Untitled

Southland Times, Issue 1719, 25 March 1873, Page 2

The merchants of Dunedin waited on His Honor tbe Superintendent on Wednesday last, by deputation, to suggest the formation of a Dunedm Harbor Trust. The arguments used in favor of the project were as follows : — The Trust would be composed of business men, with a special interest in tbe commercial prosperity of Dunedin. Sucb a body, besides, would be permanent, and would regard tbe improvement of tbe Harbor at its principal duty, while the Executive, whicb is changed from time to time, and has many other things to do, cannot attend to tbat particular work so well. And last, but certainly not least, "it would be very desirable, on public grounds, tbat tbe Board should be endowed with a considerable tract of pastoral country, to enable tbem to obtain funds." The " desirability" of doing anything of the kind iB in our opinion more than questionable. We also fail to see on what "public grounds" sucb a proposal can be defended. Tbe work of keeping a clear channel of 12 or 13 feet of water from Port Chalmers to Rattray street jetty is as much a town improvement of Dunedin itself as keeping Princes street in repair. If it ought to be done, which we by no means deny, if i tbe Dunedin merchants desire it, it ought in all fairness to be paid for by tbose who alone will derive any benefit from it. The object sought is not to j cheapen the carriage of goods to tbe inland consumer. The Port Chalmers railway, wbich connects with the general railway system, meets tbat want, as the Mayor, one of the deputation, was partly 1 compelled to admit. What is sought to '

establish is " the commercial superiority of Dunedin," to repeat tbe phrase employed by Mr Cabgill, also a member of the deputation. Now we submit that " the commercial supremacy of Dunedin" is a matter not of public, but of mere local interest. If this be the object desired, let Dunedin pay for it. The Corporation might take the work over. But the country at large will protest against a large sum being taken from the public resources for any such purpose. No attempt was madp to show that the work would be remunerative. Past experience indeed points to a contrary result. A channel* cut at public expense three years ago, to a depth of 13 feet, is now less than 10 feet deep. The Superintendent, we may add, did not seem much in favor of the scheme, but promised to submit it to the Executive. It will be be for the country members, when the Provincial Council meets, to look to this matter.