Wellington Independent TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 1890.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 11 March 1890, Page 2

Wellington Independent TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 1890.

Let us pull Together;- , ! The iibove'is five titl*> of ftn ar^iolo , in the Fvening Pi'esa of the 4tl< in-- 1 stapt. The suggestion is excellent, biif tha proposals are not so. The

I .Writer indulges in the aream of opeuiiig up a large area of "show" country in this province, a"d to obtain th§ support of the Wangauui representatives, suggests the necessity <»f snagging the upper reaches of th.-t riverj u so that the tdiiviist ; might be ab.e to <$..6p dd\Vii the liver t.> Waiigariui oil this i'G..urri journey Vrituout ot or hindrance." The artic c would not be objectionable did it not disclose an inability on the part of the writer to gtasp tally the advantages. the harbour ot Wellington is to that city. We are informed that " Wellington must be the ocean port of the province. Neither Wanganui, nor Foxton, nor Now Plymouth iv their wildest draanas can ever think of controverting that." It is news to us to learn that New Plymouth is in the Wellington province, but as we still doubt the statement, we nan leave that port out of the question. It would be hard to describe what the writer was thinking about, for him to suggest that either -Wanganui or Foxton ever dreamt of being able to rival the W'eHingtffh 'harbour, as there is nothing', even • in the dim future, ta Jiope for an approach anywfras# ne§x to that splendid piece of "watert Imifwhat has that to do with the question of pulling togeth -r to develope the "-show J country of the proviuce ? The article asserts that v our intere. t as the . paean port is to do everything that lien in our hand, or that we can put our; hands to, to do, and than will deve ope the recourcea and add to the prosperity of the whole province. The railway has destroyed the cou'raoiug power 4jf the hariiers that severer! Welling!bQ®.O v Q'P tQe; .^i^Von-'dmg country. Theßiiriutttlu no lori'g'r' is an effective wall oil one sicJe nor Pailoikftriki. on the oth«i'." AU t.bis depreciation ofjthe cuutra,i position occupied by W.olliugtpn owi'icy to it harbour, ia made with the ido i of influencing the country representatives to vot" money at the n xi session of parliament to dps t) up a inoofroad lead ing tc Trtupo, so that a fow tourists per year may go v a Wellington,, by the Manawatu railway, instead of by Napier, and the coach road. Why we should pull together with Wellington, to depreciate the port, which to the who'e district has been of more service than the Company's line," is harl to understand. To the districts of Palnierston, Woodvil'e, and Fielding, the port of Foxton represents the difference that is made from the usual rates in carriage by the railway company to Longbn-n. Every- storekeeper and trader is fu'ly alive that the railway company charge for the convey 'nee of goods to Otala, on'v fifty miles from Wellington, much more thin they clmrce to Longburu,,.. eighty miles from Wellington. Why "?- bpf-anse of the advantage" the port ' of Foxton is to the district. Water carriage is cheaper than land camag , and except for expedition, the s«a Horn 1 * freights are far sheaper still. W e are not. dreaming ot an opposi • on port- jo We'lington, but w-* oinnot understand We lington papers ignor,in°* -t^o value .of these small ports to the city. -We have during this twelvemonth witnessed the very large increase of shipping at Wellington owing ..to the deve'npemont of flax dressing in this district, and the lai'gest pat*t of.t he dressed fibre }ms been sent by sea to We lington. That route was selected becnuse.it was the cheapest, and Wellington would have lost a very good portion of the business had it not been for the port of Foxton, for without cheap freights, a v«ry large portion of the flax fields would not have been worked, and the millers would have gone further north, and their producs would have gone to Auckland. We recognise the company's line as a luxury, which we trust will pay if worked on legitimate lines, but we feel confident that both this district aild. Wellington would find their trade impeeded, if the natural competitors of the railway, the steamers, were withdrawn. We desire most emphatically to protest against the dissemhution of ideas that now a railways runs along" the coast, the smaller, ports .are useless, and for J such a suggestion, even, to be made isfttihe <Chief Tnaritfane centre of the colony -seems most odd. The fleet of small steamers plying into all the small rivers and bays ot the coast both north and south of Cook's Straits have do -ie more for the prosperity of Wellington than nearly any > other sipgle work, and Wellington would be a curious port were it depended on its railways and the direct steam service alone. As there seems to bo a feeling to pull together, would it not be wise, during the proposed action to obtain funds to open the, interior, that efforts should be made to improve the outlets at these ports which are such important feeders to the capital. We want no groat sums spent in harbour enlargements, but if ifc is deemed advisable to spend money in snagging the shallow reaches' of the upper Wanganui to let tourists drop down that river it wou'd be more advisable to suag the lower reaches ot the Manawatu, to enable steamers to travel • with greater ease, and carry the produce of those whom you have with yon always, and by so dJng lessen the cost of marketing, and increase the output. Though this lust action Would not be so poetical as the first, it would be ten times more useful

aud pratical, and its benefits wouii bo poured into Wellington in a far tnorft •"•--'• '• -' — - k*' increased * — „< tnugniw BHO.JJOJ vj daily tvdda. that the scattering of a few pounds, tha causal holiday makers might cause: Let us pull together for the devt^op'injent of the district for. the true benefit of tHose. whd are residing in it.