The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-20
HERS SAYS DOCK FEE
WOULD HARM PORT


/ charges last November.
! At the present time. the Whining
! ton mort makes no charges to sihp's
owners. but does charge the shipper
/ for starage and handling OF the
cargo to ships tackle from which
point the cargo is loaded by a
stevedoring company engaged by
the ships owners.
i In commenting on the local pic
| ture. HERS said ships coming in
to the Wilmington port to pick
I'D cargo are not using the facilities
of the terminal warehouses, but
/ are using the docks for loading
only. The charge is not proper and
/ does not exist at Norfolk with whom
we are in competition. -
4 Wilmington has but one general
/ cargo warehouse and dock which
/ can be used for storing Of general
cargo and which can be used by
individual shippers and general
steamship lines.
| A dockage charge, if placed by
the owners of the docks, would not
remit to the civic or port authorities
but would be collected by the
/ owner of the dock or facilities.
No Regulatory Powers
j Hers continued by saying neither
1 the Port commission, which is
non-regulatory body, or any state
or federal regulatory body, has the
right to say if these charges are
proper or to pass on the legality
of such charge, but he added:
i ut is felt the assessment Of any
such charges will have the effect
of causing steamship operators to
try and get North Carolina tonnage
Il through a Virginia port, for in
stance. where this assessment is
not made against ships
i During the Savannah meeting,
according to HERS, Maurer remark
ed that steamship companies are
not concerned with the charges.
Il Heads of at least two steamship
companies, who use the local port
and other South Atlantic Ports,
have informed local sources how
ever, that if such charges are put
into effect it will make it unattrac-
tive for them to use the Whining
ton port.
HERS amplified his declaration
against the dockage charge saying,
Certain dockage charges have
been instituted and put into effect
by at least one of the terminal
operators at Jacksonville. This is
no indication, however, he said,
that it is a just and reasonable
charge and that it should be made
applicable to ships calling at Will
mington. There are enough OBJ
stacles to the local port now without
having more added"
~ Jacksonville Rates
Taking the Jacksonville rate for
an example which on ship of TO-
900 gross tons would be approx
mately 500 per day for the first
ten days tied at the dock and $50
a day for the next II days the ap-
plication Of such a charge would
increase, to considerable degree,
the cost to a ships owner using the
| dock.
A recent check of some Of the
ports along the coast show Nor
folk not contemplating any
charges. Other ports showed:
Tampa, Fla.-Neither port in
terests or officials considering the
charge.
Miami and Port Everglades
Have nominal fee of one cent per
day per foot of the vessel.
Jacksonville, Charleston and Will
mington-Discussed such a charge
at a meeting Of interests of those
ports in Charleston last October
about two weeks before the Jack
sonville charge was put into effect.
HERS, who was appointed chair
man of a committee to bring about
resumption of coastwise shipping
service will meet with Washington
officials of the Interstate Com.
merce commission Jan. %, and
with members of his committee will
hold series Of conferences with
heads of steamship companies and
officials of the War Shipping adj
ministration.
The work Of the committee.
HERS explained will be to gain
more steamships for South Atlantic
service than are now provided for
under the government operated
plan, thereby resulting in restora-
ton of those services that were in
effect before the war began.
Government operated service
does not provide for any expan-
sion,' he said. But on the con-
trary, has given only a greatly
curtailed service under what was
in effect prior to the war.
''It is the hopue of the port rep
resentatives going to Washington,
'cHiers continued, that steamship
officials and representatives of
coast-wise and inter-coastal lines
can be induced to operate their
own ships as soon as the govern
ment releases them and provide
many more bottoms in each service 4
than are now being given under |
the War Shipping administration
operating plan.''
uRrDYHAY NnnYrrvy