THE PORT OF PATEA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 35, 6 March 1909, Page 6

THE PORT OF PATEA.

shipping coaipaxy and board AT LOGGERHEADS. A SERIOUS POSITION. At ;t meeting 011 Tuesday, the Patea Harbour Board was brought face to face with the results of the sliorluge of vessels by a very direct letter from the manager of the West Coast Refrigerating Co., which read " 1 am instructed by my directors to bring before the Board the serious nature to this company's interests, awl also to the- interest of ail other industries in the town, as well as the loss to the ltourd's revenue, through the .withdrawal of the two steamers intended for the trade of the port The reason for the withdrawal of these steamers by the Shipping Company is stated to be that the port has altered for the worse to such an extent as to render it dangerous to run these two steamers into Patea. My directors suggest that an exhaustive euquiry be held by the Board into the slate of the entrance, and if it is proved that the sand drifting over the western wall has a detrimental effect on the bar, that immediate steps be taken to at once cope with the matter. My com* ; pany has railed some S2!J tons of dairy ' produce during the last two months to ; keep faith with its suppliers. By this j tonnage having to be railed the Board has lost considerable revenue, not only | in wharfage, but harbor, berthage and light dues, whilst it will be manifest to 1 thw Board that- the expense incurred by j this company i* very considerable. Trust* ! ing the matter will be fully discussed, j .and any steps taken that arc deemed ! necessary to either prove that the bar I is in good order or if found to be, shoalI ing, that 'the reason for the shoaling be found if possible and immediate steps Ibe taken to remedy the same.*' 1 Following this a communication, of ;i. still more serious nature, was read ! from the Patea Shipping Company. The lirst part of the letter contained a state* ineiil by Captain Jackson, of the s.s. Alana, who on two occasions entered the port without waiting for the pilot's signal, and explaining his reasons for so | doing. The letter went on to say " While this company has no wish to encourage any of its employees in a course of action likely to endanger its ships to a greater extent than it is impossible to avoid, wc wish to point out that it appears strange that on tlw only two occasions during the last year that any of our vessels attempted to enter the port without the guidance of the pilot they got in safely, while 011 as many as eight times during the year vessels have gone ashore when attempting to .cuter in obeyanw. to the pilot's >ig;ials. My directors have recently given very serious consideration to the matter of the bad state of the port of Patea, and the manner in which the company's vessels have repeatedly got ashore during the last few months, and have decided that wliiie the port remains in such an unsatisfactory state, and there are persons hi control of affairs who, in tlie opinion of my directors, are lacking in judgment, and in whom my directors have 7)0 confidence, it is not safe to send the steamers Arapawa and Kapiti to Patea. There are a number of other matters which mv directors think it would be well to have gone into, and with that end in view would like to know if your Board would meet a re-1 piesenta;ive of this company in order to thrash the whole matter out."

According to the report of the proceedings, as given by our l'atea contemporary, the Board had a very protracted discussion. .Mr Bennett, as representing the Shipping Company, was in attendance, and the burden .if his objections was that the pilot did not take I he soundings correctly, nor did lie show sufficient judgment in allowing tile Arapawa in on the day slip grounded. Further. he contended that the conditions at the port were not - 11 good as they were twelve months ago In reply to this the Chairman of the Board quoted liitures showing that during the past two years the channel had got wider, and also read the Pilot's report at the February meeting, stating "That tire port had never been better for eighteen vears.The Hoard held thf.t the Arapawa was unsuitable to the port, the vessel being too lung. On the one hand the Company blamed the bar ; on t lie other the Board blamed the boats. After full consideration it was resolved : "Tlnit after hearing -Mr Bennett's charges against the pilot, the Board have received no evidence to show that any of the pilot's report* was incorrect." An unfortunate feature is that the Company and the Board are openiiiglv at loggerheads. "The Patea Shipping Co. has been doing the liar all the harm it could during the. past twelve months, in order to frighten off conqietitioii.' a member of the Board declared. "We have, been hounded down from start t» finish : the Hoard has always advertised the Company's boats as unsuitable/ was the rejoinder of the Shipping Co.'s representative. It is (--ay* the Ifawera Slav) a great pity that the breach lias occurred, and patience, firmness. and tact must lie exercised if the best interests of the port are to he served.