THE OTAGO BAR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 940, 11 May 1883, Page 2

THE OTAGO BAR.

j ■Sf vesierday’s meeting of tfie Otago Harbor Board a letter from; the manager of the Hew Zealand Shipping Company," dated 7th inst, waa readjaaaddressed to tjie Harbor-master to thp saßot that the ■Oompany intended -despatching the 8.8. Fenatanton from Port . Ohadmera Thuraclay : (yesterday), -and, .that trays thought that the Harbor Boardqslmajld have a tug in attendance to assist in gating. the vesaelover the bar. They. ctSed oil the Board to proyide a fjig. f this the Secretary had replied, according, r , j to instructions, that the Bdard jrpjud:.., gladlv supply a tug: on the but on ho .other. _On the Bth inst., a i; telegram was received from. Mr Isaac (jibbs. Secretary to the Oompany, asking to what depth of water it would bo safe tb load the Fenstantpn. To this a'reply -Was sent that the Board understood that the ship was loaded to a depth of 20ft Sinrand waatohave sailed that dayr ", ;■ ■I The Chairman (Mr Fish, M.H.R.) said f he thought there was something unique- ' about these letters. He was not aware -- that it was the Board’s place to Supply / tjigs free to any, vessel that harbor, unh?fis.under special ciroum-;..; stances. The cpfflinumcationaabbmed toja suggest the -idea that the; Oompany were prepared to do.anything'intheir discredit the. port of Otago.-and make Lyttelton'the', chief' port bl departure for their vessels,; and with this view they difficulties 4 .-PSHBHSL a . cbuld. He thought that it would do more” good if the Chamber stead of passing idiotic resolutions gardingthe Board, looked after a'matter; 1 off " this sori, r and 1 ascertained- : whethed some other shipping oompany would not take up the trade of the, port' if the New Zealand Shipping Company would ,nof da ,- so; ’ It was well ktibwn that the riinto, which belongs 1 to another company, • • passed out of the Otago i safety, though* drawing # foot i mon»i the Fenstanton. g. '■«;! .ioaijii -J J* -> ! -vvil Mr Paterson thoughty thei Xasiruwn’s remarks were. quite, correct. : connected with the New Shqpbmjg Company's ( ;doihga seemed J dfe«giiba■ tjirbw mud at the Otago jhbrbor; Ibtfei-and telegiam were only futraw stances of . their haying a ding at.ifc There was no doubt that' therewere plenty of other companies which wbuld ,be; glad to of the port, and qf this sort : bf thing the meibantile immunity should look out for such a com- . pany. / f. Mr Barnes agreed with a good deal that had been said, but was not quite sure that it was politic to refuse this request- They might give the company the use of the _ tug Tor the bare cost of the coal and_ ■ The Chairman pointed out that it 'WW tpolate to do anything, as the Fenatantbh was to sail that afternoon.

■ Mr Ramsay agreed that. the New land Shipping Company had a right to prq-1 tect their own property, but not at tha Board’s expense. The.company's letter ,- add telegram had evidently been sent for a purpose, and that not for the interests of this place.- /. ■ ;• ■ ; ] ' The matter then dropped.'