TARANAKI'S GREAT DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1917, Page 6

TARANAKI'S GREAT DAY

BERTHING OF FIRST LINER SOGQESSFyi COMMEMORATION PROCEEDINGS i tji ■. _;_ > . < ENORioais crowds at the port

Tim event for which Taranaki resident-; have been looking for- years past, and which pessimists of late years even have averred would never take plaee, occurred yesterday, namely, the arrival of a Home liner alongside' the wharf at Moturoa in. order to load produce for direct shipment to the Home markets. The Harbor Board for over 40 years has been working hard to achieve that end, in the face of great difficulties inseparable from the task of constructing an artificial harbor, and also due to the fact that there has always been a growing increase in the requirements of shipping companies due to the constant increase in the size of the vessels trading to the Dominion. The berthing of the vessel, whose name we are forbidden to publish under the War Regulations Act is now an accomplished fact, and'it is hoped that the success achieved will prove to be the forerunner of many more such visits.

It was fitting that the chairman of the Harbor Board, Mr. J. 13. Connett, should have been a. member of the first Harbor Board formed some 42 years afro, and has been a member of the Board, with the'exception of one term, for the whole period, during which he has always taken a keen interest in the port, and.has always confidently looked forward to the day when New.Plymouth would be able to berth Home liners. This vessel is not the first direct boat, as the pioneer settlers in 1841 arrived here by .sailing vessels direct from England. We have also had boats from America #nd elsewhere, and in June, 1914, the Walkure, a steamer of 3533 tons gross, and drawing 21 feet, arrived direct from Hull with a cargo. The Home liner that arrived yesterday is, however, the largest vessel that has arrived here. She is, moreover, the %st that has arrived to take away produce.

: AN ENORMOUS CROWD. There was an enormous concourse of neople in Now Plymouth to celebrate the red-letter day in Taranaki's history. From early morning motor-ears; motorlorries and vehicles of every description poured in their quota from every/part of Tarannki, and the train from South Taranaki. a very lengthy one. was packed. The rendezvous was the breakwater, and the trains had a very busy time couvcyms the crowds to Jfoliiroa, but

th - service \re Well organised, find peopie did not v.'.vA a little Inconvenience | in the wav r>f overcrowding. The scene ' at the Breakwater was an inspiriting | one. Crowd- wer» gathered on every vantage point, look'ng out for the first glimpse ci t!-.' itcainor. hut the day was dull and ovor.-.r-.t. though line, and their range of vision war, limited. Others en- ■ joyed themselves on the beach at the j gymkhana, content to await the arrival | of the heat. It was generally expected | that she would arrive about 3 p.m. The j fh"t news was rece'ved that the vessel had passed Cape lament lighthouse at | ahout n.St) a.m., being hardl'v visible in j a thick fog. Mr. Newton King also re- ' ceived a wireless mos-ase from Wellington at about the sain? time to the same affect. About noon the ship was seen to be approaching, and Captain Waller, the harbormaster, went out in Mr. Newton Kintfs launch Xnkahakere to take charge of th.3 vesel and bring her in. About 1 p.m. she rounded the breakwater and entered tne channel. It was expected that the vessel would wait until tide made a hit, it .being practically low tide it the time, but it was seen that Captain Waller was intending to berth her at once, as the vessel was swinging. THE LUNCHEON POSTPONED. The luncheon, which was jugj; starting, and at which representative men from all parts of Taranaki 'were present, was accordingly postponed for an hour* and a-half, and those present adjourned to the wharf. Here an immense crowds had assembled, but only members cf the Harbr Board and a few others wore allowed access to that portion of the wharf whero the vessel was berthed. Keen interest was taken by everyone in the berthing operation, but the vessel swung round easily and drew alongside the wharf without any difficulty. Captain Waller, calm and collected on the bridge, asi though berthing Home liners was'an everyday occurrence, and hardly before anyone realised it, the first Home liner was alongside the wharf. He was given a hearty round of applause for his achievement. Shortly after halfpast one, the vessel was tied up, and cheers from the shore, called by the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) were responded to by vigorous hoots of the steamer's horn. Captain Kelly, the commander of the liner, then came ashore, being intro- ! dvced by Captain Chudley, the marine j superintendent of the Shaw-Savill Com- J pany to .the members of the Harbor*! Board,- the Mayer and other prominent citizens. PLENTY OP WATER. The vessel was drawing lfift forward and 18ft aft, and it was noticeable that though-she came in at low water prac-i tically her screw churned up clear water,., a .tribute to the depth of. water under her bottom. The crowd were then admitted to the wharf, and advantage was taken by the majority to visit the vessel, a small charge being made for patriotic purposes. Badges, too, bearing the words, "S.S. Waiivera, New Plymouth, March 21, 1917," also sold freely for patriotic purposes. THE LUNCHEON. An adjournment was then made to the beach, where a huge marquee had 1 been erected for th* of

