FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 47, 24 February 1934, Page 11

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS JEOM " THE POST

' WELLINGTON HARBOUR WORKS

A scheme of improvements for "Wellington Harbour contained in a report by Mr. C. Napier Bell, MJnst.C.E., was submitted to the Harbour Board at this date fifty, years ago, and was published in "The Post" at that tiino. "The, City of ■Wellington, owing to its central position and -its excellent harbour, is destined to be a port of very considerable importance in these colonies, and the growth of its trado will bo greatly accelerated by the extension of' tho railway lines' and tho consequent increase of cultivation in tho interior," said Mr. Napier !Bcll. "It is easy to foresee that the railway traffic direct to tho port and tho shipping will.form an iin- ' portant part of tho future business of the port, but at present the railway and town traffic are so mixed together that it would not bo advisable .to have wharves entirely devoted to either. The design which I havo the honour to submit to tho board shows a set of wharves adapted for railway traffic, but combined with that of tho town, and fit for the'accommodation of large foreigngoing steamers. These wharves, to bo used for both railway and cart traffic, are necessarily of-groat width. They carry a linoof rails and a shed on each side, and a covered cart-road in tho centre, the rails being connected at tho end by a traverscr. In these sheds goods may be sorted-according to their destination—be romoved by rail or carts while vessels can be loaded and unloaded at tho samo tiino either from the sheds or the railway trucks. WHARVES IN PROSPECT. "Three of these wharves are provided, ono south of the existing railway Tv,harf, and two north of it. Beyond them, near Pipitea Point, a wharf is provided for tho export of timber, which should never be stored in quantities near "or among the shipping, and by this arrangement it can bo kept for shipping at a safo distance. "The space between tho Queen's "Wharf and tho existing Railway "Wharf being the most central and convenient situation in the town, is intended for the use of foreign-go,ing sailing vessels of large size. A quay-wall is shown on tho plan, with a depth of 20ft at • L.W.S.T., ana on the adjacent reclamation there is a valuable site for sheds and warehouses to accommodate tho cargoes of the ships moored alongside. T^he quay-wall for this length of berths must bo , built •at the required depth for its foundation, but the dredging to 20ft may .bo carried out at any time when found to be necessary. '"The Queente "Wharf, under this arrangement, is intended. to be reserved fbr the uso of. coasting .steamers; for "this purpose, its position is very suitable, because they 'can arrivo and depart at all times without in the least disturbing tho rest of the shipping. The outer T is intended to be lengthened towards the south 250 ft whenever it may be required. "To the southward from the Queen's "Wharf the new reclamation which" is being carried out by tho City. Council considerably restricts the area, and occupies, tho'most, sheltered part of tho harbour. • The design, theroforo, can only make tho most of what remains, and try to remedy this injury as far as practicable. I havo endeavoured to interfere 'as -little as possible with this Ripper-tv of^ the,, city, but^it is. necessary WotVoccup'yVsomb ; portion of^^and 7 it may be confidently expected that t"his will add to the value of the remainder. In such»an^ open, exposed, harbour as "Wellington,'subject,at times to very rpugh'weathe'r, itis important to-collect, the'sm'all'crafts of all kinds'out of the' way of large Vessels and steamers, as it seriously impedes saf^navigation to have a large number of boats and small crafts anchored in tho fairway. The new reclamation having occupied' the parts of the harbour where theso could lie in security and out o"f the way; the design provides an enclosed basin to servo the purpose. ... "Tho reclamation in front of ' the Post Oflico will form a, valuable site for stores and warehouses.' I would suggest that tho area shown on the plan at Pipitoa Point should be reserved for the use of ■: tho Harbour Board, the water being shallow. Tho area in question could be reclaimed at a moderate cost, and it is more likely that tho board will require it before many years." "Tho Post," referring to the now harbour improvements, states: —"Mr; Bell assumes the Te A'rb reclamation to be, completed to. the extreme extent of tho Corporation grant, i.e., nearly to Meech's baths, and out of tho reclaimed area he takes sites for a graving dock (with adjacent jetty), a .patent slip, and a boat harbour or wet dock large enough to hold a' dozen, vessels of not more than 150 ft in length." NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRIES. . "It is pointed out by Mr. W. N. Blair, M.lnst. C.E.,. in an able lecture which he recently delivered on New Zealand industries, that tho developments and fluctuations of'particular New Zealand industries in tho past has been remarkable," states "The Post." "The export of New Zealand flax, or phbi-mium tenax, which was almost nil in 1866, had reached a valuo of £143,799 in 1873, but hrfd 'fallen ' to £7874 by 1879, rising to £41,935 "in 1882. There aro now forty flaxmills and eighteen ropo and line works in the colony, employing-over 400 hands. Timber was exported to the valuo of £92,984 so long ago as 1853, but fell to £9392 only two years later. Nearly half : thc wholo timber trade of Now Zealand in 1853 was with "Wellington and Nelson, and hero also, Mr.. Blair points out, was tho greatest collapse— for two years afterwards the exports from these two places was only £1431. Wellington has, however, made a fresh start within the last, two years, exporting £5817 worth of sawn timber in 1882, in which year, too, tho total New Zealand export of timbor had risen to £114,700. ~. . Some curious instances are given of variations in prices of wool, For instaneo, the valuo of the wfeol export of 1880 was less by nearly a quarter of a million sterling than that of 1876, although the quantity exported was greater by, more than seven million pounds. Frozen meat, which 'appeared for the first timo among our exports in 1882, is estimated to reach an export, value of £ 350,000 this year (1884)." : THE EARLY SETTLERS. In a letter to "The Post" a correspondent, Thomas Bould, says that some eight or nine years ago he suggested that the Government should preserve the names of the early' ; settlers. Ho suggested that the Government should erect a monument in the city of Wellington, it'being the first placo that tho settlers landed, with the inscribed names of the early settlers who arrived, say, from 1840 to 1843. Tho Government did not appear to recognise the suggestion, said Mr. Bould. He, therefore, suggested "that tho Government prepare an illuminated memorial of ■ tho names of the pioneers on parchment, and place the same in the Colonial. Museum as a colonial record of those spirited men who undertook to make homes for'themselves and' families in an isolated'country.' Generation after, generation^* would feel proud, of : their forefathers''names'being handed down in historyV as the-Jfpunders'df New Zealand." •'.." ' ' •• ; ■