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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4124, 9 June 1874, Page 2

The by-law of the Council of the Borough of Wanganui, relating to wharf management, which wo published as a supplement on Saturday, might be studied with advantage by the Town Council of Wellington, and then copied. That the capital City of the Colony should go to Wanganui for an example how business relating to its own internal affairs and matters of the highest importance affecting its trade and prosperity should be managed, is somewhat humiliating ; but the truth must be told, even if City magnates suffer. The Council of Wanganui will not have the wharf cumbered with goods from day to day and from week to week, as is the case at Wellington. If owners or consignees do not remove their property, the wharfinger is empowered, after it has had twenty-four hours’ grace, to store it at 5 p.m., and charge for the storage. Common sense, one woidd suppose, would teach that such a regulation is not only desirable, but necessary, and if so at Wanganui how much more at Wellington ? All that wo are able to see the Council has to pride itself upon is that it has the worst harbor regulations that are to bo found at any British port in any piart of the globe. Something has been said about making 'the City a Federal one, and, really, the mismanagement of the wdiarf furnishes an argument for a change of government of some kind. Wo have here General, Provincial, and Municipal Government, and the wharf question is allowed to slide from day to day, as if it were a question of no moment. Possibly when the wharf was constructed it was large enough for the trade of those days, and even for any that it seemed likely there might bo for many years to come. Now, it is totally inadequate to accommodate the “ships in port, and it is, moreover, absurdly narrow and inconvenient. This is bad enough in itself, but still worse when added to by virtue of those regulations —or rather want of regulations permitting it to be lumbered up by heavy goods remaining on it for weeks and weeks. The traffic is impeded by these, and sometimes, wo might say, obstructed. There is a constant stream of persons passing up and down the wharf to and from the steamers and other vessels, all on urgent business we may conclude, for no one would ever think of going there for pleasure. Drays passing up and down have to dodge about the goods for a place that is wide enough to allow them to be taken on their respective ways, and the foot passengers only escape being run over or squeezed between passing carriages by the exercise of the greatest circumspection. It is not safe for children, and yet they are compelled to use it. This is the very opposite to what ought to bo. A wharf, in summer time especially, is usually the chosen resort of a large portion of the population. On the Wellington wharf every one who is not there on business is in the way of people that are. Further, some of the regulations are absurdly loose, and others equally absurdly stringent. In fact, some of the regulations appear to have been drafted for the purpose of preventing persons coming to the port. The passenger who has to run about from one office to another to give a description of his little personal luggage, and then to pay wharfage duties upon it, is reminded of travelling on the Continent years ago, when his passport had to be always ready for examination. Not being accustomed to such nonsense at other ports ho naturally asks whether the intention is to prevent people coming to Wellington, and if so, why the authorities do not take the more direct stop of notifying publicly that they intend to annoy, inconvenience, and fine persons who will be so foolish as to come. If we add to this, that shipowners and masters grumble at their vessels being detained so long in port, wo shall only say what might bo reasonably expected. It is not necessary to talk of quickness of despatch when •there is really none at all. “ They are very slow here ” is the burden of the song of many a shipmaster. We are very much afraid that we might as well whistle jigs to milestones as expect the Council to take action whilst the present Mayor is in office. It ought to bo his pride, as it is his duty, to see that reforms are initiated, but he appears to be under the impression that ho is intended to bo simply a King Log. Other Mayors in other towns have been able to look back upon their term of office as the period when some great public work or other was devised and commenced ; but the Mayor of Wellington may, unless he alters, look back upon his tenure of the chief civic dignity as so much wasted time, the record of which might well bo blotted out of its municipal history. They have received testimonials to the value of their labors ; his could only bo that great wooden spoon presented to the unfortunate rifleman who makes the lowest score at a match. But his inaction is scarcely sufficient to account for all that can be charged in respect to the Wellington wharf regulations. Ho has not always boon Mayor ; and reform must have been needed before ho was elected. However, lot this bo as it may, it is wanted badly enough at the present time. The grievances we have alluded to are “blazing and smoking ” ones.