the 4uo guests who sat down to the memoration luncheon.

The guests of the townspeople included Messrs H. J. Okey, M.1 J . for Taranaki: A. C. Wilkinson, M.P. for Egmont; W. T. Jennings, M.P. for Taumarunui; 0. Samuel,'M.L.C; W. C. Carncross, M.L.C.j T. Kelly,"ex-M.L.C; Captain Chudley, marine superintendent of the Shaw Savill Company; Captain Kelly, commander of the vessel; the Mayors of all boroughs in Taranaki, chairmen of County Councils, Road Boards, Town Boards and Harbor Boards, chairmen of directors and secretaries of the dairy companies, chairman and manager of the Taranaki Farmers' Meat Freezing Company, Taranaki Farmers' Co-operative Organisation Society, Producers' Freezing Works, representatives of the Box Company, bacon companies, presidents of Chambers of Commerce, and representatives of commercial interests in the district, as well as a number of prominent settlers in the Ohura. -

Mr. C. H. Burgess presided, Captain Chudley being seated on his right and Mr. J. B. Connett, chairman of the Harbor Board, on his loft. Other guests at this table were Captain Kelly, Messrs H. J. Okey, C. A. Wilkinson, W. T. Jennings, O. Samuel, W. C. Carncross, T. Kelly, E. Beekbessinger (Mayor of Waitara), J. C. Cooper (managing director of Taranaki Meat Producers' 'Company), Newton King, E. Marcell, W. A. McCutchan (Whangamomona), J. H. Cock (Nelson). Apologies for absence were received from the Minister of Marine, Messrs James Findlay, manager of the Shaw Savill Company; Bennett, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company; E. Dixon, Mayor of Haw-era; the Mayor of Patea; Jas. Hine, junr., chairman Waitara Harbor Board; E. F.' Hemingway, Patea Press; K. Webster; A. Christensen, chairman Patea Harbor Board; Jas. Hine, secretary Tikorangi Dairy Company; A. Hunter, chairman Farmers' Cooperative .Organisation Society; G. H. Bullard, Commissioner of Crown Lands; G. A. Marehant, Cardiff; J. H. Johnson, president Patea Chamber of Commerce; Captain Bark, a.s. Earawa; C. J. Hawkeii, cl-au-man Molls Dairy Company; the manager of the Federal Steamship Company; A. Bodily, chairman Awakino County Council; the captain of the Corimia; the chairman of the Okau Dairy Company; the chairman of the Alton Dairy Company. After an excellent luncheon a short toast list was discussed, the usual loyal toast being proposed by the chairman and duly honored. After reading a number of apolng'os, the Mayor proposed the toast of "The Kin?,'' which was duly honored in the usual loyal way. Mr. E. Kartell, in proposing the toast of "The Harbor Board," said that when first coming to New Zealand Mr. Connett was a fellow passenger, and he regarded him as his friend. The Board had had a great fight in its work, owing to having the country settlers antagonistic, but tho sight at the Breakwater that day had opened their eyes and dispelled their illusions. >He was convinced that having the Home liner at the wharf that day was due very largely to the institution of the Farmers' Free/'ing Works, and he felt that they should be gratified at having contributed towards securing a direct service for their produce.

The toast was enthusiastic-ally received, three cheers being given for the chairman of the Board (Mr. J. B. Connett). • MR. CONN.ETT'S REVIEW.

