HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 79, 3 April 1911, Page 6

HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

(To the-Edltor. , * - -•.V^; Sir,—That the new Harbour. Board WfS : be almost -wholly composed, i of. elected members is something to be thankful for. It will, I hope, be the mean* of i relief to the-local shipping and the local industries on the* f ©restore. It does not seem to have occurred to the present Board to do anything tot us except to try to increase our taxation. We iukrt had no change in, the berthing depart* ment for many year*, but in the case of our local fleet of small sailing vessel*, intercolonial, coastal and island, the berthing accommodation is deplorable; eaoh one of our one hundred and fifty members can tell bis own Btoxy of time lost from ffcimd to time 'through the want of berthing aooommodaition. ■ This cannot be the fault of the Harbour-master's department, as under the same department before the so-called (harbour., improve, mehte began, Auckland harbour wa» heaven. If anyone wishes to know.what' it is now, let him ask any master 'Mm§. Auckland's sailing fleet. I hope some pjspj our -retiring membere seeking re-election, who are -not afraid -to speak, will try and tell -what they have done or intend to >. try and do far us. Some of the defenders of the plan of the co-called,. improvements have wished to say from time to time that Shipmasters approved d! them, or were consulted." ! I' maintain that 95 per cent of the men who have for years, and are now,' Wttong shipe at Auckland utterly disapproto OiVi; the present, plan of. so-called improvements* I ■will.only allude fa> the principal one—Queen-Btreet wharf. What would • -business maneay of a.workihop or place of ibu&iness thai 'would cbst'hiji ■: some thousands of ipounde to lalter or ~ improve, tak« three timee the amount 6fif| land or street frontage, and then to find lie had a place that Would accommodate '■ only half 'the amount of customers or.iji machinery than before? That ie exactly >' wtoat Queen-street wharf "will be when aft \ the thousands of pounds are epent on it. I have seen, before the improyemente commenced, six large ships-and six small : ones at fche eaid wharf. Someone said jf to a Harbonr Board official the other,day :...■■' that'the Queen-street wharf would . only 'hold four large ships, but' the official maintained it would hold. five.. If .it ie not to late (and I maintain it is not) 1 will ask you to get tfhe opinions of all the master mariners who have used ou r harbour. If you.were to-do this, ' sir, I am sure that the opinions of the above, if they could all be published, would startle your readers. One of your ; correspondents, under the name of • "Scout," told your readers that sontt masters of large liners approved of Hie plan—try and get one to approve of It now. Sir, I cotrtd fill 'two of your ■<■■: able columns witfli reasons why the Notts Island electors would give us some relief by electing a Board composed of mfem-. : -'j bers pledged to a reformed progressive policy. The Auokland-local Shipbuilding and local shipqpring are closely intwrwovea with Auckland's interests. The hundred thousand pouinds that comes through the hands of chip and boat ,, builders does not stay in *heir ppekete-" > like our own tha.ntearoed •. snoney\ ill '•"■ finds ite way up the town.—l am, etc, r ';) WIIXIAMUOSS. Of the Coastal Masters' Association.' ' __ "^ftJJJBa