Discharge of Cargo at Port Chalmers.

An occasional scarcity of trucks and the difficulty of dealing with goods intended for transhipment, whether arranged for by through Bill of Lading or sold by Importers in Dunedin for delivery to other ports appear to be the chief causes of delay at the Port, but it must be added that a block in the sheds and wharves at Dunedin will react upon the operations at the Port and further retard the discharge of cargo there. Besides the causes above mentioned it remains to be stated that delay is sometimes incurred by cargo being kept on board to suit the wishes of importers, sometimes also the ships retain a portion of their heavy cargo for the purpose of stiffening.