The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 298, 15 July 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1868.

Eveex one appears to be agreed as to the necessity there is to get a tug and harbor boat for this port, and as one fact is worth a bushel of argument, so have recent occurrences made this more abundantly manifest. * Two Melbourne boats have arrived at the Buller wi.hin the last month or so, and both have through some cause or other been out knocking about on the Coast for some time after their arrival. Whether they could have been fetched in sooner or or not is not for us to say, but it is certain that a harbor boat might at least have landed the passengers, and saved them much alarm and inconvenieiice. There is no doubt thr.t the owners of vessels have a perfect right to let them remain at sea or come up to their destination as they please, but it is, to say the least of it, very unfortunate when vessels are repeatedly meeting with delay on their various trips. At a distance without doubt it will be set down to the dangerous coast, and it is by no means impossible that freights will rise in consequence, and that owners will fight very shy in engaging in so risky a trade. Now whether the port deserves a bad character or not is well-known to all residents, and it is needless to enlarge on what is generally admitted fact and one beyond all dispute, viz., that it is the best by far of those established on the West Coast. It is certain, however that if we wish this to be generally known, we must provide facilities for the receipt and discharge of cargo or passengers, other than we have at present. It is true that we have a steamer, without hands, in port, and this boat was here ten days or a fortnight ago, when the bar was smooth, tides favorable, and there was nothing apparently, except the want of a crew, that should have prevented any large vessel from being brought to the wharf with ease and safety. No doubt the owners had reasons satisfactory to themselves for laying that vessel up and it is not for us to enquire into or question them. At the same time the public generally, and the mercantile community are vitally interested in rendering access to this port as easy as possible; and, as it is quite certain that the interests of any one firm and that of the body of the people cannot always be identical, it is obviously to the advantage of Westport to talce such steps as will most advantage itself. - It has been suggested by our local contemporary that the Government should be called on to subsidise a tug-boat for remaining on the station, and without doubt such a course would be beneficial if it could be carried out. It would, however, be impossible at present, at all events; the estimates are just passed, the year's funds are apportioned, and the case is not sufficiently urgent to justify the Executive in entering into any unauthorised expenditure on this account. The solution of the difficulty, we conceive, would be best accomplished by providing, as they did at the Grey, a tug and harbor boat of our own. Every merchant who has business with other places, every trader to whom regular and direct mail communication is an object, every person who wishes or has necessity to travel, and indeed nearly everyone iu the district is immediately interested in the question. Every house or firm at a distance, whether in Melbourne, Sydney, or the provincial porta* of New Zealand, having business connections with Westport, is concerned, and the necessary capital to form a tug company as at Qreymouth could, we feel certain, be readily ob tained if the scheme was earnestly set about. The duties of a boat suitable, would be manifold, and the profits of the speculation certain, whilst a comparatively small capital would suffice, inasmuch as her sepvices would be more those of a tender than a tug boat, and a vessel of less power than weuld be necessary in a first-class tug, would answer all purposes. By means of a handy vessel regular communication could be kept up with Charleston, Brighton, Mokininui, or other places if occasion arose. A weekly regular service could be arranged between these places, and could be rendered profitable in one or way other. Vessels of moderate tonnaeg even if the boat was not of great power ouldal ways depend upon being brought

in, and what is more at established and I moderate rates. For these purposes' alone a steamer would pay handsomely, as well as bo of almost incalculable service to the port, but there is another service in which she would prove invaluable, and that is in tendering the larger boats that now trade regularly to Hokitika and Grcymouth, the Panama Company's boats more especially. Could we but ensure these boats prompt discharge, and a stationary steamer on which they could depend, the Panama vessels could readily be induced to visit us regularly, and we, in return, could show them immediate and profitable returns in the shape of passengers, gold, and cargo. Our mail services with Australia, America, Europe, and other places, would be fixed and regular. Direct shipments could be had to or from any places that the Panama vessels trade to, and the advantages that would flow from such a connection could hardly be over estimated. What with one employment and another boat would be kept busily and usefully at work, and such an investment would be alike productive of profit to the shareholders, and good directly or indirectly to every member of the community. Such a speculation must, we think, commend itself to every business man in the place. Westport will always be hampered in a greater or less degree till it has a tugboat of its own, and we do hope that recent occurrences may stimulate the public into procuring it without delay.