WHARF ACCOMMODATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4573, 16 November 1875, Page 2

WHARF ACCOMMODATION.

At eleven o’clock yesterday the deputation appointed at the late Chamber of Commerce meeting waited on the Hon. Mr. Richardson, Minister for Public Works, in regard to the erection of a railway wharf. There were present:—Mr. Levin (chairman), the Hon. John Johnston, Mr. Hunter, M.H.R., Mr. Pearce, M.H.R., Mr. Creighton, M.H.R., Captain Williams, Captain Mclntyre, and Mr. Carroll, secretary to the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Levin, in introducing the deputation, said they had come in accordance with a resolution passed at the Chamber of Commerce, requesting that a certain number of gentlemen and himself should wait upon the Government for the purpose of asking them to proceed -with the immediate construction of the railway wharf. He would desire to bring under the notice of the Hon. Mr. Richardson the fact of their having very insufficient wharf accommodation at this port, and to say that they were in hopes that the present owners of the Queen’s wharf would provide some temporary relief, but they nevertheless knew that with the exceedingly moderate amount of funds they had at their disposal, any additions that could be made would not satisfy the immediate requirements. The deputation therefore desired to urge upon the Government the very great necessity that existed for the immediate commencement of the railway wharf, so that simultaneously with the completion of the reclamation now in course of progress the wharf might be finished and rendered available. The Hon. Mr. Richardson reminded those present that the Government had appropriated £25,000 for the construction of a wharf in connection with the railway, but the Engineer-in-Chief, in preparing the estimates for the current year, did not consider it likely that there would be any expenditure on the wharf during the present financial year, although the Eugineor-in-Chief intended to have the plans and estimate prepared and to have the contract undertaken, so that the expenditure would come into the next year, it being intended that the wharf should be completed by the time the railway reached the proposed station. It appeared to him, from what he had seen of the discussion which took place at the Chamber of Commerce, that that was really what the Chamber wanted to be done, but since hehad received the notice about the deputation, he had received a communication from the present lessees of the wharf, giving notice that they were about to enormously increase the charges on railway and Government material generally. Under these circumstances it had been thought advisable to instruct the Engineer-in-Chief to make some provision for receiving this material. It would be a simple matter to provide means for relieving the present wharf of the whole of the Government material by running out a temporary wharf (if not part of the permanent one); and if that was done, the Queen’s wharf would be relieved to a considerable extent.

Mr. Levin supposed the general public would be entitled to use the wharf.

Mr. Richardson ; Yes, if in accordance with the law. He might state that soundings wore being taken to enable them to get the wharf plans prepared, with the intention of getting the work in hand, so as to ensure its being finished by the time the reclamation was completed. At present he should not care to say whether it would be practicable to give the public the benefit of such a work as that, for he did not know what protection was given to the Queen’s wharf. The wharf would be planned for railway and not road traffic, and all the goods that came on that wharf would be placed ou the railway trucks.

Mr. Hunter observed that the suggestion of Mr. Richardson as to a temporarary wharf would effect one of the objects regarded as desirable, namely, the lessening of traffic on the Queen’s Wharf. Mr. Johnston ; Could the wharf be used for general purposes ? Mr. Richardson : To a certain extent ; but everything coming ou this wharf would be delivered into the railway sheds, one of which would be a Customs examination shed. The wharf would be conducted iu the same manner as iu Melbourne, at the Hobson’s Bay railway wharf at Saudridge, and othex-s. At the present time iu Dunedin and Lyttelton the goods were landed direct from the ships, and delivered ou the railway.

Mr. Levin remarked that iu the cases referred to by Mr. Richardson, the population was some distance fi’om the shipping. Here, to make the wharf a success, it was necessary that the town should benefit by it ; and for this reason he thought that if possible a portion of the wharf should be gone on with at once for the discharge of some of tho smaller craft.

Mi‘. Richardson ; We are hardly iu a position to say anything at present, and until the soundings were correctly taken we cannot tell what will be the plan of the wharf. We have had two proposals ; one was to construct one long wharf, at which ships could lie as they do alongside the Queen’s wharf ; tho other was to construct a series of short jetties, which would enable a ship to lie on either side of them. If the necessax-y depth of water could be got the last would be the best, as being the most economical plan. Captain Williams said they would not be able to get the requisite depth of water at the jetties for lai’ge ships. He had sounded those parts of the harbor, and the water ran more shallow towards Pipitea Point. Mr. Levin said as Mi - . Richardson, representing the Government was a large importer, had promised to take into his earnest consideration the inconvenience they were subjected to at present time, and would do his best to provide necessary wharf accommodation for himself and by that means for others, they need not occupy his time longei-, Mr. Richardson said any temporary work which the Government might carry out would not directly affect the larger shipping.

Mr. Levin remarked that it would affect the Queeu’s wharf, because it would leave more room for larger shipping. Mr. Pearce said it would be hardly necessary to remind them that the City Corporation had done everything they could to supply the want by having a Bill introduced into Parliament to enable them to raise money for the purpose of building another wharf ; but that power being refused to them, made this application to the Government necessary. Mr. Hunter: It was equally right to say that the General Government had done all in their power to get the Bill through both Houses. He knew that iu the House of Representatives the Bill had received every assistance from them ; and he believed the same might bo said of the Government representative in the Upper House. Mr. Richardson said everything had been done that could he done, and he himself had been at some pains to get the Bill passed. The deputation then withdrew, after thanking Mr. Richardson for his courtesy and attention.