THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 18804.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 47828, 18 January 1884, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 18804.

There is every probability that unless some representations are made to the Government this port will be deprived of the dredge. Whether that ought to be permitted is the question. It appears from what we can gather that the travelling shingle in the Buller river is seriously interfering with the accommodation for shipping alongside the wharf by lessening the depth of water. In consequence of that, application has been made to Government for the use of a dredge to deepen the river. It was at first thought that the Hapuka, having been lying idle for a long time past at Hokitika, could be procured ; but as soon as it was ascertained by the Harbor Board that Government were making arrangements to convey the dredge to Westport, they were not lon<> in discovering that it was urgently required there, and raised such strong objections to its removal that Government began to cast about in other directions for a dredge for Westport. Whether the Hokitika Harbor Board would have had occasion so soon for the dredge they got from here does not much concern any one now, as there is very little doubt that it will shortly be set to work again, its old captain having been sent for to Dunedin to again take command of it. That door therefore is closed I to Westport. Government then fixed their eye on the Kaiwai, and, if we are not altogether misinformed, are at present negotiating for its conveyance to Westport. While we can recognise the necessity for doing something to remove the difficulty under which Westport is suffering, we are inclined to think that charity should begin at home. We, too, have our shingle difficulty, and for some time back have been put to inconvenience in consequence. At least two berths at the upper end of the wharf have become so shallow through shingle encroachment as to be almost useless, even for vessels of the shallowest draught j

while the shingle also continues to work its way farther down the river. Besides this, which ought to have been attended to before, there is the huge bank opposite the wharf that appears to be growing steadily. In any other part of the river a shingle bank might not be of much consequence, bu* being where it is causes it to interfere with the swinging of the larger vessels. If a vessel's stern be not kept close to the wharf while being swung, she is apt to run her nw on the opposite bank, or, if she esu.i^j that, is liable to take the ground lower down. We have seen both actually happen. A few months ago the shingle bed on the opposite side of the river was getting so bad, and likely to be so great an inconvenience to shipping, that we believe Mr Ronayne was on the point of setting the dredge to work ; but a flood happening to come down at the time and cut away a large portion of the bank, he changed his mind and let the dredge remain where it is, and has been for many a month. Whether we are in future to depend upon the uncertain aid of a friendly flood is now the question. If we are not mistaken, a small vote set apart for dredging has never been expended, though why it has not been done is not so clear. Too much altogether of the mony voted for expenditure in this district has been withheld or diverted to other purposes thai what it was voted for. It is quite possible that the port could get along without extreme inconvenience for some time yet without the use of a dredge in the river; but that one will be required from time to time is quite certain, and how soon that may be no one can tell. The very next flood may leave such an inconvenient deposit as to demand immediate removtil. We all know how erratic floods are in that Avay. LooHng at the actual position of the case, and the not remote probabilities staring us in the face, it seems scarcely prudent to take away the dredge. If there were no use for it here it would be churlish to raise any objection to what the Government are thinking of doing ; but we think we have abundantly shown that the use of the dredge is required here at present, and that any day it may be so impera ively needed as to admit of no delay whatever. We do not know what the real extent of the encroachment of the shingle at the Westport wharf is. The probability is that it is not a bit worse than with ourselves. If that is the case, we fail to see why avo should be deprived of a necessity of the port simply because a neighbor chooses to ask for what Aye have and he happens not to have. Besides, borrowed articles have an unhappy knack of not finding their way back to the original OAvner. It may not be generally known that before the big crane was made, a tolerably large crane Avas lying idle at Westport, but the moment it became known that Government intended to remove it to this place —from Avhenco, by-the-by, it was first taken to Westport — the local Press raised such a wild clamor that the Government were frightened out of their senses and dropped it like a hot potato. The removal of the dredge is a matter that calls for the attention of our mercantile men.