DIRECT IMPORTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3434, 27 January 1912, Page 5

DIRECT IMPORTS.

representations by chamber . ,OF COMMERCE. REPLIES FROM SHIPPING COMPANIES. The Gisborne Chamber of 'Commerce recently communicated 'with the large : shipping companies trading between London and New Zealand to ascertain if it were possible to have Gisborne imports landed direct at Gisborne instead of having them transhipped at the main ports in the Dominion. The manager/ of the New Zealand Shipping Company at Napier (Mr. J. Cato) lias replied, stating that the General Manager has sent him the following extract from their London management regarding, direct shipments for Gisborne: —“With reference to the paragraph in your letter from the President of the Chamber of Commerce at Gisborne requesting the direct lines to provide a monthly steamer to ioad at London and call at Gisborne to land cargo, we have now discussed this matter with the Shaw, Savill and Albion Coy and the Tyser line, who have received similar requests from their New Zealand representatives. The points raised by the President of the Chamber of Commerce have been carefully considered, but in the opinion of the lines are not a sufficient justification for their providing a monthly service. The year referred to by the Chamber of Commerce was somewhat exceptional, in that there were sjiecial shipments of pipes and rails which increased the tonnage. But even if that year’s tonnage could be taken as an* average we do not consider on the figures given and particularly in view of the fact that the quantities fluctuate and are not evenly spread over the year—that it is possible for us to meet the wishes of the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce at present.” In conclusion, said Mr Cato,on the occasion of bis next visit to Gisborne he would again go into the matter. Mr J. Sandtmann, secretary in New Zealand for the T.yser line, after acknowledging letters from the Chamber regarding the same matter said that lie had now received a reply form their head office in London. Their Managing Directors informed him that they had consulted the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company and the New Zealand Shipping Company regarding the Chamber’s proposal- that Gisborne be made a port of discharge for cargo from London instead of such cargo being transhipped at main ports as at present. After very careful consideration the regular shipping companies reached the conclusion that the quantity of cargo imported into Gisborne was not at present sufficiently large to warrant them in adding to the already numerous ports of discharge, for inward cargo in New Zealand. There was very great difficulty in arranging stowage satisfactorily owing to the average quantity of cargo being too small to make it possible to set aside any one of the steamer’s compartments for Gisborne, and it has therefore been decided to continue the present method of transhipping Gisborne cargo at the main ports.