The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1897. THE PORT OF WANGANUI.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 179, 1 February 1897, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1897. THE PORT OF WANGANUI.

The Wanganui Herald has again taken up the Gubject of advantages offered to traders and business men by the Port of Wanganui, and in an article published iv that journal on Friday last asks why Wanganui continues to slumber, while Wellington is so wide awake 1 Our contemporary goes on to say : — Having accomplished so much in the past and kept the port open in the face of so mauy obstructions and so much petty jealousy from Wellington, why should not the people most interested set about providing a properly .equipped steam service 1 ? Like the Herald we have always held strong opinions, and expressed them, on the waste of opportunities on the i part of the Wanganui people. Th/e leading men of that town in all mattet'3 connected with the river, and proposed improvements intended to make it navigable for sea going craft, appear to fca-ve been imbued with a feeling towards each other of contradiction and obstruction, which has frustrated even the best intended efforts, and ended in disaster and monetary loss. Had these men pulled together, as they should have done, their combined action must have accomplished much good, and the river would be in a tar better condition than it is to day. Instead of grumbling at Wellington the Wanganui people should accept fch* veil-meant advice of the Herald, and be up jand doing. There is abundant capital lying unemployed in Wanganui to build three or four steamers suitable fur the Port, and among the business men «ure to be found those capable of organising &nd controlling the service. But immediate action must be taken or the opportunity w£U be lost.