PENALISING BRITISH TRADE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 215, 11 October 1929, Page 7

PENALISING BRITISH TRADE.

"IMPORTER."

(To the Editor).

Sir, — The Wairuna has come and gene. She has herthed at the Breakvater and has landed^ several thousands oi' tons of cargo. Mr Higgins says 29(10 tons— Mr J11II says 2300 tons. Wliat does it inatter ? The fact reniains that she landed this cargo from West America ports and in consequence saved consignees Jiere a sum in the region of £1500. which would have heen paid in lighterage had the vessel gone to the roadstead. These facts are only too well known to local tradere. Actually tliousands of pounds are being paid in lighterage charges that could he saved i.f vessels from the Homeland herthed, like tlie Wairuna and others, at the Breakwater. The Wairlma's visit is only an illustration of many that could he given showing how unsatisfactorily harbour airangemelits at Napier are ac-ting against the interests of British tra.ders. I ara an importer. Ti I buy British goods the vessels that briug -the.se goods to Hawke's Bay will' only anchor in tlie l'oadstead. In consequence my goods have to he lighfcered and for this privilege I have tq pay a varying amount from 10'- to 15/per ton on my cargo from the ship's §ide to tlie port. I make 110 complaint ahout the lighterage people. They are providing a service and, costly tliough it may he to the cbnsignce, may not, for all T knoiv, even compensate the owners for their enterprise. Now, I find mvself in this position : Although I am 100 per cent British T ani forced to purchase American goods. Why? For this reason : By buying American goods I can get them landed at .the Breakwater and thus eseape these hghterage eharges of from 10/- to lo'per ton. . Mr Jull makes a great point hy stating that/ all West Americti. boats clo herth at the Breakwater. "But no vessel with West America cargo- goes to the roadstead. It is landed at tlie Breakwater," he says. Undoubtedly so, but what does it matter where the boat comes from _ If West America boats like the Wairuna with a 12,000 ton_ cargo capacity herth, why do not similar vessels from Englisli ports also herth aud save all this expense in lighterage? I am surprised that the chairman of the Harbour Board should have so _ little "to say in encouragement of British trade. It does not matter where a vessel comes from, it is what happens after her arrival that matters. So far as we consignees are concetned itTis a case of roadstead and 10/- to 15/- per ton lighterage eharges, or on the other lialid, Breakwater and 110 lighterage eharges. As I said iii a previous letter to your joUrnal, it is litterly useless British travellers waiting upon nie hoping to get orders wlien their goods are subject to these lighterage eharges. American travellers can get their goods in throiigh the Breakwater without lighterage eharges. Why not British? What is the reason for this state of affairs? To my niind it is a wicked position. It is acting against the interests of the British mamifaeturer, and the sooner tlie whole situation is' investigated the better it will be for all tlio.se wlio seek to foster British trade in our midst. As to the decision of the over seas shipping companies that no bills of lading will he issued in futnre from tlie United Kingdom to Napier, but only to the Hawke's Bay anchorage, this, also, must play right into ihe hands of the American manufacturers. — T am, etc..

lNapier, Uct. 10, 1929.