PORT AND CITY.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18681, 3 May 1926, Page 9

PORT AND CITY.

LINKING UP PROBLEM.

FREE ACCESS> TO WHARVES.

YIEWS ON RECENT REPORT.

The report, published in Friday's issue of "The Press," dealing with the problem of improved communication be- | tweeu Christehurch and its port, has | attracted considerable attention, and | has renewed interest in a matter of j v:tal importance to the community. The opinions of some representative men, re- i garding the scheme, were sought by a reporter, and they are appended. Bound to Come. The president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Mr AV. Macliin, gave his opinions in the following statement:— "I think the scheme proposed is most interesting, and speaking generally, I have no doubt in my own mind that sooner or later—possibly sooner than some of us now think—it, or something like it, is bound to come. It js going to be vital to Canterbury that Christehurch should have free and direct access to its wharves, and the day will come when business people will refuse to submit to the present time-wasting method of getting goods and passengers to and from Lvttelton. It is undesirable that both passengers and goods through the Port of Christchurch suffer delays and inconveniences unknown at the other main ports of New Zealand, and I think this militates against the general prosperity of the City and Province. ■ Careful Consideration Urged. 1 "But there are weighty reasons for seriously examining all the facts before embarking on the scheme "suggested, which is estimated to cost at the" lowest £1,250,000 for which sum the general ratepayers of Christehurch and the country around are asked to pledge their properties, and tax themselves to pay interest and sinking fund. It should bo stated that the trade passing through the- port has not increased for many years, and it can only bo increased by the production and manufacture of more goods to go out of Canterbury —which will also mean more raw materials, etc., coming in. Therefore, stress should rather be laid upon production, especially if the present facilities can be made reasonably adequate at reasonable cost, and by better organisation, as I believe they can. "The Railway Department is acknowledged to be giving us hotter service of late, and with the electrification of the tunnel, and the new marshalling yards at Middleton, there should be no difficulty in handling all our goods quickly and easily for years to come, and giving a more expeditious and clean service for passengers. The cost of this schema will be less than one-sixth part of the large plan proposed, and it may be adequate for the next 40 or 50 years. Necessity for Caution. "I cannot see that the major portion of the plan proposed would be revenue-earning, although it might prove very convenient for people with motor-cars; and if that is so, we simply cannot afford it at the present time. "Canterbury, like the whole of NewZealand, is living up to the full extent of its income;, and we are uncomfortably aware that the Dominion's income has been reduced by quite ton million pounds this last season. Therefore, bearing in mind that the Dominion has nearly trebled its Ipcal body indebtedness in the last 20 years, I am strongly of opinion we should not engage in any costly public works during the next few years, unless such will be immediately reproductive, or are proved to be vitally necessary to our economic welfare. Some Assumptions. "There are a lot of ; ill-founded assumptions in the suggested plan. In the parallel comparison between electrification and the Diesel system, item five, it is assumed that it would be a disadvantage to use electricity which could be- generated locally in large quantities, and also that the fuel for the Diesel engines would cost nothing. "Again, the facile suggestion that goods could be taken away by motorears direct from the ship's slings, docs not happen in practice. | Young Men and Public Service. "The happiest thing about tho proposed plan is that a group of young men should have put it forward in a spirit of local patriotism. and service. We want young men in our local administrations. All our public bodies need them! Several and able men have come forward this last year or two, and are doing good work, and getting valuable experience on local bodies. May I suggest to these young men that they allow themselves to be nominated for the Harbour Board and other public bodies in order that they may gain the experience which will enable them to give good public service to their province. "We oould do with half , a dozen of them on the Council of the Chamber of Commerce. "There is a glamour about big schemes, but what about the Press calling on these able young men to help with the thousand and one small drudgeries in tho work of our local bodies. Thus when the time for -big schemes comes they will know what is wanted, an dhow to pay for it." ACCESS TO WHARVES. ESSENTIAL FOR PROGRESS. "We want to get alongside the wharves," said Mr 6. D. Macfarlane, whose long experience in the fruit trade has made him acquainted, often at considerable loss, with the drawbacks and disabilities of shipping through Lyttel ton. The imperfect means of communication between port and city, he maintained, has interfered, and still interferes, with the progress of Christchurch and Canterbury. "Lyttelton may as well be scrapped," he added, "if we don't get access to the wharves. The railway as a means of delivering goods for a short distance is dopmed; it means additional handling, breakages, ullages, and delay. A motor-lorry could come from port practically in the same time as the train, with theimportant difference that the lorry delivers right into your store. Prom our i point of view, the railway is not in it. We want the same access to the wharves as they have in Auckland, I where it is possible for motor-lorries to move 20,000 cases of bananas from the i sheds in three days; that's the sort of thing we want." Better Than a Canal. Mr Macfarlane considered that, if the scheme described was realised, the electrification of the Lyttelton tunnel would be unnecessary.' Electrification was not needed to handle the goods-traffic, and once there was good Toad connexion between city and port, passenger traffic would, not go by train, He had

been • always of tho opinion that tho canal project was too risky to" tackle; the tuhnel road sclicmo would cost less than the. construction of a canal. For, the past ten years his opinion had been that a tunnel'road was the right solution of' tho problem of communication between tho City'and the port, and he was quite in accord with the report published last Friday, the only thjngjie was doubtful about was the ventilation of-the tunnel, but thoso who had studied the matter believed that they could overcome the'difficulty due to the fumes from motors in the tunnel.

Control of Port. "We want Lyttelton to bo under the control of Canterbury, and not under the control of Wellington," Mr Macfarlane affirmed. When the likelihood of the Railway Department refusing to permit vehicles, other than railway vehicles, on the Lyttelton wharves was mentioned, he said, with some emphasis: "I consider we will make the Government do it when the timo comes—they cannot refuse it. The hsrbour doesn't belong to the Government, but to us, and if we are prepared to build proper wharves and provide access by road, the Government will have to do it. There is no such thing as 4he Government standing bnck and saying 'We won't do it.' Tho present means of communication have kept Christchurch and Canterbury back too long, and I am glad to see that the young business men of the City have taken up the question."