THE PORT OF HOKITIKA

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 16

THE PORT OF HOKITIKA

A. NEGLECTED SHIPPING CENTRE. A long erowded quayside, with shins from all quarters of tho world, tkrabfe* ba-uked along its staging,' and still marc ships lying out in tho roadstead—suVh , was'Hokitilta in the latter part of tho 'sJKt-ie*. To-day its water frontage stands deserted, awl tlw i»rfc record Jrong ia tho window of the Harbour Board office consists of little iiiore than a chronicle of_ the depth of water on a bar over which no skip sails tor days at a fciifte. Dospito recent .port improve-. ments, shipping shows little inclination to return to tho pert. The Bofcitika people, say it is a cas« of. give n dog a bad name and hang >*• Because tlie bar bar! mme tee good a reputation in tire okl days, eliijxMViaere, tiusy say, kavo practically boycotted the part and take no trouble to acquaint themselves with the conditions existing ta-dny. When the big strike last year blocked the other ports, there was a rush of coastal ship* fiifig to Hokitika, and the port was woriied by those vessels without difficfdty. Immediately conditions Returned to hot- 1 talth_o-coasterscalled n» longer, and the Hokitika'e shipping again reduced jtwlf to tho Jane, a little vessel of ninety odd to-ita, the fcetolt Waltajti, with nioro or less regular visits from tho Defender and the EairaJd, and maybe aft orM lioteb or two, T'lie_ principal stretch <jf farming coasitry 5a Wosfclawl lies •ft.ro»idi Soivitika, airi from tli-cro ewithwai'ds.'- As this land is brought into Aceiipatiou, ;t is contended fta-t the{ortunes of the port must revive. Tlvo Hokitika Harbour Board is tiio oldest on. the W-cst aird camo into existence in 1876: & year or two later Sir John Crwds, the great English <!.ngi.iiEfff, paid his'visit of mspectiou io New Zealand, and drew tip a scliofflo of inspi-oreißcnt woife for Hokitilsa and tlie other West Caast ports. However, Hokitika ivo-s ■in a hurry, and before Sir. John Ooorfc's report camo out bv post ftwti E-nglan-d contracts had been let ill 1878 far the building of piers and tmmi.H-g trails at a «osfc af «vor $, 27.500, It was Hot therefore po-ssi-bfe. to ©arry

out tilts scheme of worins as rocojantcncL cd. by Sir J&hn Ooocte. These included piers tailii partly of worn] ami partly of concrete, training Trails,-and groynes to "i'ix." the beach alaitg the sesi frontago of the town. Sir jolna Ooode escimated tho cost- of Ms ■. soherae at £130,400. ami oousidered that h trould result in a depth of from 10 to 12 feetin. the cJitraucs at low water of spriiic tides.

The original ■ works remaked itiwltered until abottt live tcsts ago, when it was ffceidwi to try the effect of extend.mg thpr jjiei-3 end bringing them togeikef, so as to nawew tile oatnuice from 6SI feet. t0.410 feat. Tho works have now been carried some- 400 fenfc fui-Uior Mairard than designed hv Sit John 'C'oodp, and tli© s-esulc" has "been most •satisfactory. 'I'h© clianßel, it i« stat«f?,.ha.s boon fixed, and tlio depth of v,-ii,ter on the* liar . lias imp-roved. There, is seldojs less ttea' 10 feet in the ■sntritfWG at lifeh water, and with a (pod c-haimol tie tJeptti s-ftns up to 14 foet. Tile )wves.t recorded depth at high water for a bug iimo past is 8 feet. The works ftorn - the csniiiicfieemeiit 1,0 d«o have cost £115,000. Tho board's'late 01-is,mecr. Mi'. " Toogeod, proposetj stiJl farther' to extead " the south wttll, wli-reh." atow drcvlaps ti-ia

north wall considerably, but it Ba-s been | decided to do nothing until the full j effect of the present extension lias been . noted. The watflr latterly has shown a. tendency to leave the wharves, and j Uw board is mow cutting aW&y a bawls j tip tho river .m ordw to' -divert another stream of tho river on to tlio wharf frontage. The Mewit improvement works' have c&st- £30,0*J0, Of this Stuowit £-25,000 was borrowed, and tlw balance canto item, tlw £14,300 accruing to the board after the salo of its cri* dowmonts in order to repay a Government loan soma year* ago- The taard has how about £5000 on hand.,

fhe chairman of tho board is Mr. H. L« Michel, Captain V. E. Najrlor is LarWarmastox, and' Mr. £L Wild is treasurer.