WELLINGTON CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 46, 24 February 1913, Page 8

WELLINGTON CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS

"CAUTION, PRUDENCE, AND REA SON ABLENESS. ' ' The criticisms which were made to The Po3t as to the Wellington Board's deep-water-berth policy were brought "tinder the notice of the Chairman (Mr. R. Fletcher). It was pointed out that the harbour master had made frequent reports, emphasising thfe necessity of a more active policy of wharf extension. This the. Chairman admitted- was. quite correct, and the harbour master was | quite right in emphasising the matter. ! "But the policy the board has adopted," | he added, "is one of caution and prndence, and reasonableness. The board certainly does not intend to pursue a policy of extravagant expenditure. It does not lack foresight; it has not overlooked the needs of the future ; it is not unmindful of the fact that this is the day of the big ship. . Extra accommodation will have to be provided— -we know ihat; but we do not wish to spend a lot of money just at present. We are cutting our coat- according to our cloth. There is a good reason for this : If we spent a lot of money on wharf extension just now, then the charges vould be heaped up, and the ships or somebody would have to pay. There can be no question about that, "IN HUSH TIMES. 1 ' There will always be some coagcstioii at the wharves in rush times. When such rushes oscur we, lik^ any other business undertaking, will be a bit pushed for accommodation. These aTo abnormal circumstances, and they happen to everyone and every-tbtisinpss. But I can say this : We have always succeeded in getting anything through without delay and in providing fc he accommodation. "With regard to the port facilities and the prospect of the mail liners coming to New Zealand, 1 can say that representatives of the North German Lloyd and ( the German-Australian Line .have seen the port, ite accommodation, and cargo handling appliances, and they were much impressed, and were pleased with all they saw. If those lines did not elect to come to New Zealand it was due to other circumstances than the facilities the port of Wellington could not offer them. If those circumstances were favourable, I have no doubt in my own mind that those lines would .enteT the trade and call at Wellington. The circumstances referred to are beyond New Zealand's control altogether. There may be possibilities in opening up trade De-tw-een the Eastern ports of Canada and the United States by the Panama Canal, and if that be so Wellington is already capable of doing its part as a port. I am convinced that the only policy we are justified in pursuing is one of steady progress and caution. We do not want to spend money extravagantly. Already we nave spent £25,000 to £30,000 in repairing and renewals and making improvements generally. I think the board's business has been managed during tho past three and a half yeaTs better than it has ever been managed before. ' . With regard to Pipitea Wharf, Mr. Fletcher said the depth to p be reached would be so great, and the difficulties of procuring suitable lengths of hardwood piles were also so great, that the board would be forced to build that wharf in reinforced concrete. It would take from two to three years to build. With regard to other new works, it would bo seen that he had given notice to move for the construction of a new shed at Waterloo-quay breastwork. This would be 80ft by 3Mffc. Mr. Fletcher was reminded of the congestion of wool in the sheds a, few weeks ago. That arose, he said, through the brokers not giving sufficient explicit information as to what was to be done with the wool. A suggestion made that the board should not handle wool forwarded to local brokers brought from him the reply that in his opinion the railway should deliver wool as other goods to the brokers to whom it was forwarded. The board made some money out of the existing arrangement, but it was very little ; in fact, it barely paid. The board was doing what the Railway Department ought to do. However, if he were returned he would ask the board to go into the whole* question of the reception of wool for local sales, and he believed tho board would go into it thorongb.lv, arid arrive at a satisfactory solution of the difficulties that had arisen.