NEW PLYMOUTH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 249, 27 February 1911, Page 3

NEW PLYMOUTH

ITS PROSPECTS AND POSSIBILITIES. "My business takes me all over thv Dominion, and, outside the four big centres, there is, in my opinion, no town with greater possibilities or better prospects than New Plymouth." This opinion was vouchsafed by Mr. C. A. Wake, proprietor and editor of the New Zealand Shipping Gazette, a journal that has come to the fore in shipping and commercial circles during the pasi few years. Mr. Wake has been in the province for the past two weeks, and accordingly was able to get a good insight into the activities of the province. Continuing, he remarked on the apathy generally evinced by local townspeople regarding their prospects and opportiinites. He was much impressed with the possibilities of THE HARBOR. "Your Harbor Board and the ratepayers have acted wisely in going in for a progressive policy in regard to the harbor, the development of which is being followed with considerable interest by people outside. There is no doubt in my mind—not the slightest doubt—that you will have accommodation sufficient for the berthage of the ocean-going liners. From what I can glean, you have almost enough water now for a berth for oceangoing vessels of the tramp kind, so successful has been the work of your new harbor-making dredge and engineering staff. There is no question of waiting for trade; the trade is here waiting for the boats. Look at your exports and im-. ■ports and see how they are growing. They are surprising." "Do you think.'the big boats will call at New Plymouth when the accommodation has been provided?" queried our representative.

"No doubt at all about it. You have only to demand that they call, and they must. Take the case of Auckland as an example. Up till recently the dairy produce from that province used to be taken by the Corinna and transhipped at Wellington. The Auckland people demanded that the produce should be put on bon; d the liners at Auckland direct every :"ortnight or month, as the case might be. The shipping people had to accede to the request. If they had not done so, til!' probabilities were that some other shipping company than the ones concerned would have been approached, and would only have been.too glad to provide Iho service. With adequate facilities,' pro vided at the New Plymouth harbor, it would probably pay and be more convenient for the Waitara Freezing Works to ship from there instead of lightering, with its inconveniences and drawbacks, as at present. If this were done, the value of the exports from the port would I be enormously added to.

A TRANSHIPMENT PORT. "There is another important factor making for the success of your port. Its centrality should enable it to successfully compete with the ports of Wellington and Auckland. Indeed, it seems to me that it must become, if your people arc alive to their interests and display the requisite enterprise, the transhipment port for the west coast of this island, excepting, of course, the coast north of Onehunga. But you want to be careful and not overload yourself and levy still port charges. This is a point the importance of which cannot be over-estimated. You don't want to go in for luxuries. Just provide what is necessary for the efficient working of your port, and keep down your charges. Your chances of becoming •the port of the coast will depend very materially upon your success in tills respect. You have the chance because both Wellington and Auckland have made the mistake of over-burdening themselves, going in for a lot of things they could easily have done without, and making it necessary for them to raise their charged to such a degree as to frighten the importers in other districts. The Wanganui people, for example, resent these high transhipment charges, and what is happening? Why, they are looking to Nelson or Lyttelton as the port whereat to land and forward their merchandise, etc. The Lyttelton Harbor Board, on the other hand, lias adopted a, wiser policy. It has lived within its means, and not been ambitious. Go down to Lyttelton, and you will be .surprised, after be-, ing in Auckland or Wellington, at the nnpretentiousness of the wharves,, etc., but they answer all requirements; the port charges are therefore light, and the finances in a prosperous condition. Now, you should, as far as I can see, be in a very favorable position to attract the transhipment trade of Wanganui, Patea, Foxton, etc. You have magnificent land endowments, town and rural, and a glance at your last year's figures show what a great income you derive from this source. Then you have the centrality. Instead of Auckland and Wellington merchants coming to Taranaki and exploiting it, the position will be reversed. With your lighter charges and home boats plying here, you will be able not only to successfully compete with them here, but you will attack them in their own strongholds, in their own territories. They will be put on the defensive, and the advantage will be with your merI chants if they are resourceful, delerminI ed and enterprising enough."

OIL PROSPECTS. In common with most people who vi-it the oil wells, Mr. Wake was profoundly impressed with what, had been accord plished, the amount of oil in store, and the potentialities of the industry. Like most people, also, he was inclined to he sceptical hefore seeing things for himself. He was greatly'surprised that the money necessary for the development of the industry had not already been subscribed in the Dominion, and felt satisfied that if outsiders with money to invest had the opporuinity of seeing the industry for themselves, it would not be long before all the money required was available. Still, in the experienced hands of the English oil men. and with a plentitude of capital behind them, there cnc.ld be. no question that the industry would be thoroughly exploited, and successful exploitation, after all, was what New Plymouth and the country as a wholf, are anxious for. "The oil is going to play a most important part in the exports of New Zealand. As for inc. I am quite satisfied, and Tiro forth as a walking adrcrtisoment for this promising industry."

SUMMED UP. To justify the opinion expressed at (lie beginning of this interview, Mr. Wake, concluded: "You have greater possibilities than most place*, because you have a harbor that will shortly possess ample Accommodation for ocean lines; your port is pre-eminently suited as a transhipment centre for the whole coast; you must become (if your people are awake) a distributing centre for the whole of Taranaki and districts beyond, because you arc the nearest port; you will shortly be tapping the rich country served bv the Stratford railway; you have a mosl promising oilfield; you are likely within a year to have works erected at Moturoa for the treatment of ironsand; and you have your back pastoral country behind you of proved worth. What you want in New Plymouth are men with little more faifch and confidence in the town's future, a little more enterprise and a little more public l spirit. With its citizens possessed of these qualities. New Plvmnuth will progress greatly and take the place nature intended it. to take amongst ths important centres of the Dominion," ,', , .„ .