ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 793, 19 November 1853, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editbr of the New-Zealander.

Sin, —As I know you take an interest in the question discussed in the following Letter, I have forwarded it for insertion in to-morrow’s paper. —Yours, &c. W. P.

TO THE MERCHANTS, SHIP-AGENTS, AND TRADERS OF AUCKLAND.

Gentlemen, — f address you on the subject now b•fore the Provincial Council, as to which is the best line of road to further the right direction of the trade with the Mnnukau, through Onehunga. I make no apology, because I think your interests at stake are far too great to he treated in the light manner that some of you have done by Petition. The question of the line of road has been taken up as one of (iistance“only—not as it ought to have been, one of general benefit to the intimate unity of the double port, and which I now intend to show. I do not deny that the distance by the old line is the shortest to water —hut I maintain it is the least beneficial to the ultimate end of a double port, because its benefit is confined to one extremity, and to monopoly of one Public Inn, and one general Store, Whilst the stores at the East end of the sandy leach, and the centre of the beach road are more nuraerrui, and the greater portion of the landing done at the East end. 2ndly, That the whole of the Village of over 200 houses, have to draw all their traffic! through this beach road from George’s to Queen Street, and that such bench road must be done with metal yifarther the old one be done or not, and therefore cannot be included as a continuation of Queen Street. Neither is the distance from George’s to Auckland by Kelly’s stores, lessened by the old line more than one third of a mile, while the cutting of the hill together with the distant drawing of metil, would make hut little difference in expense, at the same time the Queen Street line is the great trunk road lo Mangarei by the ferry at Geddis’s point; and the nearest line of communication with St. John’s College, Panmure, and Olahubu roads.

I must here observe that the old line was done when the other line was private property, and the advantage of uniting tlio wet dock of Onehunga with Auckland* as 1 shall presently show, not considered. 'Hie old line from its steepness has sometimes been unused by tbs New Leith Inn Stores, although fiom having stable, connected therewith, not only have they been able to strengthen their own teams for rising the hill, but to afford similar assistance to those using their stores. And although the necessity of cutting down is positive with a view of preventing the due appreciation of the other line it is now proposed to metal only, leaving the cutting and remetalling to another period. It is next intended, if this monopoly succeed, to make an offset past Mr. Ormshy’s house to the private lands of Mr. Marl’s Pali, and then to be cut along the face of the hill to a bluff on Mr. Hill’s property, which it is said will carry them to such deep water that, trading vessels may come to a wharf to unload, and thus this line will be filled with warehouses to the injury of the almost

natural wet dock at Geddis basin. Another instance of Self, Sewell. Self Co., on the false principle much in vogue lately, that benefiting myself is benefilt’ng the colony, in li-u of its reversion of benefit to the colony is more general benefit to private parties. But admitting that deep water for that purpose is o hr reached there will they be able to keep any number of vessels afloat in strong Sou’-westers and low water. I think not, exposed as they would be to a rough swell. But it appears that at present the water is equally deep off Geddis point, as most traders go up there in preference, and lay afloat at all times of tide. So much for the stream anchorage. Now, Queen Street is laid exactly over the line of road used as far hack as 1& 17. Whenever the load was too heavy to rise the hill, and since Mr. Constable built his stores at the ftist end, none of those stores have ever used die old line of road. Governor Grev, who has as far a seeing eye as any of us, saw the ad -an'age of Geddis’s hasin-a-and laid the main trunk road of Queen Street to that point as certain to become the first wet dock in New Zealand, all along tills road metal is lying, but for the old line it will have to he drawn at least one and a-half mile.

Now, Gentlemen, many of you have bought lots on the beach line of road, and near the basin, no doubt, in the certain knowledge thatsuch would speedily, by continuing steadily in the direction towards the most momentous objects, be the best means of uniting the interests of Auckland with the opening of the Rianukau harbour, by at the earliest possible period forming this wet dock to be available ior traders (Vo-n foreign parts in order that instead of laying at Karangahapi or Waiuku, they may come directly to Onehunga, and so preserve the superiority of Auckland—Onehunga being to be in my opinion, under right management, the Liverpool portion of Auckland, and as the tide rises here thirteen and n-half feet, with six feet water in the channel at low water olf Onehunga, the forming the pier heads and gates, and by navigators deepening to similar depth; a channel cut along one side of the basin would give wharfage to as many as the trade would engage for some years to come. When tin's is done the Rlanukau trade will he established beyond all chance of dividence from Auckland, and the trifling making of any other road will have a tendency to delay and divert the consummation of this most desirable end. And you surety would not swamp such prospects for the mere end of preserving the monopoly to one or two private properties.

Hu purposed to have a steam lug in the Manukau, that | cover would be available when not wanted to pilot, or tug vessels in or out, to be employed in deepening the wash opto Fa rburn’s, and by the very short cut through to 'he Tamaki river, with the aid at most of only two gates for locks would equalize the tidal waters, and vessels of 20 or even 25 feel would readily pass from one sea to the other, the driver at point Hugland making a temporary stopping place if needed to take the tide to and from Auckland, by this means the wholo of Onehunga would bo available for wet and dry docks. And Auckland would become the Gulden Horn of the South seas.

Since commencing this letter. I find there exists in some quarters a crotchet for the canal by way of the Whaou, which of course would increase the value of those private properties; there is however, besides the greater expense, this fact that ihe rise of tide in Waitema ato only Uto 10 feet. Onehunga Id to 14 feet, and from the roughness of the Auckland water or some other cause, the lUoa went la ely to Kawau to heave out or repair copper, an advantage also possessed hv Bay of Islands over Auckland, that vessels can at any time heave out afloat or alongside natural wharfs, and an advantage which Onehujiga would also possess over Auckland,

Novv the bringing the traders hy the Manukau through the Waou ccnal to Auckland would disconnect the athnnages of Onehunga and the ultimate result of minor ducks being established along the Waou line, would gradually cause Auckland to creep from her present site to the contiguity' of the shipping, and Auckland property would fail in value. But Governor Hobson looked also upon the site of Auckland with a soldier’s eye, and considered that if it crept up to the position of the Waou it would be circumscribed to the one harbour only, and being in a corner could by the lau ling of a foreign force at the Tamaki be invested and entirely cut off from any resources ; but by keeping united by the narrowest isthmus with Onehunga, the river Tamaki would afford a higher lido inter-communi-cation and no force could he brought sufficient to blockade both harbours, and at the same time to cut off the communication of Auckland with the interior resources. The next point is the encouraging steam coinmunica ion and it needs no more than this simple fact that in the same distance you can obtain (and at less expense) a greatei depth of water communication at the same time further the great object most oeneficial to mutual interests. If you now throw away a few hundred pounds from the main objects of the general good to advance tbo interests of private monopoly, you may expect the famous at Papakura and Waiuku, o r.seand divert from Auckland all the trade of the interior and Southern districts with other countries. And should a tram-road he made to Hill’s Bluff, it will go the more gentle acclivi y of Donovan’s to Epsom race-course near Rogers’s and from the wet dock at Geddcs’s Point by Qirneu-street to Dr, Mahon’s, thence through Henry and Macky’s paddock joimmr the Epsom road at the same point ; in one case you advance private monopoly ns a temporary expedient and in the other the greatest amount of public and lastiimbenefit to the colony at large, and the Ci:y oi Auckland in particular. I am, &ic. W m. Puwni icm. Kpsom, Nov. 18, 1853.