In the course of his reply, Mr. Connett said he looked on the occasion as being a red-letter day for the port. He gave an interesting description of the conditions which prevailed at the time when he landed here fifty years ago, and traced the history of the formation of the wharf and breakwater up to the present day, as set forth in the interview which appears elsewhere in this issue. His first impression on landing on his arrival was that if the place was to progress there must he a harbor, and from the time he had become a member of the first Harbor Board that was constituted, until the present day he had worked Vio that end. Referring to the opposition to (lie Board's endeavors, Mr. Connett said the Board had had a hard fight, but had won through. He had, owing to the lack of shipping facilities', paid £2 per ton for railage of his butter to Wellington, only to find that when it arrived there it was found to have been spoiled in transit. lie admitted that the farmers had been called upon to pay rates in respect of the harbor, but he contended that they had got exceptionally good value for their money, What, he asked, would have been the good of 'having freezing works if the harbor was not made available for direct shipment? Now, instead of the Covinna coming and taking a'way SOO or 900 tons of produce, the Elome boats could carry away several thousand tons., but the Board had a groat fight while carrying [ on its work, and he, personally, had been one of the best abused men in Taranaki. ,Many attempts- were made to stop the progress of the Harbor Board Bill both in the House aiyl in the district, one deputation protesting that the money proposed to be raised for harbor works would be simply throivn into the sea, but those few who han faith in the work went forward, and to-day Taranaki fanners could see,for themselves what had been done, and the sight of a Home vessel at the wharf was one that one would not easily forget. Personally he, considered (fiiat as chairman of the J3oard he had been very fortunate in having colleagues who worked so amicably together in the best interests of the district. There could not, he added, be better harmony, although their views did not always coincide, Ho always took care that the memben should be fully posted up in

the Board's affairs -ml the position of matters disclosed. He felt gratified at having retained the confidence of the members for such a long period, as evidenced by his repeated re-election to the oftice of chairman. The Board had been fortunate in having an engineer like Mr. Marehant to advise upon the best methods of procedure, also in having such a capable foreman as Mr. Henderson to carry out the works, for he had never once failed in any of the work lie had taken in hand. The result of the Hoard's work -was now visible, for there was an approach to the wharf 270 feet wide to-day, with a depth of 2(1 feet, except at one point, which was 25 feet at low water, and B7- feet at high Ude, whereas 33ft was all that was neecsary, but Captain Bono had advised that in view of Xew Plymouth possibly being a last port of eall, it was advisable to provide a sufficient margin. It lad taken twelve months to blast away the rocky substratum to that depth. There were, said Mr. Connett, many who thought the harbor should have been ready for ocean boats long ago,, but the delay was. attributable to the policy of dredging inshore so as to make the shelter safer. The. fact that the liner had come in that day at absolutely low water, on her own steam, and without a sign of sand or mud being stirred up proved the good work that had been accomplished, and he hoped the sceptics were now convinced. Everything required by the shipping companies had been provided on the wharf, and he looked forward with confidence to the future. Mr. Connett resumed his seat amid great applause.

THE SHAW-SAVILL. In proposing the toast of the "SJuiw, Siivill" and Albion C 0.," Mr. C. A.' Wilkinson, M.P., said tho company Lad shown groat enterprise in sending one o? their boats to New Plymouth that day. It ivas an event that liad been long looked for, and be hoped that in the futr.re New Plymouth would become the last port of call for all the Home liners'. He referred to the way in which in the early days the company had eontrolled the passenger traffic to New Zealand by means of sailing' ships and now by steamers; before long he 'hoped to see a Royal .Mail steamer calling at New Plymouth, and then it might reasonably be expected that the whole of our produce would be lifted for direct shipment to the Home markets. He congratulated the Harbor Board on having Mr. Connett as its chairman, and he also congratulated the farmers on acquiring freezing works'of their own. for without this latter enterprise there would probably have been no Home liner there that day. flying the Union Jack, which implied that Britain was still mistress of the seas, and that our vessels were being protected by the greatest Navy the world had ever seen. In coupling with the toast the name of Captain Clmdloy, marine superintendent of the company, Mr. Wilkinson said Captain Clmdloy had always been a friend to the port, and had been tersely instrumental in bringing the liner here. He also congratulated Captain Kelly on being the first captain of a Home vessel to berth at the wharf.

