PORT OF WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 191, 2 May 1918, Page 9

PORT OF WELLINGTON

A SURVEY OF OPERATIONS IMPROVING THE FACILITIES THE RECLAMATION SCHEMES "Wellington as n. t-ity find centre of trade is largely the outcome tf the possibuiciß uttered by our land-lockod harbour, that, while so largo is yet so-se-cure chat it. ha/5 been described as a great wet dock," said tho chairman of tho ilaroour Board (J[r. C. E. Daniel;) ye.uernay. "Its central position'in the Dominion, decides that, if we will, it can be tne distributing centre. On this board is the responsibility of utilising a natural asset for the general good. Thcso who went before.us laid a good foundation, but the alvered conditions call for aptitude and dejision en our part in providing for the 'present und fuluro'neods. Every available berth at our three miles of wharves' and. breastworks r.ro now at jjmes full, and it is to he feared that before the. now Pipitca Wharf, can be finished there w;il be much congestion. Should tho Railway Department and Parliament not give facilities for tho i-eclama-tion at Thornton, then other plans of wharf construction already outlined must bo proceeded with; but the interests of the port and tho Dominion would be best served by the works cutlincd by our ongineor at Thorudon. . - "A central port must have its stores of fuel coal, ami perhaps oil for ships. The plans already:prepared and tho recent decision of the board to send its engineer to Panama, and other large ports to ob3orvo what recent developments suggest, aro evidence tf what the board has in view in this direction. "No doubt when the Queen's Wbjipf and other sheds were built they appeared to be large, and the appliances for handling goods, more than up to date; but the largo cargoes and tho daily increasing value of Iho sjeamships of today have largely altered the conditions. The hydraulic lifting appliances in tho sheds are quite, unsuited to tho new conditions. The waste of room entailed by lorries loading in 'he sheds is very serious, and the whole method is expensive when compared with the newer devices in recently erected stores. Plans have been prepared and already approved, by tho board for altering these buildings and installing electric travelling-cranes at,a cost of .£32,0(10. Thoy wiil be a good investment, and m my judgment will quickly repay the whole cost. 1 have notes of definite instauces of operations where tho differences in 'labour cost (apart from quicker dispatch) is half, and in some cases as is six to ono. The continuation of the war is the ouly possible; reason for delay in this work. ■' "Statesmen urge us t<j mako tho best possiblo uso of our man-power. We ought to heed their words, i.ro we doing so? Thisi board's recont investment in coal-handling appliances '. ; 6 iiot encouraging. A bountiful reward for ''hipowner, trader, and labourer aiika does not* tend to economical effort. The present slow ami expensive. methods, whereby it costs in .labour up to four shillings per ton to handle coal and solna 450 men aro engaged, cannot possibly be defended ' by business men, and tho port must eventually suffer if present practices aro continued. '. , "Recognising that electricity will bo the power of tho future, the board recently purchased a: two-ton tractor as an experiment,.for use.iL and about tho sheds and wharves. The tractor is a rea) success,. doing olliciont. and economical work. An extended use of these vehicles is desirable. 'The cheese,stores, with the cooling equipment, hiis proved to be of notable service, and is now used to the utmost-capacity. Tho. remodelling and extending of -ilervpia Quay, with tho greatly enlarged sheds to bo t-rcetcd on the 1 new work, there, as also, tho store at Taranaki Street Whav.f, 'are items that will have an important bearing on the work of the port. "Without any original endowments of land, the board is steadily developing an asset ;that has .been created by the reclamation works of earlioc years, and the substantial buildings now being erected by tenants should help to jauish pessimism as to Iho future of our port. This part of our work would bo much helped if we could secure tho co-operation of the Railway Department and the city, especially at Te Aro, and the abolition of 'the railway station 'there, whereby the streets of Courtenay Placo could bo extended to tho harbour front. "In war .fork thei board has heartily supported the Government wherever possible, g : ving' free of charge the use of sheds, emitting dues; that might fairly be collected, and ininvesting substantial sums in the Wai Loans. Tn connection with military transport work thero have been occasions when tho ability of executive oilicers, heads of the board's various services, has .been severely tested, and I feel pleasure in-calling-.attention to the efficient work done by. a loyal staff." ''.'. ' ,■;,' ' ' -,- ..: