" SUPREMA A SITU." WELLINGTON'S ADVANCEMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 25, 30 January 1908, Page 8

" SUPREMA A SITU." WELLINGTON'S ADVANCEMENT.

AN IMPORTANT SPEECH. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HARBOUR BOARD. Wellington has made great progress in harbour works, but the tale of progress is not all told yet. This afternoon the Hon. T. K. Macdonal3, chairman of the Harbour Board, gave tho opinions which he promised at the annual meeting. The annual leport of the engineer, with its accompanying statements of account, he said, which were submitted at the statutory meeting of the board' recently, dealt, so fully with tho past that members who have carefully read these documents were possessed of a complete knowledge of the workings of tho Wellington Harbour Board during the past year. As tho future, however, was in rjlaiiy ways of deeper importance than the past, and this would be the last meeting of the present board, it might be convenient for him, after two yeais' of that special experience which came to every chairman of the board, toformulato his conclusions as to -rhat should' be done in that respect by the board Muring the forthcoming year. NORTH ISLAND DEVELOPMENTS Nothing could be more certain than the fact that every succeeding year would see enormous changes in that vast extent of land lying between the cities of Wellington and Auckland. The completion this year of the Main North Trunk lino of railway would revolutionise all the conditions of settlement and commerce in that quarter of the Dominion. Already new townships were being created all along the railway route, and with the extended facilities now offering to farmers to settle upon the Crown and native lands and build up new homes, there would bo a wonderful influx of population. It was impossible that such changes could take place without vastly increasing both the import and export trade of the city and port of Wellington. This in its turn meant a revolution in the shipping trade. Sailing ships had made way for steamers, and steamers were growing larger and more complete every year. Wharves and sheds that ten years ago were, not only up to date, but in front of requirements, were to-day inadequate. It was therefore absolutely necessary to at once increase the area of berthage and shed accommodation, or the board might see the deplorabla spectacle of large steamers arriving from abroad and having to lie out in the harbour to wait for berths in order to discharge cargoes. "WORKS ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED." This of course would not be allowed to exist, and the executive heads oi the board fully realise the responsibilities of the present position. It was therefore the duty of the board without delay to take steps to provide the moneys required to keep the port of Wellington at i»3 present high standard, and to undortako such additional works as would completely provide for the yearly expansion of trade activities. The works absolutely required forthwith were as follows, of which the first eight named were now in progress :—: — Petone wharf and works incidental thereto, King's wharf and stores, Clydequay wharf, mooring buoys, fire hydrants, hydraulic jiggers, hydraulic cranes for King's wharf, Worthington pumping engine, boiler house extension, road formation, Te'Aro reclamation east, road formation, Waterloo-quay reclamation, drainage, waterloo-quay reclamation, wood-blocking Customhouse and Jervois-quays, completing retaining wall Waterloo-quay reclamation, filling-in, street formation, water service, etc., Waterloo-quay reclamation, filling in, etc., Te Aro reclamation west, PipMtea wharf, with cranes, lighting, etc., wool slore Z, Waterloo-quay north, restoring Queen's wharf approach to outer tee and blocking and repairing deck, widening outer tee, Queen's wharf, with sheds and cranes complete, connecting Jervois-quay staging and Taranakistreet' wharf, To Aro wha^rf with two stores, cranes, and water service, alteration P store for office purposes, electric light installation, dredging Lambton harbour, dredging Falcon shoal, alteration head office building for bond. EXPENDITURE OF £586,500. These works represent it in all an expenditure of £586,500. In addition to this amount there was the purchase of the Patent Slip, £25,000, and the cost of reclamation of land, dredging, construction of berthage accommodation, construction of vetaining walls, street formation, interest and contingencies, estimated to cost in all £110,000, or, a total in connection with the Patent Slip and its developmental works of not less than £1,65,000. THE PATENT SLIP. It might be of interest for him \o say that the negotiations which 'had been proceeding for some time with the Union Company, for the purchase of its interest in the Patent Slip Company had not corn* to a definite issue. This being so, he recommended that, in accordance with the resolution of the board, adopted on the sth December last, tho tolicitovß should be asked to proceed at once and give effect to that resolution, which meant the compulsory acquisition of tho property under the powers vested in the board. That this should be necessaiy was a matter of grave regret/ and "the Harbour Board had a right to feel strongly in the way in which it, as guardian of great public interests, have been treated by the directors of the Wellington Patent Slip Company, and the Wellington Gas Company, acting- jointly in this matter. The Union Sto.im Ship Company was quite within its rights in purchasing the interest or the major portion of the shareholders ¦in the Patent Slip Company—ho found no fault with them. They had so acted that they ran without friction ask the Harbour Board to assist, it to effectively increase its scope of operations in connection with the working of its great fleet, and it had a. right (consistent with a duo regard to the interests of the general public) to have loyal arsir.tance from the members of the board. THE EVANS BAY RECLAMATION. In addition to the expendilme to winch he had already refjrred, he would aik the board to proceed at onc^ wiwi the work of adding to the industrial advantages of Wellington an area of land at Evans Bay in accordance with the resolution already arrived at. As they were aware, this work had been postponed in consequent of tho high estimate placed urop otcep hill siues by many of their owners. This would require to be met with by asking the Compensation Court to ascertain the true values of such properties. It was estimated that the first instalment of the reclamation connected with this work would absorb tho board's energies for tho next three years, and that it would only be necessary to provide a sum of £151,336 for the work during that period. This would, in every sense, be a leproductive work. It would, of course, bo necessary to provide for wharves, etc. (connected with tho industrial Mork which will be an active factor there), . at a later data..

It would, therefore, be seen from his remarks thai no leFs a sum than £872,836 must be faced as expenditure to place the port of Wellington during the next three years in the position which its rapidly-growing commercft imperatively demanded. A MILLION. Parliament should therefore be asked next session for authority to be given to the board to raise one million for necessary harbour works. This would moan an assured finance— an absolute necessity— if the success of the board during the past twenty-five years was to be maintained. It would, of course, bo nerassary to readjust the question of revenue, so as to make proper provision for the additional payments which would be imposed upon the board as the. outcome of the construction of the necessary works to which he had referred. He proposed calling togsther a special meeting of the board in a, few days so that full details of what would bo necessary might be laid before the members, and carefully considered. In this matter the trua interests, of the port would bs best preserved by exercising great caution, and having always in mind that Wellington must remain now, as in the past, supreme as the great- chief port of the Dominion, having a higher standard of efficiency and less charges i-uan was possible for other ports lacking its magnificent position and natural advantages.^