CAPTAIN CHUDLEY'S ADVICE. Captain Clmdloy (who was accorded an enthusiastic reception) said he was very pleased to see a liner at the wharf that day. He considered they had picked the best day for the purpose. He would like to see one of Mr. King's best gales, for Mr. King had sent him a photograph which purported to have been taken during an exceptionally heavy gale. Being a seaman, ho was interested to not 2 that the smoke from the steamer at tho wharf was issuing from the funnel in the same gentle manner in which it was coming from the. liner then at the wharf. (Laughter.) The vessel had been berthed under ideal conditions, and what they had to realise was that ocean liners wore exceedingly valuable, and that by merely touching ground thousands of pounds of damage could be caused. What was wanted was shelter, and they had not got that yet, so that it was up to the district to go on and do oetter.

Captain Kelly said, it was about the first time he had been called upon to make a speech at a putlic meeting. It was a great pleasure to him to been the first to bring a liner to the port, and ha wished the port increased success in the future. (Applause.)

OUR STAPLE INDUSTRIES. Mr. R. Maxwell proposed "The Dairy and Meat Industries," and in so doing said that the pleasure in submitting the toast was enhanced by the fact that it was coupled with the names of Mr. A. Moiton (chairman of the .National Dairy Association) and Mr. J. C. Cooper, who was actively interested in the meat industry. He felt sure it was a source of much gratification to all present to sec- the liner at the. wharf that day. He disagral with Captain Chudlcy as to the harbor being a fine weather port, for he knew the New Plymouth harbor was in a much better condition than ~ many other ports Captain Chudlcy had visited. They were celebrating the greatest day Taranaki ever had or was likely to have, for it was the start of a new era, the possibilities of which few., people realised. The richness of our land and the wealth of our district, said the speaker, required the means of direct shipment, and that had now been obtained. If a liner could come in on a minimum deptli of water (less than nine inches of the lowest tide) it showed an ample margin had been provided. The Board, however, was not going to rest at the 20, 2", or 28 feet now available, but would soon secure 2S and 29 feet. We are, said Mr. Maxwell, going ahead, for it may be said (in a way) that'we have only commenced to make the port all that can be desired. It must be- a great comfort, he added, to the dairy industry to sec matters progressing so satisfactorily in the direction of there being only cpie handling of produce—at New Plymouth, the next being in London. (Applause.)

SHIPPING OF DAIRi' PRODUCE. Mr. A. Morton thanked those present for their enthusiastic reception of the toast and for the strong support they had give;i to the dairy industry, He warmly congratulated the Harbor Board on the result of its efforts to bring the Home liners to the port, and he hoped the day was not far distant when New Plymouth would be the final port of call. There was no reason why that should not be done. He would very much like to have been able to congratulate the, Shaw-Savill Company on taking a load of butter and cheese. He had done his best, with others, to get butter and* cheese loaded here, but he believed the answer, was that the liner could not takeedairy produce because she was going to another port 'with shallower water, and was therefore unable to increase her load. He hoped that in the futuVe there would be no such excuse given. They could

probably have got 3000 tons of butter and cheese put on board, and it was much more convenient to have the produce loaded here; But this load had been turned down because the vessel was going to a port with shallower water. As chairman of the National Dairy Association he had taken a large part in arranging for tiio transport of butter and cheese, and he had impressed:on the shipping companies that sooner or later they must lift dairy produce at New Plymouth. On the occasion of the next call here of a liner lie would do his utmost to see that butter and cheese was lifted at New Plymouth. He felt certain that when the 1 time came—as come it must and will-*-\vhen New Plymouth was recognised as a safe port, even Patca would see it was advantageous to send its produce to New Plymouth. He strongly protested against a coastal freight being necessary when produce could be lifted l-ere. He hoped the members of the Board would not rest on their oars,- but would continue to progress, and if they had to go to the settlers and ask for another £IOO,OOO to extend the wharf, provide the necessary despatching sheds, and so get rid of the railway, the providing of the money would be a wise and progressive move. ■ Until they could get another, wharf and clear out the railway, ao asto allow carriers to come on to the wharf and take goods down the coast, thereby saving railage, the Board's work would not be complete. Opinion in the district with regard to the harbor had changed, the opponents having gradually been convinced of its utility. It was only the. other day that a settler had said to the speaker that he had some years ago stated openly that the : money raised for harbor works was money that was being thrown into the | sea, but he took back all lie said.. Mr. ] Morton concluded by expressing the i great pleasure it afforded him, and the ' settlers generally, to see a.liner at the wharf. (Applause.) |

