The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1901. THE NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 270, 15 November 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1901. THE NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

Reading between the lines of the Hon, A. J, CJadman's remarks regarding the New Plymouth harbour, there is food for very serious thought on the part of (the Harbour Board, and indeed of | every ratepayer. During the past two ! years a very large sum of money has been spirit by the Board in connection with the harbour, and can any fairminded man say that it has been spent to the best advantage ? Take the expenditure on the sand-pump: with the exception of the value of the pump itself, is the harbour odo bit better for the money spent? We urged once before that the Board should go into the matter of charges on the ground that while deciding on a scheme of improvement it should try and induce trade ta flow to the port, but nothing has been done. The ironsand question is not the only thing that is affected by the want of harbour facilities or the high rate charges. Stratford, at the present time, is going in for a large water and drainage scheme, j and all the iron water-pipes are being landed at Patea and railed ] forty miles to Stratford because, al-j though the shipping freight is the' same tbe port charges make it cheaper! to rail an extra ten miles. The drain-1 age pipes which come from Auckland j are being landed at Waitara for the I same reason. Last year, again, nearly 8000 bales of wool were shipped from, Taranaki, not 50 of which were shipped from the breakwater. This shows a great lack of enterprise on the part of the New Plymouth Harbour Board which, with the class of steamers now visiting the port, should be able to compete successfully with any other port in the colony. The berthage charges also evidently want revising, because on Monday last two steamers preferred to lie outside all day rather than pay. the heavy dues demanded for lying alongside the wharf. Surely a scheme could be devised so that a charge could be made on reasonable lines for the time absolutely necessary for the vessel to lie at the wharf and a nominal charge I after that so long as the berth was not required by another vessel waiting to discharge. We trust the Board will take the whole question of the working j of the harbour into consideration, and, now that the trade is increasing in apite lof all disabilities, try and give every encouragement to merchants and shipping- !