The Daily News SATURDAY, JULY 17. THE HARBOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 146, 17 July 1909, Page 2

The Daily News SATURDAY, JULY 17. THE HARBOR.

Harbor matters are tie topic of the hour locally, and what "the man in the street" does not know of the loan and of the proposed schemes for its expenditure is not due to any want of explanation by members of the Board or of publicity by the newspapers.. That th 0 terms of the loan were not so satisfactory as the Board, when ii framed its proposals, had anticipated, was due to circumstances over which no control could have been exercised, and considering the state of the money market at the time of the issue oi the prospectus, it must be acknowledged that the Board was fortunate indeed in disposing of its debentures at * price certainly not second on the market. Th« difficulties connected with the negotiations have been dearly explained by tht Board's delegates to London, Messrs, King and Connett, and everyone musl realise that they handled a difficult undertaking prudently and wisely in tht very best interests of the district, .appreciation of their efforts in this connection was the keynote of the compLmentary banquet tendered them lajt evening, but we would be failing in oui duty did we not express our regret—a regret that we should think is shared alike by Messrs. King and tVaneu—that the promoters had not taken a broader view of the matter, and embraced in their hospitality the Board as si whole, and particularly those counu. members of the Board who did so mut:; to will the confidence of the countrj ratepayers, without whose endorsement of the loan the Board would have bees badly "left." Everyone animated bj a sense of fairness must realise the herculean work performed by country uiem bers of the Board, and by Mr. McLean an erstwhile member, in convincing th( ingrained opposition of the country that their best interests were at lasi being thoroughly safeguarded and ad vanced by the Board's proposals. W< are certain no want of appreciation o. their work is felt in New Plymouth and arc only constrained to make thii fitting and universally endorsed ac kowledgment—appropriately exprsssei iby Mr. King last night—because A wai observed that the country members wen conspicuous at the banquet by their ah sence. Fittingly the tone of the spceche: last night was one of extreme hopeful ness for the future prospects of the aar bor, and certainly the prospects an such as to justify the most sanguin anticipations expressed. It remains I however, for the realisation of the (lis tricts' hopes, that no mistake must no\ ibe made in deciding on the scheme o harbor completion. One accident to liner at our wharves during the harbor' period of probation, due to faulty cor struction or faulty location, would b sufficient to ban the port for a peno of more or less duration, and such risk we cannot afford to run. Our ow opinion is well known. We entirely oi pose a long wharf, holding that a shoi" but broad and strong, wharf is the bes suited for the safety and handling c liners in the particular circumstances c our case. The exact width of the whai is, of course, dependent upon whether e not the sheds should he constructed o the wharf. It should be reuiemherec however, that although wharves nmy no nowadays b e constructed with shed at coimnodation, there are not man, wharves in a position of having to pa; the Kailway Department for every toi of material that is shifted along them as, unless new arrangements an made, would probably be the case witi sheds ashore. The position is now to b reviewed by the Board, in accord witi the wishes of Messrs. King and Connev, and the Board's engineer and Capt'.n Bone are to be asked to again consult witi; the Board.. In our opinion, if the whavl need not be widened to the full extent provided for by Mr. Marchant, the money saved should not be devoted, unless to a small extent, to lengthening, but conserved for the ultimate construction of the new wharf to the eastward of the existing one. That the wliule question will have the close attention of all the members is assured, and k have every confidence that their judgment will be that which will lay the foundation of a safe deep-sea harbor.