The Port Problem.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16164, 19 March 1918, Page 6

The Port Problem.

Ono of those discissions of which the public has grown rather tired took phice at yesterday's meeting of the Harbour Eoard. Tho chairman, in tho course of his addross, referred to the report recently made by the Board's Enginoor 011 alternativo schemes to improve tho port as the outlet for . Canterbury's trade, and ho made some general observations, which inspired the advocates of tho Canal to urge their scheme once more. Dt. Thacker may have givon to the port problem more thought than ho is accustomed to give to the many public topics ho persists in discussjngj but we doubt it. Ho ought to know, however, that the idea

is not feasible, and the Board ought to treat the canal proposal as one that it is waste of time to discuss. It is not tho business of tho Harbour Board to concern itself with fancifid schemes for the establishment of a canal and port somewhere near Linwood; its business; is to attend to those matters which are under its control at Lytfclton, to see that tho port is improved to meet tho necessities of commerce, and to assist towards improving the means of transit between the port and tho city. It is because the Board has failed to concentrate upon one practical scheme, that the cardinal defects of the present situation have Ceen allowed to remain, and until the Board makes a definito decision, and refuses to be turned aside from its course by agitators for a canal or other unpractical proposals, nothing is likely to bo accomplished. Yesterday's discussion, ■we are awaro, was only preliminary to a future consideration of tho Engineer's report, but it was not a very helpful preliminary. The public will expect tho Board to come to some decision once for all, and coase wasting time by giving any serious attention to canal advocates, or to advocates of any but tho selected scheme. There is now in Cantorbury, since the Arthur's Pass Tunnel agitation commenced, a spirit jof energy and firm purposo strong enough to help along any sound scheme for making tho Christchurch-Lyttelton train connexion and tho terminal railway improvements that are necessary to the progress of the port arid tho

city. That scheme is indicated cloarly enough in the Engineer's report—the duplication of the tnnnol. and tho improved layout of the Lyttolton railway yard, and the improvements at Christchurch as proposed in Mr Hiley's report of August, 1914. This is the most obvious and natural solution of the present difficulties, and it is much moro like'y to ho effected, if the Board sots its mind upon it, than any of the other schemes which, some people have advocated for various reasons unconnected .with considerations of what is really host for Lyttolton and Christchurch and Canterbury generally.