POINT ELIZABETH

Grey River Argus, 7 February 1906, Page 3

POINT ELIZABETH

The Projected Harbor

Tfcel'nblic Meeting

The Mayor's Motion Enthusiastically Approved

Royal Commission Urged

The public meeting convened by the Mayor (Mr J. A. Petrie) to discuss matters connected with the projected harbor at Point Elizabeth and to urge the Government to arrange for a' marine survey of thb locality was held in the Opera Hou?e last night and was very largely attended. On the platform were the Hon. James Marshall, Councillors Coates, Tennent, and McLean, and the town clerk, Mr E. I. Lord, and in the audience, in addition f 't> many of the leading citizens, were the Hon. A. R. Guinness, M.H.R., Mr J. A. Murdoch (Mayor of Kumara) and Mr S. R. Harris (chairman of 'the Grey County Council.) The Mayor presided, and the proceedings throughout were • most enthusiastic, the Mayor's motion being agreed to unanimously. An.apology was read for the absence of the Mayor of Hokitika (Mr ,7. Mandl), who- stated that he was ao j tively in sympathy with the movement and trusted that the meeting would be enthusiastic and unanimous.

THE MAYOR'S SPEECH

The Mayor, after briefly stating the object of the meeting, said th* projected harbor at Point Elizabeth was one of the most important works ever proposed to be undertaken in the district. The first and most important step was to impress upon the Government the great de eirabifity of the work, and to have a marine survey made. - Previously the subject had been discussed in an academic way : the time had now arrived for its discussion from a practical point of view. There were no harbors on the Coast suitable for ocean-going steamers; and our present harbors could not be developed beyond their present capacity. The "Coast had not kept, pace with the development of the colony because of its isolation- by land and sea. It was one of the rj'chest parts of New Zealand and but for its isolation it would, with itb natural and varied resources, have outstripped the re.tt of the colony. (Applause.) The best age of the Coast was not behind it; the gold obtained in the past bore no comparison to the wealth it would produce in the future. Only by the formation of a harbor suitable fot oceangoing steamers, could .its resources be economically developed The cost, of transhipment at present constituted a heavy handicap Last year the timber exported was 20,000,000 feet; this year it would ,?2- between 35,000,000 and 40,000, 000. Most of this' had gone to Canterbury ; but in the near future Wellington would have to draw on the .Coast for its supplies. The shipping, facilities' at present were inadequate for the volume of trade \ they could imagine what they would be when the output was doubled. He did not hold with the view that the market for coal was limited. The analysis of the Paparoa coal showed that it was identical with the -best Welsh for which there was almost an unlimited market itx Hong Kong, Singapore, and othel eastern ports, It could be placed cheaper on that market than Welsh coal and it was reasonable to expect that in the place of the 800, 000 or 900,000 tons now being exported from the Coast, two or three' million tons would be. exported onco an ocean-going steamer port was provided. He predicted that in thd near future the coal would be hust; ling and waiting for such a harboi He referred to the undeveloped agricultural resources of the district, especially of South Westland, an 4 also took up "ancT answered possible objections to the proposed harbot There would be no migration of the population of Greymouth to Point Elizabeth ; the ' port here would still be used by small steam ers trading to the other small ports of the colony; instead of the population of the town increasing by 400 dr 500 (every few years, it would increase by as many thousands—(Hear hear.) — and the great increase in general prosperity would more than compensate for any loss that might be anticipated. As soon as the survey of the harbor was completed and a favorable report made, everyone in Greymouth had better start and enlarge their business premises and build houses for property would increase enormousjy in value. (Applause.) He cornbatted the popular outside impression that' the <Joast wa3 greedy; •they all knew that' on a revenue, population and (trade basis, they had not had their fair share of . publid expenditure. Marlborough would, no doubt, receive that statement with incredulity; they alleg-, ed there . that it would be wasting money to make the harbor, forgetting that the harbor would benefit the whole colony. There was no question that it was a colonial work. Only on the West Coast existed those coal measures so necessary for the extension of the colony's sea trade. He had confined himself merely to introductory remarks rathor than the elaboration of reasons for the work. He moved: — •'Seeing that the present shipping, ports of the West Coast appear to have reached their maximum development, and which is quite unable to cope with ocean-going steamers, to the great detriment of the Coasi and the Colony at large, and thai . in order to fully develope the ex port trade of the State Coal 'Mmt 1 at Kunanga, the vast coal areas oJ the Paparoa Ranges, timber and other products, now this public meeting, representing the unanimous and hearty opinion of the peo plo of Greymouth, respectfully ur ges on the Government the great de jjif ability of having the necessary jgw-Fvyyp made and expert 'opinion <$>tamed hy £he British Admiralty if possible, as tw the post, efficiency and utility for naval and ptherpurpeses, of the proposed harbor' a* Point T<lizabeth, as suggested by the Eight Hon. the Prime Ministe; on his • recent visit to 'the West. Coats. That a copy of the forego ing be forwarded to the Prime Mi» istpv and the Minister of Marine ''