A GREAT FUTURE. Mr. J. C. Cooper claimed it was the Farmers' Freezing Company that was responsible for bringing the liner to the wharf that day. He felt that New Plymouth had a port, the future of which could be made second to none, and he hoped that the produce of the district would not have to be sent to other ports for shipment. ' Seeing the possibilities, of the district, ho was convinced that the present freezing works were hopelessly too small. He 'wondered howmany people realised Taranaki's sheepproducing capabilities, but they formed a considerable portion of the Dominion's total. That they had not exported a greater quota hitherto was due to the fact that Taranaki was only a sheepproducing district in the making, and he would expect, in the near future, that Taranaki would contribute its full quota.. He recognised there was an immense future for Taranaki's exporting abilities, and that there was only one fault in view of future requirements, and that was the harbor was too small to meet developments. The Board had done splendid work, and he trusted it would receive the support of the people, and lie was convinced that soon, if facilities were offered to the shipping, they would send vessels regularly. In conclusion he warmly congratulated all concerned in the progress that had been made, and on the inauguration of direct shipment of produce. (Applause.)

COMMERCIAL INTERESTS. Mr. H. ,T. Okoy ; M.P., in propositi" "Commercial Interests/' remarked that lie supposed lie had been asked to propose the toast because the dairying and meat industries were so associated with the commercial interests. Referring to a remark made by Captain Cluidley, lie said lie did not think anyone iii the room thought that the harbor works should now stop. Thev had that day shown what was possible, and he believed that when financial matters again became normal, there would be no difficulty in obtaining the necessary funds to make the harbor what it should be. The event that day would give a great fillip to the. commercial interests of tfeo district, and they could well leave it in liio hands of the commercial interests to do their share, in developing the harbor.

Sir. Newton King, in replying, said that Messrs. Morton and Cooper had truly stated they would not have had the boat there that dav but for the Freezing Company. When the movemew for the Freezing Company had first started he had practically guaranteed that a boat would be here to take the meat when the meat was ready. Mr. King l said he had given this guarantee in the Oliura, where he .was practical!?- a stranger, so that had he failed it. would hn-ve been "all up" jvith him. Some of the speakers that daV rather took urnbiage at the remarks loade by Captain Chin! ley, but Mr. King considered that Captain Chudley was the harbor's best friend. When the speaker visited London in 181)9 ha ,vas told by flic manager

of thi! Shaw-SaviH Company that when there was a certain depth of water boats would bo sent to New Plymouth, provided their marine superintendent said it was safe to do so. Captain Evans was then superintendent, but on his death, two years ago, Captain Chudley, then in command of a steamer, was appointed. The speaker, who had used all the influence he could bring to hear to pet a steamer to call here, and especially a Sbaw-Savill steamer, had always found Captain Chudl&v most courteous. They now had the promise jf the New Zealand Shipping Company to send a boat as -soon as Captain Chudley got this boat in and out again. •Several vessels had arrived here previously under the Shaw-Savil! flag, viz., the Viginella and the Marglt. A lot of now optimistic peoplo in South Taranaki sa>d, "You have got barques; you will never get a steamer." "We were," said Mr. King, "very proud when the Walkure arrived, but 'the pessimists said, 'She is only a tramp. You .will never get a liner.' Well, they now had a liner, though perhaps not one of the biggest, nor had'they'a regular service. They must be prepared to spend more money, so as to get a port that would be absolutely safe at any time, and then they would get steamers to take away all their produce, dairy as well as meat."

