BEYOND DISPUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 26, 20 June 1914, Page 4

BEYOND DISPUTE.

MR MAXWKIJL CONGIUTULATRi THE HARBOR. BOARD.

CONDITION" OF THE HARBOR.

At the meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday, 'Mr E. Maxwell, referring to the visit of the Walkure, and touching en the work at the harbor, said, "The fact that the gathering on the occasion of celebrating the visit ot the first ocean liner to this port was so large, and such a representative one, must be very gratifying to the Board. 1 am sure that besides the pleasure of seeing so many from all parts of the district, and the interest taken in the affaire and welfare of the port, much good has been done by the gathering, in that it has been the means of affording an opportunity to people from all over the 'harbor district of scciiur for themselves anocean-goiiig steamer o? over 0000 tons berthed in perfect safety at our port, and that the discharging of her cargo was being carried out with equal facility and expedition as would have been tihe case in the larger ports. The rate of discharge I understand was from 800 to 000 tons per day. It is particularly gratifying that the Board in thus able to show the district in a manner beyonl dispute, that the expenditure of the new loan money has resulted in all (hat the Board hoped, and has fulfilled' the prediction and promises f those members of the Board who took an active part, by their advocacy, in bringing about the .passage of the Act, ani the carrying of the poll necessary tc raising the loan.

THE PORT TO-DAY. 'The position to-day is that the breakwater has been extended 600 feet, the wharf widened and lengthened so that we now have a very fine wh&Tf 72 feet wide with a straight continuous berthage of 1060 feet capable of berthing an ocean liner and four to five other boats. The harbor throughout has been greatly deepened. The fairway has a depth of frjm 20 feet at low spring to 32 feet at iliigh water, whilst the berth now occupied by the ocean boat is &80 feet long, 200 feet wide, with a depth of from 33 feet at low water to 45 feet at high water. The work in hand, in addition to the deepening of the fairway to 2oft at low water, is the providing of a large swinging basin of the same depth) as the fairway, and berthage is equal, and in some respects superior, to U.at at ports which accommodate the largest steamers trading to the Dominion, and thero is nothing so far as the 'accommodation of the port is concerned to prevent the larger ocean boats trading to this port. In other words, the expenditure of the money has provided all that was hoped from it, in addition to which much cost of work is being done to meet future demand made by the shipping companies, which demand-! are clearly in excess of what 'has been required at *orae other porta here the largest steamers trade. The c • y work beyond that indicated above t : -■■■'<; the Board Iras in view for the near fi ji.ru is the erection of sheds, and, as need arises, further berthage .room."