HARBOUR ACCOMMODATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 44, 21 February 1905, Page 4

HARBOUR ACCOMMODATION.

The arrival of the San Francisco mail steamer last night was marked by one very instructive little episode. The Sonoma was about seventeen hours late in. leaving San Francisco, but made up time splendidly on the trip, and reached Auckland by seven o'clock yesterday evening. She was scheduled to arrive here on February 20th, but apparently nothing had been done by the Harbour Board to ensure her proper accommodation. The consequence was that the Sonoma could not berth at the wharf till eleven o'clock, and was thus delayed several hours longer than the captain anticipated before she could proceed to Sydney. We need hardly comment at length upon the unfortunate occurrence. When mail boats are running to contract time it is manifestly and urgently important that nothing should be left undone that prudence and foresight can suggest to expedite their arrival ana departure. In our own case, the Harbour Board and its officials must be well aware of the necessity for making the very best of the "Frisco mail service, if wo expect, in the face of determined opposition, to retain the A. and A. contract much longer. It is simply deplorable that negligence of this sort should be allowed to imperil the commercial prospects of the city and the harbour. At

the same time, this incident forms an interesting comment upon the contention of certain members of the Harbour Board that there is no pressing need to increase the deep-water bertbagc at our wharves. Wlien the 'Frisco mail steamer lias to wait for some hours in the stream before proper accommodation can be found for her, it is sureh - time to do something to improve the facilities we offer to ocean-borne traffic. We hope that the experience of the Sonoma will never be repeated here; but it will havu served a very useful end if it helps the Harbour Board and the general public to understand the pressing necessity for extending our harbour works, and appropriating the best part of our deep-water frontage to the needs of deep-sea shipping.