PORT AND CITY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19310, 15 May 1928, Page 11

PORT AND CITY.

TO. THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. sr,—After making their sweeping itatcment that no port in the South Island could be named where a Govtrnment penny had been spent on wharves- carrying railway tracks, I am j pleased to note tlio Port and City Committee have, after being put right oil the matter, decided to limit their itatement to what they designate the main trade centres ot tlte South lsMd,.quoting Lyttelton, T'imaru, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, and the Bluff. Port tJhalmers' wharves are owned and maintained by the Government in any case. It is reasonable to assume a main trade centre, in a discussion on wharf ownership, refers to the amount of shipping .at such centre. Do the conmittee-know that the shipping at and Greymouth is in excess'of Dunedin or the Bluff? The committee )n their last letter convenientlyiignore any reference to Westport 1 and Greymouth. Their statement as to wharf-ownership there, the location of State mines,;and tho innovation of cooperative coal. mining was so inaceuratej they are well advised to say no-thing-thatmay lead to further corro tions. In their, second statement the committee said ''the Picton wharf was only'"used by a handful of tourists." When!, put;:-right I 'on the matter they state ;."We;are perfectly aware that is; a certain amount of trade and passenger traffic." As previously stated, I brought the inaccuracies of the committee's statements under .notice feolely;jn the■ interests of correct inrorjnatnwtt.vand I am not "an advocate or Government control of other peoples -.•r I !aires," the comimuttee's..sneer; notwithstanding, nor am. £&; Ml0 e y or •- led herrings." tton, eftuse, however worthy, and the sooner thev' from the stock in trade' of the; >:committee's propaganda the more friends,.will their cause attract. I- note "We (the committee) 'have-.:quite, enough; to do in* dealing with Lyttelton;" I appreciate this, fortheir/general knowledge of . wharf conditions elsewhere is decidedly open to etc.. ' " WHARFIE.