BERTHAGE ACCOMMODATION

APPLICATION BY THE NORTHERN

'COMPANY. TnE "following letter from Mr. Charles Ranson, manager of the Northern Steamship Company, was read at fcho meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday afternoon|

We notice from the public press that it is the intention of your Board to run out a jetty at Quay-street, 350 feet long by 90 feet, for the use of the Northern Steamship Company's steamers. I would respectfully bring under your notice'that the increased wharf accommodation for our company is immediately required, and we are led to believe that the proposed jetty would take from eighteen mouths to two years to be made available for our use, and then would not bo sufficient, for our requirements, aa wo would be compelled to have half our fleet at the jetty, and the other half at the northern end of the Queen-street Wharf, making it very awkward and expensive working, both for shippers and the company. If a jotty is to be run out for our sole use, we would require one to accommodate our fleet of about 500 feet long, and 90 feet wide. I must, therefore, respectfully ask your Hoard to let us have increased accommodation at onoo, as we have insufficient at the present time, and we would ask if thfi_ suggestion contained in our letter of July 25,1893, viz., widening and lengthening the eastern tee used by the Wellington and Clansman could not be carried out, and a similar improvement made to the tee used by the Thames and Coromandel steamers, which we are led to believe could be done in a very short time at a small cost.

It was resolved to reply that every effort effort would be mado to give the company increased accommodation as quickly as possible.