutton and lamb fell from 768 earcases in 1946-47 to 729 in 1947-48. "The all-ports average rate of discharging overseas vessels increased slightly from 12.15 tons per gang hour in 1946-7 to 12.53 tons per gang hour for 1947-8. This rate cannot be considered satisfactory, and there is plenty of room for improvement. The low rate of discharge, however, is not entirely due to the men, as there are other factors involved, such as congestion of wharf and railway goods sheds, multiplicity of marks, etc. “The all-ports average rate of handling coastwise cargo for 1947-8 was 13.6 tons per gang hour for Union Steamship Co. vessels and 15.94 tons for other coastal vessels, compared with 13.54 tons and 16 tons respectively, fqr the previous year. There has been a falling off in the rate of handling coastwise cargo at Auckland during the last three years, and at Wellington last year. The rate of work at Auckland compares unfavourably with the rates of work on Union Company vessels at other main ports. DUNEDIN’S IMPROVEMENT. “It is gratifying to record a marked improvement in the rate of handling coastwise cargo at Dunedin, where the rate of work on vessels of the Cfiion Steamship Co. increased from 13.3 tons per net gang hour in 1946-7 to 14.75 tons in 1947-8, while the rate for other coastal vessels increased from 15.46 tons to 16.84 tons per net gang hour." The commission’s figures for rates of work are calculated according to the times when loading or unloading operations are actually proceeding. »ie times occupied in removing or replacing hatches, in shunting operations and in weather or other delays are not taken into account “Unfortunately, in Auckland and Wellington and, to a less extent, in Lyttelton, there appears to be a tendency for the times so occupied to increase, with a result that the amount of work done per paid hour is less in proportion to the work done per net hour than formerly," the report says. “During the calendar year 1947 a total of 8,412,000 tons of cargo was handled at New Zealand ports, which was 729,000 tons more than for the previous year.”

The increase in the berthage space anil shed accommodation had been insufticient to meet the large increase in cargo handled, the result has been congestion of wharf sheds and overloading of port facilities and railway services. The Port of Auckland, where the main increase was handled had, in particular, been congested and, apart from delays through major disputes, Shortage of berthing space was a factor in vessels lying idle in the stream. The congestion of wharf and railway goods sheds necessitated reintroduction of cargo control emergency regulations in October, 1947. On a number of occasions at railway ports it was impossible to work overtime on discharging jobs, due to a shortage of wagons. The Railways Department had ordered additional trucks overseas, and as they came to hand the position would improve. BIGGER CARGOES CARRIED. “Overseas vessels are carrying greater inward cargoes and full export cargoes, and there is a greater tonnage handled for each trip than before the war," continued the report. “Telescoping of meat has resulted in the saving of freezer space of about 30 per cent, and this has had the effect of greater tonnages of freezer cargo being shipped in each While coastal vessels were taking much longer to turn round today they were all handling full cargoes an/, compared with 1939, there was a 50 per cent, increase in the average tonnage handled per round trip. This, however, was insufficient to offset the additional time taken in the turn round. The report says the multiplicity of marks of cargo discharged is a major cause of shed congestion, The commission had taken steps to deal with this as far as potato shipments were concerned, and the Chamber of Commerce had been asked to reduce the number of marks of standard packages. DISPUTES. Discussing disputes which occurred during the year, the report says the percentage of man hours lost through disputes involving stoppages was 1.78 compared with 2.64 per cent, for the previous year. The average of man hours lost during commission control from 1941-8 was .95 compared with .80 per cent, for the four years before commission control. Of a total of 221,038 man hours lost during 1947-8, 212,780 man hours were lost at Auckland.