The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18,1864. Wanganui Trade

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 68, 18 November 1884, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18,1864. Wanganui Trade

We «re glad to no-Tee from the Herald that Wanganui peotplo mre awakening to the knowledge of their splendid river harbor accomnaodation being utterly neglected. As -usual, instead of blaming tliemselves the odium is attempted to be thrown upon the Wellington people or merchants. We are somewhat at a loss to understand why Wellington shomld be expected to provide good steamers for Wanganui. They might just as well complain of Nelson, or the West Coast, .or the latter have, within tho last nineteen years, received the lion's share of the export trade from WanganuL It is a great mistake to depend on others. A self-reliant policy always pushes on a place. Too much attontion to politics of all kinds and description, and a blind reliance on politicians, has had a very deteirent influence over the trading spirit of Wanganui. More interest _tas been taken in the election of a churchwarden or a school-com-mitteeman than in the commercial welfare of the community. If the time and money which has been wasted in contested elections and other " non-productive works •' had been devoted to ship building, Wanganui would now possess a fleet of steamers which would put the Union S.S, Company in the shade. If Wanganui business men had really desired that better steamer accommodation should have been provided for the traffic between there and Wellington, the Herald would now have no cause to complain. Thc fact is that most of them have been, and are, agents for some miserable kooker or another which any decent rival vessel would put out of the ruuning altogether, thus depriving them of a fe--* miserable shillings in commission. This being the case, it stands to reason that auy movement to raise a company to purchase a first class steamer must fall to the ground if tbe Wanganui business men are expected to supporit en masse. The neglect of goods and passenger traffic which obtains in Wanganui is not only detrimental to the town but to the country districts. If there was regular bi-weekly communication the number of countiy people who would avail themselves of it to visit WeUington on business or pleasure, would be increased a hundred fold. In return, visitors from Wellington would be attracted to Wanganui, where they would learn that this comparatively unknown spot is one of the most beautifully laid out and healthiest towns in the colony, possessing harbor accommodation for hundreds of vessels, and a back country capable of filling them, if the settlers are only allowed reasonable fair play. Wanganui, with the exception perhaps of Nelson, is the most English looking town in the colony. The streets and roads well laid out, on each side of which range private residences and villas, which are surrounded wilh gardens well kept and tended, filled with the rarest and most beautiful shrubs and plants all growing in the most brilliant profusion. A towu well drained, with unrivalled water supply, excellent and well managed gas works, and a foundry capable of turning out machinery suitable for all purposes, and which is at last getting a colonial reputation for good work. We are convinced that if proper representation ofthe inducement the trade offers were made to any of the large steamer companies, that a vessel adapted for tbe trade would be built and put on the line at once, so ihat a trade which is now almost dormant would be awakened into vigorous life and the commercial dullness which is now so apparent in Wangauui would be most effectually removed. But if the people wait until the Wellington dealers move in the matter, things will remain unchanged until the Greek Kalends.