CHRISTCHURCH CANAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 7, 8 July 1909, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH CANAL.

■ • 9 A REPORT. [BY TELEGRAPH — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, 7th July. The canal question bulked largely on the agenda paper of the Lyttelton Harbour Board meeting to-day. The Finance Committee submitted their second >nterim report, and there was a long and afc times acrimonious discussion. The committee recommended that the canal should not go beyond Heathcote Bridge. The committee unanimously agreed to accept the railway figures as per an annexed statement by the Railway Department as a correct return of the railway earnings for conveying goods on the Lyttelton-Christchurch line. The committee decided to accept the board's engineer's estimate of the probable increase in the trade of the port of Lyttelton in his report dated 25th November, 1905, as defined in table 1 of that report, on the basis of the increase during the 23 years previous to the date of the said leport. The committee is further of opinion that, in view of the fact that there is no probability of a unanimous report on the financial aspect of the proposed work being arrived at by the committee, the members of it be asked to bring up a minority and a majority report. The return referred to gave the gross levenne earned from the goods traffic on the Lyttelton line for the four weeks ended 29th February, 1908 (summer), and for the four weeks ended 15th August, 1908 (winter) at £13,207. with a total estimate for the year of. £85,845, on the basis of the above periods as an average. Tho extract mentioned gave the assumed quantity of goods to be dealt with and the approximate income deiivable from the trade generally for the next 30 years. After a long difceuaeion the rojaort wui adopted. ,