Wanganui Trade

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 63, 24 November 1888, Page 2

Wanganui Trade

Some six or seven years ago when the timber trade was much brisker in this district than it is now, we wrote strongly on the advantages to be derived, not only by us, but by the whole country within fifty or sixty miles, north and south, of the Wanganui river, if the business men living ou its banks were to bestir themselves, and open a trade with New South Wales. Our contemporary, the Herald, was good enough at the time to coniphuieut us on the way in which we handled the subject, and we had some hopes that, with such strong advocacy, backed by the knowledge that every man living in Wanginui should be aware that the progrebs of their port would always be the guage of their individual prosperity, some work in that direction would be done Beyond growliug iv a feeble sort of way, at the absorption by Wellington of what should be Wanganui busi- ; ness, they have dune nothing. They have certainly made a railway to the Heads, but apparently have forgotten altogether that the raison d'etre of that railway was the loading of vessels, outward bouud, with local produce. Some improvements — save the mark — have been attempted on the river banks, and the bar has been tinkered with iv that unfortunate manner, which, although useless and expensive, is not peculiar to " local bodies" of this colony alone. All this may be very well in its way, but the main point has been lost sight of altogether. If any one man, merchant, storekeeper, or owner, in the port, had started running a small sailing craft of from a hundred to two hundred tons, he would have done more good than all the (alleged) public works on the river banks, or at its mouth, put together. He would have started a trade which could sot help increasing each succeeding year, and the golden opportunity, which is now offered by the drought in New South Waleß, would not have been lost. Wanganui business men should shake off that stupor which has paralysed them so long, and do something for themselves. It is a great mistake for people living in what might be made a good port to wait " to be discovered" by some navigator or explorer. They should discover themselves. The Wellington people were in thut comatose state for years, certainly, and when their harbor was " discovered" after the seat of Government was removed thence from Auckland, the " old settlers" had to roll up their fishing lines and go home, because the screws of the steamers fouled them. Wellington could not help being prosperous whether the " old settlers" worked in its aid or not. Wanganui is different. The people may be equally fond of dolcefar niente and fishing, but their circumstances are different in many ways unnecessary to point out. In place of a trade coming to them, whether they would or not, as was the case with Wellington, Wanganui men have only themselves to rely on. The one thing needed is to make them believe it. That there are among them men " with capacity to move empires" we firmly believe, but those are not the kind wanted at this juncture. The v coming man" is he wbo has pluck and nous enough to send a craft over the bar to Sydney laden with cheese, butter, and other local productions. To-day we publish, as a supplement, a very faithful likeness of His .Excellency the Governor elect the Earl of Onslow. With the portrait is a clever and interesting historical sketch of the ancestors of the noble earl, which ought to prove of considerable attraction to those who like to know something about him who in to be "placed in authority over them." In passing, we may be permitted to hint that the advertisements from the Bon Marche\ by J. C Morey & Co , are not unworthy of their distinguished, if temjwrary, connection.