| SCO'P'E OF TARANAKI. Mr. .T. H. Cock, of Nelson, esteemed it a great honor to he asked to reply to the toast, as his headquarters were outside the province. He, however, had bad a friendly business connection of over .iO years with New Plymouth, and his firm was permanently established here. In Nelson, until recently, they had got close to nature by following the cult of the apple, In Taranaki they followed the cult of the cow. But neither couid do without shipping. To see the liner coming here reminded him of the inauguration of the deep sea shipping to Ncison. with this difference: Taranaki offered a sixfold inducement in the way of loading, and it, was impossible to conceive but that they would get sufficient and abundant shipping. He had a good deal to do with the deep-sea liners calling at Nelson, and he was assured by London headquarters of the shipping that the liners would come if a modicum of freight were offering. He strongly urged the commercial men of New Plymouth, when normal, times came again, to endeavor to have New Plymouth included in the yearly programme. Besides their exports, they must not forget their imports, and if the importers knew, preferably through the press, when the boats calling at New Plymouth were due to leave England they could arrange to I have their orders dispatched, and the j aggregated cargo would be moie satis- [ factory to the shipping company, besides giving better dispatch to the importer. He paid a tribute to the Shaw-Savill Company, with which he had done business since it was a partnership concern. The trade of Taranaki was certain to improve with direct, shipping, and besides there wa* the saving of freight each year to 'be considered. This in a few years would.amount to the saving, of one year's freight. He looked eon- ; fidently forward to the time :when they would have regular calls here, say, once a month, Homeward, and once every two months with imports. The fact that,' direct shipping came here would draw I steamers from other quartera. In eon-1 eluding, ho said that ho regarded the' day as a touch of blue in the midst of a \ stormy sky. It must not be forgotten ' that Captain Kelly with his men "sailed on the edge of the vortex of war, and to them he gave greawhonor. In wishing continued commercial success to Taranaki, he would be wishing it to himse'f as well as all present, but he wished it from the bottom of his heart.

A HEARTY WELCOME. Tho chairman, in proposing "Our CI nests," extended them a hearty welcome on behalf of New 'Plymouth, and expressed his pleasure at'meeting them on such an important occasion as this, the arrival of the first liner at the New Plymouth breakwater. Especially was he pleased to meet Captain Kelly, as it was at first thought that the boat would not arrive until 3 p.m. Photographic views of the harbor were beinp; prepared and framed, and would he forwarded to Captain Kelly, whom, he hoped, would value it as a memento of tho occasion. They had been waiting a 'on<r time for this day, but it had arrived at last. Though'a Home liner had berthed, they had merely .closed one chapter of the harbor r.ntl opened another. A harbor could never rest. There vas always some work to be done, and they would do what was required. When New Plymouth set out to make a harbor, thev had undertaken a heavy tasi:, but they intended to go on until thev lmd a harbor- woithy of Taranaki and of the Dominion, and one to which tho msrir.e superintendent would he glad to send ~ , ~

THE VISITORS' TIEWS. | "Mr. .1. W. Boon, Mayor of Stratford, j congratulated New Plymouth upon tho arrival of tho first Home liner. He also congratulated the pioneers who com* uicnced the work, some of .wjiom wero present that day. This, ho said, was really Stratford's port, and the day was not far distant when the Stratford rncr* thants would import through this port. Mr. fleovge Young, Mayor of Inglewood, slated that he had cancelled an important engagement in order to ba present, as he realised the importance of direct shipping to the district. The people of the country would, he felt euro, rejoice with New Plymouth, and would combine and do all in their power to.assist, the harbor, for which he felt sure there was a big future, Mr. G. J. Stevenson (Ohura) was glad to be present on such a unique occasion. When the Ohura party were in New Plymouth two yean ago he made tha observation that liners would come here when tiie cargo offered, and that that was an argument in favor of erecting freezing works. The works were estal? iished and the liner was here. A spasmodic service was very little good; a regular service wiis needed, j-nd there would be adequate cargo offering if tho Government would only expedite tho completion of the Stratford-Main Trunk railway. People here had ' very little f comprehension -of the possibilities of the ! district that that 'ino would tap, cm* i bracing as it did tho Ohura and that , portion of the King country as far as Ongarue. He was pleased to hear Mr. Cooper speak in the strain he did. Tho i establishment of the meat freezing eom- | pauy would encourage enterprise, and ha hoped that this was only the beginning of greater things.