THE SECONDER'S ARGU-

MENTS

' Cr T. E. Coates seconded the mo, tion. By no means the least argu irsent in favor of the proposal was, he said, that they got the cue from the cleverest statesman in the Bribx~\i Empire — the Right Hon. the ■Pri-Pit! minister. They could safely follow iik cue. Those who rcmonrhsred. the days of the present »e"t and compared exisivin^ .conditions must acknoweldgc that' the

progress of the town was due tp llir •jhippinsr. If a harbor were made ftt Point Elizabeth there was little doubt, that they wcxild 'have the fcmvu stretching to Point Elizabeth.

(Applause.) It was absurd to say

th?.t the construction of the hartor there would spoil Greymouth , " Lyfctolton had tint spoilf, OhriVtfthurch nor had the Port spoiled Nelson. Another argument was that Hrero was no harbor in the colony whore! British warships could coal in time of war if any of the enemy's snips were in the vicinity. In 4-0.121* El ; 2<'.oeth they had the Gib-

rjrftar o-f' Australasia ; it co\ikl be frtj'fcifisd more effectively .than any other poi\t in the colony. A further (fca^on was thai;, the- harbor would co^t them nothing ; they •ff anted application made-:, that the

British Admiralty should construct it. These reasons were quite sufficient to enlist their hearty support. (Applause.) COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES. Mr S. R. Harris, chairman Grey County Council, said that on behalf of the Council he - heartily approved of the motion. It was the duty of the Council to heartily support the movement to bring the importance of the harbor at iPoint Elizabeth before the public of the colony in a proper manner. Tre Hon. James Marshall M.L.C. also supported the motion, and said he had never listened with more pleasure than he did to the remarks of the Premier from the bridge of the Tutanekai on his latest visit to the Coast. Previously they were not alive Ijo their own interests, and as .the result of that remark they had recommended the agitation foi\ the completion of , the East and West Coast railway, and that work would be an accomplished fact in five or six years. He contended that the harbor at Point Elizabeth was a colonial work and that .t was the duty of the local bodies to earnestly advocate it. (Applause.} THE MEMBER FOR GREY ',Mr Guinness, M.H.R., Jsaid t gave .him 'great pleasure to join in the advocacy for a harbor at Point Elizabeth, and he heartily supported the motion so ably moved and seconded. Referring- to the history oi: the question he said it was first brought before the then Government by Mr W. H. Harrison, the then worthy member for Greymouth. (Applause.) Reports were obtained on the proposed harbor, and wheu the Midland Railway was projected the construction of the harbor was Suggested in connection with the building of the line. On June 28th 1889, he (Mr Guinness) had asked the Atkinson Government to have a survey made of the locality, and a report prepared on its suitability for a harbor. The Hon. E. Mitchel son, then Minister for Public Works, replied that the harbor would .cost an enormous .sum of money, and the Government did not feel disposed to incur the expense especially as the existing harbor on the Coast would be ample for years to come. On July 3rd on his (Mr Guinness's) motion the House ordered that the reports on the haibor by J. M. Balfour, marine engineer for the colony, Lieutenant Woods R.N., Captain Payne, of Melbourne, and Mr Blackett, late engineer-in-chief of the colony, be laid before the House. These had been printed as a Parliamentary paper. Mr Guinness read Mr Balfour's report, explaining that Port Curtis, the name given un Point Elizabeth, was so called after Mr Oswald Curtis, a one-time superintendent of Nelson: —

