WHO IS TO BLAME ?

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3332, 26 September 1911, Page 3

WHO IS TO BLAME ?

TROUBLE AT THE TUATEA’S BERTH. HAR-BOR BOARD AGAIN APPROACHES THE SUBJECT. The Gisborne Harbor Beard, in order ta provide for the convenience of the travelling public hoarding and alighting from the Tuatea, recently wrote to the shipping companies interested asking them to appoint men- to assist the wharfinger'in dealing with the luggage. The ageiits for the Hucßdart Parker Co. wrote stating that the sorting of passenger luggage ex their steamers was a matter for the owners-of the tender to deal with. They had thus passed the contents of the Board’s letter on to them. r -

The manager of the local branch of the Union O.S. Company wrote stating that the matter of inward luggage would receive consideration, but he pointed out that since receipt of the Board’s letter the Tiiatea had not occupied the recognised berth. The whole trouble rested on the lack of proper control of the. wharf, over which liis company had no authority whatever. The matter was fully discussed with the chairman, who was quite conversant with the actual situation of affairs. The approaches to the tender wore far from satisfactory, and the condition of the roadway at times was a quagmire. Tills phase of the question required to be .remedied, as tire public were subjected to much unnecessary trouble and inconvenience as a result. His company were quite willing at all times to do what was reasonably possible to work matters smoothly in the interest of those travelling., Mr Wachsmann said that despite the fact that the .matter had been; before the Board on several occasions, there had been nothing done to relieve the congestion. He was down at the wharf on Saturday, and the same state of affairs prevailed. Tire wharfinger was' instructed to keep vehicles away, but they still remained. : ■ Mr Brown endorsed Mr Waclrsmann’s remarks, and said on Sunday there was a long row of vehicles near the Tuatea and they were within 30ft. of the wharf, the distance stipulated in the by-law. It only wanted l ' one restive horse and there' would have been trouble. He did not see the assistant wliar-

finger at tlie launch on Sunday evening. ■The chairman pointed out that owing to timber boats the Tuatea- had been unable to occupy her proper berth. Mr Holden also pointed out that the state of affairs had not improved, and the wharfinger should be asked to carry out the instructions given to him. Mr Lysnar said that the Board were waiting until a proper berth had been provided for the Tuatea. This had not been done, and they were now blaming their servants for the Board s faults. . Mr Holden said that because the berth had not been provided, that did not give carters the right to drive their vehicles up and down the wharf to the danger of pedestrians! . Dr. Collins wanted to know how they could expect the wharfinger t-o carry out the Board’s ideas- if they carried a resolution giving him instructions and then rescinded the same, on the understanding that the Steamship Company would appoint men to attend to the luggage. The wharfinger was to see these men carried out their work, but they had never been appointed. The chairman said that the carriers must be stopped from going down t-o the gangway and blocking it. Cr. Brown said that the mail contractor was one of the worst offenders. He backed his cart down on to the wharf without regard to the passengers at all. The chairman thought that the Postmaster should be written to. The Harbormaster said that the Sergeant of police had received instructions about the matter, but nothing -had been done. Mr W. D. Lysnar had also promised to make a by-law regarding the matter. A member: That would be a good 1 tiling. Tt was decided to instruct the wharfinger to enforce the by-law regarding the cartel's, so that they will not encroach on the wharf.