FERRY STEAMERS' BERTH.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18265, 26 December 1924, Page 13

FERRY STEAMERS' BERTH.

TO TH*' MITOE OF "THZ FM?S." Sir.—As siated in the memorandum, framed by Mr G. J. H. Williams, and addressed to the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, "the question, of the best berth for the Lyttelton-Wcl-lington ferry steamers crops up periodically,' 1 aaid in connexion therewith the observations of Mr Williams are most impartially set down. The position is that while the present berth at No. 2 jetty serves admirably from the viewpoint of the shipping officials, it necessitates shunting tho ferry train back to the Gladstone pier, and the problem, is to obviate,this back shunt. It will bo conceded even by the railway , authorities, that the berthing of tli® ferry is a task attended with risk at. any time, and calling for the • exorcise' of extreme vigilanco. even in favourable circumstances, and that the task is rendered infinitely' more difficult under certain conditions ;of the weather. Tho shipmaster -would find the berthing of his vessel at the Gladstone Pier a much more complicated operation than doing so at No. 2 jetty, and it is unreasonable, therefore, that he should be asked to do so. especially when the many disadvantages attaching, to the location of the Glandstone Pier are obvious to anyone who cares to consider the matter in tho light of ascertained facts. The fact is an ! improvement in the method of dealing- with the ferry trains is called for, not because of. any. shortcoming on the part of-the Union Co., but by reason of the fact that the Railway Department possesses as much energy and "go" ,as a. tired tortoise, and is content to jog along in a go-as-you-please style. It suits the Department to fold its hands and stand still, while other people extricate it from the slough into which it has sunk. •

Before any serious suggestion is put forward 'to berth tho ferry steamers at tho Gladstone Pier, the possibilities of No. 2 jetty should-be exhaustively considered', and one is disposed to ask if competent authorities are satisfied that the problem could not be solved by some modifications and. alterations of the existing layout of tho rails, wherebv trains might be run on and off No. 2 jetty directly from and to tho tunnel. This would entail the crossing of all the tracks in the' railway yard:—a molehill of which the Tfepa/tment will probably mate a mountain—but if the will to carrv out the work is present, the way to do so -with'the least inconvenience .will;soon■ be found. The adoption of this plan would call for a very sharp curve towards the left, but not much more acute than that which at present carries the train to the right as it leaves the jetty. Some structural alterations on the office of the Union 00. might have to be carried out in order to "admit of the new track, but this would be but a trifling prie* to r-ay.for the advantage of having a straight run Netween the tunnel and tho jetty. It is not for the Union Co. to berth the ferry stea.mors »t the Gladstone Pier, hut'for the Railway. Department to make the best use of No. 2 jetty, even if to do so they have to take, not the easiest, hut the jnost •commonsensft wav of overcoming difficulties. There are ether aspects of the ease which could readilv he dealt with, but meantime it is sufficient to -point out that if the Railway Department was as r.n-to-date in its methods as is the Union Shipping Co., the public would not at this date he considering a matter which ought to ha-t-e been dealt-with long ve&rs ago.—Yours, etc.. WATER.STDE WORKER. December 23rd, 1924.