“WHAT ARE DUNEDIN’S PRESSING NEEDS?”

Evening Star, Issue 17710, 11 July 1921, Page 8

“WHAT ARE DUNEDIN’S PRESSING NEEDS?”

TO HIE EDITOR. Sir,—First of all let mo congratulate tho Hon. Mark Cohen on the excellent article under tho above heading that appeared in your Friday's issue. looks back on tho many fruitful years spent on behalf of the citizens of Otago by the hou. gentleman one can only feel that it kTa pity that some of that public-spiritedness and concentration of purpose had not been more in evidence on the Otago Harbor Board.

To quote from tho article under tho above caption, and referring to the Pelichet Bay reclamation, Mr Cohen says; Why have its initiation and completion been so long delayed? Two answers are suggested. Primarily on account of tlie Great Muir, and, secondly, by reason of the shifty policy of the board. Am I travelling beyond the record when

I say the board has never yet committed itselt to a definite, comprehensive, and thoroughly progressive policy? If ray contention bo seriously challenged, I would point to the half-dozen or more disjointed, immature schemes dotted al! over our harbor, not one of which has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. In fine, Otago Harbor is well stocked with monuments of comparative inefficiency which should serve as fingerposts of warning against the perpetuation of wasteful expenditure, and should enforce the concentration of effort, together with unity of purpose, without which no big scheme can be successful!’,’ operated. . . . Divided counsels will wreck' any scheme; the “go-slow” policy of the board has been most harmful ; and irresolution is to bo deprecated ouito as much as want of vision. . . . I was surprised that tho Minister, if he had been primed well as to the history of past negotiations, did not open out on the board for not showing any disposition to act on tho letter of its bond. This opinion as expressed by Mr Cohen Ls also shared by many of the citizens of Dunedin, and also of Otago, and those who have been interesting themselves in the furtherance ol tho duplication and straightening of the Dunedin-Port Chalmers railway lino; those who regret the passing of iako Logan and hopefully look forward to something belter than the present unsightly spectacle—those, in fact, who long for something definite in the way of the cleaning up of our foreshore have of late year’s had sufficient reason to share that opinion also. One cannot help but agree that this ineptitude of the board has been in evidence now for many years, and this despite continual agitation from the citizens generally, from public bodies such as the Expansion League, and others, and despite even the’efforts of Mr Cohen himself when, in his journalist capacity, ho felt it incumbent to point the way and endeavor to have carried out the various schemes that were preventing the expansion and progress of our beautiful city. Because of this 1 do not therefore quite share Mr Cohen’s disappointment at the recent deputation, even though the Harbor Board representatives showed no inclination to assure the Minister that they intended to “ honor their bond.” Many of those that were present felt that much good will result from it, because in tho first place it was quite apparent that the. Minister was aware of tl/s‘agreement between the Government /ind tho hoard for the removal of Black Jack’s Point, and saw through tho move to such an extent that it is an open secret that if an assurance had been forthcoming on behalf of the Harbor Board that its part of tho contract would be immediately carried out, tho duplicating and straightening of tho lino would have been favorably recommended. _ Then, again, a necessary stop in directing tho policy of the board into less wasteful avenues, is the awakening of public opinion, and. if a few' more articles like the one under the above heading get into print as.tho result of Iho deputation it will have proved worth while. In conclusion, let mo say that there is small likelihood of the matter of the duplication and straightening of tho DunedinPort Chalmers railway Vine and the completion of the reclamation of the foreshore to enable not only this absolutely necessary work to be carried out, but also other improvements being allowed to drop, a? the five public bodies that are associated with and are working as the Railways Committee of the Otago Expansion League are in, earnest, and do not intend to be sidetracked I bis time,—l am, etc., July 11. ■ G. Eriuxctox.