NEW ZEALAND HARBORS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 82, 13 June 1879, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND HARBORS.

Mr 0. C. Bowen, H.H.R. for Kaiapoi, addressed his constituents a few days ago, and in the Canterbury Press, we observe a very full report of his speech; We print in full Wv Bowen's remarks on harbours. T'.ioy are well worthy of perusal. Kaiapoi, we may explain, is a Email town on the Waimakariri River, about 10 miles from Christohurch. Until the Railway was opened, a considerable trade was* done at it, the goods and produce being lightered from thenco to JLytbelton nud vice versa. Being situated so close to Christohuroh, and there being regular communication . by rail, its shipping interest has naturally become absorbed by the larger port of Lyttelton. The following worb the re* marks made on the subject, and we com' mend taem to the careful and thoughtful consideration of those who decry Foxton simply because it is a port , and who pro* phesy its -final oxtinotion directly through communication by railway is oponed -with Welllin-rton : — Mr Woodford — Will you bring before the Government the necessity which exists for providiug funds by way of endowment for the Wairaakariri Harbor Board ?. have got the Bill and only the Bill. ' Mr Bowon— Mr Woodford has hit upon a very difficult question, i thiuk that, there is a good deal in the Bill, as it has called into existence a body which keeps the matter before the public, and I think all the districts around should be interested in it as .yell as the town. With regard to the question of endowment, Bpoken of by Mr Woodford, I may -say that the Hnrbor Hoard Bill introduced by me shored the fate of the rest, and was what is vnlgnrly called " gutted," the very cherished part of my Bill being struck out. I thiuk it would be perfectly impossible in the present tern, per of the Hou o to expect to get endow* ments. Last session, when 1 introduced my Bill, a regular flood ot Harbor Bills

■poured in on the House. So much' so that the Houso was frightened, a.nd a committee ■was appointed to consider theso Bills. This commi;teo reported against any Harbor Bills, though I endeavoured to get them to consider mine on its merits. There is no doubt of this, that the Government will have to fnco this difficulty yet. It will not do to shut up entrances to ports of the country, and I contend that it is proper that thee should be endowments fo!. 1 these harbors, instead of having nn nnnnal scramble in tho House. I know th:it there are honorable members in that Houso who Jhink— as I believe and hold, wrongly— that harbors compete with the railways. They say, " You should not make railways on the one hand, and subsidise harborson the other which will become the competitors for trade with these railways." I think this is a miserable specimen of protection, because I say that harbors, so far from competing ■with the railways, are on the contrary feed 1 ers to them. I any we should go on developing our harbors, until not a navigable creek was left in the colony undeveloped. By doing so yon will aid in the development of the public works which you are engaged in carrying out. I will advocate the endowment of any harbor which can be entered from the sea.