NELSON HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT.

IK OPENING OF THE NEW CUT. Mr . an ICCESSFUL AND ENTHUSIASTIC am DEMONSTRATION. :\s stated in our issue yesterday, the iv entrance to Nelson Harbour through ■ Ot j Boulder Bank was oilieially opened i sterday, the passage of the Union S.S. mipany's steamer Rotoiti out and in, d her departure via the cut for Yv'eligton being entirely successful. The tall charge of admission on board (6d), in c proceeds going to the Hospital, at- th icted a great crowd. Long before the mr named for the start (1 p.m.) the Pi ssel was packed, and tho Customs De- ai irtment prevented hundreds from going Oi l board. Even the members of the ot arbour Board were among the excluded, en 11, at the request of the Chairman, m lecial permission was given to enable ti iom to go on board. The Government of harf also was lined with a throng, while G le hills around the Port were crowded ni ith onlookers. The Harbour Board <!' lg Gordon took to the Boulder Bank w ime hundreds of people, who had a fine iew of the passage from the breastwork bj nd mole. As punctually as possible the Rotoiti Captain Robeitson), under the charge H f Captain Collins, Pilot and Harbour- n laster, left the wharf with her immenso 1( lad, and never in the history of Nelson D as a Union Company's boat gone out of nd re-entered the harbour with so many t. leople aboard. Shortly after leaving, t( nd when opposite Burford's wharf, a f ew minutes delay was caused by a hin- n [ranee to the machinery, which those a vho know best are not disposed to re;ard as entirely accidental. But the " litch was discovered in a few minutes, t md thereafter the Rotoiti made the pas- £ ;age outward and in again with entire J mcceGS. It should be mentioned that J he time was two and a-half hours before {; ligh tide (neaps), and that at the same j; noment the passage of the old entrance j; would have been difficult for the vessel, r if not, indeed, impossible. On approaching the new cut it was ■; found that the usual custom on such t occasions had been adhered to, a ribbon j of colours and the Graham tartan having been stretched across. The Rotoiti . breasted the ribbon in fine style, and broke through the light barrier amid rousing cheers from aboard and from the • Boulder Bank. After the passage had ' been made cheers were also given on board for the Chairman and members j of the Harbour Board, for Captain Collins (the pilot), for Captain Robeitson, j and for the Union Company, while on returning cheers were givtm from the Bank , for Mr Graham. On returning to the wharf it was seen that an immense crowd was assembled there awaiting the vessel, and the Rotoiti was berthed amid enthusiastic cheers from aboard and ashore. Before the populace dispersed, Mr Graham, M.H.R., Chairman of the Harbour Board, delivered an address from the bridge, and officially declared the new cut safe for navigation and open for traffic till further notice. He called for three cheers for the captain and officers and crew of the Rotoiti, and for the Union S.S. Company. The cheers having been heartily given, Captain Robertson briefly responded, saying the new entrance was a great success. Mr Graham, continuing, said all must be grateful for the typical Nelson weather which had been vouchsafed to thorn for the primary opening of the i-v w entrance to the harbour, and for the public demonstration on that important occasion. The work which had been undertaken by the Harbour Board was now partially completed, and it had been successfully demonstrated, that even under present conditions vessels like the Rotoiti could go through in comfort, and safety. That accomplishment of the great" undertaking was of utmost importance to Nelson, her progress, and her well-being. (Cheers.) Doubts had been cast on the scheme — it had been industriously said that a vessel would never go through the proposed cvt — but that clay it had been shown that one of the Union Company's fine boats had made the passage with success. (Applause.) Although not yet completed, the new cut was 200 ft wide, even if it was a "ditch," as it had, been called, it could be compared with that other "ditch," the Suez Canal, which carried the world's shippine, but which was not nearly as wide as the Nelson entrance. (Applause.) \\ hen the other section of the new entrance was cut. the whole would be virtually a good deal wider than the Suez Canal. It was hoped that then there would be no more croaking, and that day's demonstration of the feasibility of the new channel should prove to all that a great work had been done. (Applause.) Mr Graham thanked those fellow-mem-bers on the Harbour Board who had stood by him through good and evil report, especially the seven members who had been on the Board since its origination. They had held together, and now they were entitled to congratulate the people on the success of the scheme to which they had pledged themselves. (Applauso.) He acknowledged the powerful aid the old members of the Board had given him, and he also thanked the new members for any assistance rendered. Mr Graham also feelingly acknowledged the encouragement and kindness he had. received from the late Mr Seddon, and from the present Premier, Hon. Hall-Jones. Referring to the executive officers of the Board, Messrs Barrowman (the Engineer), McHarg (Dredgemaster), , Catley (Secretary), and Captain Collins (Harbourmaster and Pilot), Mr Graham said he was proud to be the nominal head of such a staff of men, who had the interests of the work so much at heart, and he expressed his appreciation of the manner in which they tarried out their various duties. Happy was the man, who, as head of a local body, had such confidence in h>a ex'peutive officers as lje had. Humours had bet-n ejaculated, that the Harbour Board was bankrupt, and that the works were going to be a failure. He claimed that no Harbour Board in the colony had accomplished as much as they had, with the limited sum of money they had to cany out such a large work, and" he quoted the figures in connection with the expenditure given in our issue of yesterday. Thu statement showed that the actual expenditure on work (apart from plant) had been only £14,529, while there remained in sight a sum of £21 ,'129 yet uiißMJunded: 'T" L ' expenditure on work had been less than half thccost of plant. The south mole, too, had been miiclo much more uubnUntiiil and stable than the original plan intended and it had cost less than the estimate. Before starting on the undertaking he and Mr McKeiizle, M H-R had insisted on there being sufficient endowments and revenue for the Harbour Board to pay not only working expenses, but also in-^ terest on the sum borrowed for narbour improvement. The ratepayers, therefore, would not bd saddled with ')• c genny of taxation in the way of rates. [o hoped the time would soon com: when the Union Steam Ship Company's Btpameu'S would enter and leave the harbour at any state of the tide, ai.d that a service similar to that existing between Wellington and I,.vUoHon would bo run between Nelson and Wellington. It would be of great convenience and benefit to the travelling public. He believed that th:i completion of the harbour works, the extension of the railway, and the opening up of lands for settlement would create a new era of pros- . nerity, for which they had been iong . waiting- Mr Graham thanked those ; present for tha kindly Interest that had i promoted then) to attend in such large numbers, and before declaring the newcut open for traffic, he said he bore no mal|r« towards anyone who had opposed the works. Now that they had demon- . stratod the possibilities of the new en- . trance, he would let bygones be bygones, , and I<6 asikpd tha public to trust the men ( whose whole heart and desire were in , the successful completion of tho harbour works. Mr Graham then declared the new entrance open for traffic until further notice. j The great audience then dispersed. Before the members of (}i? Board left the ( Rotoiti, at the invitation of Mr Price, t S T elson manager of the Union Company, , itfht refreshments were partaken of, and h .he health of the Union Company was mthusiastically honoured. It should be tated^hat the members of the Harbour ; 3oard present on the Rotoiti were — Mr Jraham, M ; H.R. (Chairman), Messrs ' v

leman, Franklyn, Hanby, Hounsell, w iliciizic, Hi. U.K., 'i'alijut, Xrask, h L.C Air Bisioy was absent owing to \. important uugagumuut uisuwheiu, ;mu e( rf. liust was indisposed. Alt field, s cv-niemott of tliu liourd, was alio t long Ins old colleagues. ft