FOXTON HARBOUR.

Shannon News, 17 April 1925, Page 2

FOXTON HARBOUR.

BOARD TAKES CONTROL OF WHARF.

The Levin Chamber .of Commerce has received the following letter from the secretary to the Foxton Chamber (Mr R. McMurray):— "At a meeting of our Chamber held on the 9th Inst., the matter of the Port was discussed at length, it was pointed out that the wharf and sheds were just about completed, and the Harbour Board had given notice to the Railway .Department ithat the Board was going to take full control. "The erection ol these sheds, etc., is.no doubt ,a forward move, and the Board is to be commended on J ts enterprise, but we are of the opinion thai the activities of the Board should not stop at this, but it should formulate a policy for improving the fairway and entrance to the Port as well; for new wharves and sheds will be of little use, unless boats are induced to trade to the Port as well.

"When we consider that in 1913 88,000 tons Of goods passed over the Foxton wharf, whereas since the war the average has not exceeded. 10,000 tons per annum, it appears as if the district as a wholfc- has somewhat neglected tiiis cheapest and best route for getting supplies either in or out. Further when giving evidence before Commission which sat m- 1016, Mr Weston, Engineer to the 'WarigamU Harbour Board, stated, "That he considered .matters were jno-re [favourable in the Manawatu River for a good jjiort. than they were at. Wanganui; and also that when the two rivers were in their natural state the Manawatu River was the better of the two tor shipping, it should convince us nf ibo possibilities of our neglected, ~ut valuable asset.

.•'F.ven in 1013 much of our 'importations' came into" the district througn other channels, lor even in those days there was a shortage of boats; and outside of hemp a, very small proportion of our produce was shipped through the port then; so that, considering '-the i'.apvd progress of ihe district, to estimate a tonnage of 100,000 tons per annum for the wharf should not be" an extravagant one; and on the present costly system, uf working the saving via this route averages quite 10s per ton; so that the Misti'ict could by making full use of the port save approximately £50,000 annually. "Therefore the district could, if H so wished without being one penny out of pocket pay interest, and sinking fund on an amount sufficient to make this port capable of taking in the largest liners afloat, and the larger boats, and the more direct the shipping the greater would be the saving. We trust that you will use your influence to induce keen .and progressive men to stand for election to the Board and that you will endorse our action to the Harbour Board in asking that body to bring forward a comprehensive and progressive policy for im;)iinvng the port."