NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 May 1919, Page 5

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. Captain C. A. Atkin, of "tie OrisM» uow in pvrt, is agreeably surprised thai ; New Plymouth lias such a good harbor. He was told before he came here that there was no safe harborage, and that cargo had to be taken in from lighten, but he was soon disillusioned. He hss not seen much of the New Zealand ports, but he can predict for a harbor serving ' a country so productive as Taranaki a big future. He has made the most of his opportunities this week to view the country, and had the good fortune to nee it on a clear day from the Mountain House. "Never seen anything liner 111 all my life," he acknowledged to A News' representative. What ia being done from Taranaki land and the price the hud is fetching were a revelation to him. "You know," the Captain (aid, "your district is highly favored by Nature iA fvery way. You have about as good a climate as a man could wish for, the mountain acting as a condenser and supplying you with the mofetafe thsfc gives your land such wonderful productiveness. You also have, at Moturot, the makingß of a harbor second to num. The Sugarloaves have been planted there to help you build your harbor. Why, If we had them at Madras they would fee worth millions of pounds to us. At Madras we are building a breakwater under conditions that are extremely difficult. Piles forty feet long have jto po driven down into the sand, which ip of a shifting character, and each one ha* to carry concrete weighing ten thousand tons. Occasionally we lose the piles an£ > concrete. The monsoon acaaon M*. about six months of the year, and heavy seas are the rule. You can hsve no UUi of the rough weather we have to jpEs up with there. You certainly eamwt' have anything approximating- to ifanig New Plymouth. "Yes, Nature has good tO--ywj, all right. Push on with your bresfcrotqp and your scheme for reclaiming the se§ towards Moturoa, and then tmild yoat eastern wall on the reef that T am fa. formed runs out at the identical spot where the wall should be. Then yon needn't worry about Wellington or any other port, for they won't havo better or safer ljirborage." Captain Atkins pointed out that thy position occupied by New Plymouth was a remarkably favorable one. It coed) be reached without any risk Jay mariners in all weathers. This was an important consideration, especially to oversea y»The navigation of Cook Strait, with its peculiar currents and of the eni&neft to Port Nicholson in heavy or dirty weather placed a great strain on the captain of » vessel who was unused to New Zealand.' New Plymouth was much nearer Australia than any of .the main ports. Tleso were enormous advantages in New Ply-' mouth's favor, which would tell more and more as time went on, because time wu money to a ship, and the entire removal of risk was a factor which was highly important. 'Tush on with your harbor improve, ments with all vigor," the Captain said in conclusion. 'lt will help to develop ' your district as much as anything else can do, and it will make your town « thriving city in a few years. If I wanted to invest money I would put it into land near the waterfront and in the inain business area of your town. It would'do for me." 1 The captain, who is quite a: young < man, and has done his share in keeping. VP .the end of the mercantile fleet against" the attacks of the Him submarines, had <- a good word to say about the local watersidcrs, who, he said, were not afraid of work and ready to do anything" "to expedite loading. The Orissa. will be in port till Monday ' or Tuesday, good progress having been made with the loading of the refinery : plant. , , " *