CANAL LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16162, 16 March 1918, Page 4

CANAL LEAGUE.

MfcIETIXG OF EXECUTIVE. A meeting of the executive of the Canal League wna held last niglit, Mr Chas. Allison presiding-. The chairman, in his report, criticised tho various schemes for the improvement of the communication between Iho city and the port. The enlargement, or duplication, of the present tunnel, he «aid, would only he partial and palliative. As to a. road tunnel, Ho was o£ opinion that it would bo quito nn-.vorkablo without a bo'i.sb irig the special rights of the Railway Department over tho wharves and reclaimed land, and its right to work cargo from tho ship,. A traffic road over tho hilli? would bo very expensive Jo keep in repair, r.nd its use would entail great loss of time and expenditure for haulage. He approved of tho proposal for a firstclass port four miles from the city, and suggested that the City Council should convene a meeting of residents of Greater Christchurch to consider the question. Dr. Thacker, M.P., referred at eoine length to Mr Cyrus AVilliams's report, which he described as an excellent one, and asserted that as soon as tho Arthur's Pasa tunnel \va9 competed a great necessity would ariss for n deep-«oa harbour. He urged tho construction of u new harbour on this side of the hills, to allow of its use by vessels drawing 40 feet. The fact that it would require an expenditure of £"."0,000 to make Lytteltcn harbour fit for such large vessels was his ftronge-st argument against any attempt to bring it up to date. They required to talis a comprehensive view of the matter and to recognise that, as a harbour. Lyttclton was merely a "doll's bos." He moved: — "That this meeting upproves the conclusion*! arrived at in Mr Allison's report on the echemes referred to in Mr Cyrus Williams's report." Mr J. W. Patchetl. seconded tho motion. The chairman said that his report condemned the proposals for enlarging the tunnel or constructing a traffic Toad, and afI firmed the desirableness of a deep-sea port on this side of the hills, but did not commit the League to any of the proposed schemee for such port. . Dr. Thncker remarked that Mr "Williams's roport bristled with bifigures, designed, in his (the speaker's) opinion, to frighten tho public. With the present improved machinery. ho believed that a deep-sea harbour could lie constructed for £700,000. Mr T. Harker urged that the League should put a. definite scheme before the public. The motion was agreed to unanimously. Dr. Thacker announced that after Monday's meeting of the Harbour Improvement Committee of the Harbour Board, at which Mr Williams's report is to be considered, he would give to Mr Allison details of three schemes in his (the -spenker'fi) r>o3sefsion. Mr .T. Little moved lo the cffect that it is desirable, provided the scheme is proved to be remunerative, lo float a company to immediately ooen up the eetuary for carrying on the coal and'timber trade, the harbour to be constructed under the auspices of tho Lytielton Harbour Board and the City Council, cither body *o have the rierlit to resume possession of the work on refunding to the com pan v the money snent thereon with intercut. The mover explained bis proposal at fomo length. The mot ; cn was not seconded, and therefore lapsed.