THE HARBOR MASTER, Mr. King proposed the health of Captain AYnller, the harbor master, who was unabio to bo present. In doing so, ha referred to Captain Waller's qualifications -as a seaman, which were recognised by all the shipping companies. Tho toast \\ as drunk very enthusias* tically, three hearty cheers being accorded Captain Waller. The playing of "God Save the King'' by Mrs. Wood's orchestra, which reni dercd a fine programme of musio throughout the dinner, concluded a func*. tion which will remain a memorable one to those present. , The arrangements for tho luncheon v, ere good, reflecting great credit on the committee responsible, of which Mr.°J. Tl Sole was chairman and Mr. A. E. Watkin secretary. Tin catering was in the hands of Lealand Bros.

THE LOADING. During the afternoon the boat'was visited by crowds of interested spectators and at 8 p.m. a start was made to load 12.000 carcases from the Smart Road Freezing Works, this being the quantity that the vessel is lilting from here this trip. It is expected that the boat will leave here to-day. HISTORY OF THE'PORT. FIFTY YEARS' DEVELOPMENT A STORY OF PLUCK AND TF.R SEVERANCE. t It is over fifty years since'the first definite steps were taken towards .the establishment of a harbor at New Ply mouth, viz., in ISG3, when the Provincial Council passed a vote, of £2OO "for tin ■payment of some competent person to survey the roadstead and report upon the best means of forming a harbor." It was a very expensive matter in those days to land cargo, the landing charges fjom vessels tendered in tho open roadstead being 15s per ton. The annual charges 'of keeping the boats and other services was £OOOO, and n'bout £IOOO was rceoivedjn the way of dues, etc. Various schemes were suggested, including a breakwater in front of tho town, and also the connecting of Mikotahi and iUoturoa. The former was abandoned on account of the shallowness of the water, ami the latter on the / ground that the cost (£730,000) was too great, though could the promoters have, foreseen the New Plymouth of to-day they woidd have undoubtedly chosen tho more ambitious scheme. It was not un- , til IST'o that any practical steps were taken, and thou the Provincial Council passed 'a Bill constituting a Harbor Board and endowing it with one-fourth of tho land revenue of tho province, as, well as'.giving it power to levy a rate over an area comprising the greater part ofjthe provincial district. A har« bor boaid was elected, and towards the end of] 1575 Messrs Carrutuert- «n|

(Continued from page 6.), |

T3lari»ett visited New Plymouth, and, after inspection, recommended the construction of a breakwater on the inner i side of Mikotahi. In 1877 the General Assembly passed a Bill authorising the Board to raise a loan of £200,000. It was then decided to obtain a, report from Sir John Coodo, who visited New 'Plymouth in 1378, and endorsed Messrs Carruthers and Blaekett's plans with slight modifications. In January, ISSO, the loan was floated, and on February 7, ISBI, the foundation stone was laid by Mr. Carrington. _lt had been estimated that accommodation would be provided with the money available to enable steamers of about 500 tons net to lie at the breakwater in all but verv rough weather. By March 10, 1883, sufficient progress had been made to enable the steamer Kennedy to discharge a quantity of cement on the breakwater. On March 24 the first Union Company's steamer was berthed, the Wanaka, and from July of that year all shipping was transferred from the roadstead to Moturoa. In June, 1887, ■construction wprk ceased, owing to the loan being exhausted. The breakwater was now 1950 ft in length. A wharf had been constructed, and. a dredge, t-hc Thomas King, was fitted with a ssndpump to cope with the sand drift. The harbor now gave the accommodation that it was originally estimated would be provided, but it was felt thab the growing trade of the port and the increasing productivity of the district required something better. This the Board was unable to do out of their ordinary revenue, though they did widen the wharf and improved the breakwater.

Accordingly it Was decided to raise ft further loan, and in WOS Parliamentary sanction was obtained for a further loan of £300,000. After considerable opposition, from some country ratepayers had been met or overcome, a poll was carried, giving the ratepayers' consent to the loan, £275,000 of Which was successfully floated in 1909, and out of which £125,000 was available after the repayment of the balance of the old loan for the extension of the harbor works and the purchase of the dredge Paritutu. The work since then has been steadily carried on until to-day the harbor Is able to accommodate any vessel trading to New Zealand, this being the goal aimed at.