PORT FACILITIES

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22111, 5 June 1937, Page 16

PORT FACILITIES

— ♦ QUESTIONS FOR CHAIRMAN OP HARBOUR BOARD Three questions, which he declined to answer, on the ground that they were “frivolous and foolish,” were addressed yesterday to the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr W. K. McAlpine) ,in a statement by Mr K. W. Robinson, of Christchurch. “Either subtlety or coincidence appears in your issue of Thursday, whereby Mr McAlpine’s photograph appeared alongside a very interesting picture of four long rows of heavilyladen trucks of inward goods, which either the Lyttelton Harbour Board or the Railway Department is unable to deliver promptly to the consignees in Canterbury,” stated Mr Robinson. “When Mr McAlpine examined one of those pictures, he must have seen the other and wondered whether the traffic facilities of our port are as efficient as he thinks his board’s petrol fire safeguards are. I do not wish unduly to prolong this discussion nor to deprive him of the last word, but would like to ask him three questions: (1) Will clay walls prevent burning petrol escaping from petrol carrying ships? (2) Will they prevent petrol escaping from tanks if an earthquake crack developed in the reclaimed mud? t 3) If a petrol fire broke out, would 60 firemen and numerous engines be better than 12 good firemen and one engine? “To help him to a correct answer to the last question, I must point out that a number of powerful streams of water from pressure nozzles will drive back petrol burning on the surface of water just as effectively as wind will drive it forward.” The statement was referred to Mr McAlpine by “The Press,” and his comment was brief: “I decline to reply to Mr Robinson because I consider his questions are frivolous and foolish.”