SHIPPING FACILITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 210, 11 March 1912, Page 4

SHIPPING FACILITIES.

The chairman of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce remarked on Friday evening that the present steamer service in connection \yith New Plymouth was unsatisfactory, insufficient and uncertain. The Chamber had before it a communication from a Arm of auctioneers, complaining of the erratic running of the steamer Rosamond and the inconvenience caused thereby in the matter of shipping of fruit. But from the complaints voiced by the speakers, and by tradespeople in the press from time to time, the inconvenience is not confined to fruit; it is general. Efforts have been made in the past to effect an improvement in the services, particularly in ensuring more regularity in the sailings, and the efforts have been accompanied with more or less success. But the improvement has 'never been sustained, and things are just as unsatisfactory again as ever they were. The Chamber decided to set up a committee to draw up a report and forward it to the directors of ,the Union Steam Ship Company. We do not anticipate ' any marked or permanent improvement in the services as a result of these representations. Possibly something will be done in the near future to give effect to the wishes of local traders, but we are afraid the old trouble will soon manifest itself again. The Union Company has practically a monopoly of the shipping trade in these waters, and, looking at the matter from its viewpoint, it cannot perhaps be blamed for bothering about New Plymouth's trade wh«n it has greater interests to attend to elsewhere. If it suits the company to give us an efficient service, it will give it; if it means inconvenience and interference with its arrangements, it will not. That has been the position all along, that is the position now, and that will be the •position in the future, as far as we can see. Can nothing be done to remedy a state of affairs Hi at is keeping back the trade of the port? Yes. The matter is in the hands of traders themselves. Wanganui has a fleet of locally-owned vessels. So have Patea and Nelson. Even little Waitara has a fleet of small vessels. Why not New Plymouth? Why cannot New Plymouth form a company and buy or charter two or three vessels and do its own sea carrying, like the neighboring ports? Why continue to put up with the inconvenience we have been subjected to for so long and allow the other places to seize the trade that naturally belongs to New Plymouth? These are questions which w_e should ponder over. As a community we rely too much on the "other fellow"; we won't take the initiative or risk; we are waiting for something to turn up by which we will achieve progress and prosperity. If we are to move forward, if we are to become a town of importance, we must not hesitate to take the initiative and risk, we must pursue a selfreliant course and be prepared and willing to dig things up for ourselves. To few places has Nature been so kind. Certainly she has not provided us with a ready-made harbor, but she has aided man in many ways to construct a firstclass one. It is only a matter of months now when the harbor will be ready to berth the largest vessels trading to the

Dominion. What are we doing to meet the position that will then be created? Nothing; we are relying oil the "other fellow." We do not dream of forming a company and running boats to deal with the transhipment trade that Could without difficulty be worked up. As pointed out not long ago by the editor of the New Zealand Shipping Gazette, we have the advantage of centrality, and could work economically and efficiently ports as far northwards as Hokianga and as far southwards as Foxton, as well as Westport and Greymouth, bringing their produce to the Home boats lying at Moturoa and returning with their merchandise consigned from Home via New Plymouth. The opportunities for making Moturoa a thriving shipping centre are with us. Are we going to embrace them, or are we going to rely on others for what has* in the past proved an altogether "unsatisfactory, insufficient and uncertain" service? It is a matter that rests with ourselves entirely.