MR BALFOUR'S REPORT

"I also forward herewith a small sketch of Tort Curtis,' being the bay formed by Point Elizabeth, a few miles north of Greymouth. Mr Woods was instructed to procure a few soundings in the bay on the fiist available opportunity, and the sketch is the result. The soundings show that there is an area of probably not less than a quarter of a square mile already partially sheltered, and with a depth at low water of two fathoms and upwards. Seeing that there is an ample supply of limestone on the spot, very fairly adapted for the construction of a breakwater, and that this bay is of perfectly easy access from the Grey coalfields, its future importance as a harbor will be sufficiently obvious; indeed, it is the only place on the West Coast which I am acquainted with where -there are both natural, facilities and abundant materials for constructing a barless commercial harbor of very considerable dimensions, in direct and easy communication with very ■ valuable coalfields. I hope during the pr«sent year to procure a careful survey of Port Elizabeth on a large scale. J. M. Balfour." Mr Guinness explained that Mr Balfour was drowned at Timaru the same year as his report (1868) and therefore never made^the suryey mentioned. LIEUTENANT WO ODS'S RE-

PORT

The report, of Lieutenant G. A. Woods, of the surveying st-eata sloop St Kilda, to Mr Balfour, dated, 27th June, 1868, stated, inter alia, that the passage between the larger and smaller islets, / lying off the Point, is clear of rocks and shoals, with a depth of from four tc six fathoms, but immediately after passing- this line the water shoala rapidly, .and in the centre of the tight breaks with considerable violence; half-way across, between this break and the Point, and under the lee of the island, a depth of from three to four fathoms\ was found, but the bottom is uneven, requiring a careful survey and opportunities for observing the effect of northerly and north-west winds upon the space of water lying between the Point and the midbay shore before any definite report i can be made as to its capabilities for shipping. If a^ rubble breakwater could be constructed , from the inner side of the- mid- bay. reefs to wards/ the larger island, and the ■passage closed between it and the Point, then a small harbor would bs formed, .capable of holding three or four vessels. Presuming, howover, that this expenditure would be undertaken mainly with the view of making it a small harbor of refuge, it is necessary to make sure that the sea does not break across the entrance between the islands in seaward gajes, "as tihat .would bo fatal to any vessel attempting to enter between the larger island and the end of, the breakwater. A ROYAL COMMISSION SUG-

GESTED

Continuing his remarks Mr Guinness said that Mr Lord could tell them of the next steps taken regarding the project. (Applause. 1 ) i The coal and timber industries had now progressed to such an extent that an. ocean steamer harbor must be provided, and no more suitable locality could be found than Point Elizabeth. It was essential to bring before the Parliament and people the necessity for the harbor, and the resources it would develbpo. They wantejd feq show that they had j products to be exported when the harbor was made, and. that it woul'l be a payable povf; also that it would not only depend on the prefent coalfields , ; , opened up. 'He 'sJpoke of the necessity of »a ..railway from Westport to the Point, and of the coaj measures existing along the coast from the Point to Charleston. Nature did not provide the people of South Canterbury at Timaru with the same grand facilities as those at the Point for their harbor. In addition to urging that a survey should be made he suggested that a Royal Commission should be set up to take evidence on the harbor project, and on the products and industries of the district to be j served by it. (Applause.) The evij aence obtained as to the probable ] traffic would supply valuable arguIments in favor of the harbor. He also suggested the formation of a league on the Coast for the purpose of. collecting evidence and data on the subject. He was glad that ths Premier had brought up the subject, and said they would find that I Mi- Scddon wcntld assist them to accomplish what they so greatly de ; sired. (Applause.) ! OTHER SPEAKERS. I. Cr Joseph McLean urged that the 'work was of national importance and" one bound up with the development of the Coast. With better harbor facilities the district would I go ahead by leaps and bounds, and j the work shoul.d receive the hearty .- ■'-; '■'\. \■■ ' - ; - : ' "I.

support not only of the people of the Coast, but those of the whole fcolony. (Applause.)

I "Is it not beating the air," said for Joseph Petrie, "we are all unanfimous here to-night. The inattet I has been threshed out and we all recognise that the work is of colonial importance. If there had been any opposition it would have been in keeping for those interested in the future welfare of the district [to come to the rescue; but we are fall unanimous; why waste more 'time?" He urged that they should jwork assiduously to accomplish the ►task they had set before them. (Applause.)

. Mr E. I. Lord dealt with his connection with the scheme. He had been employed by Messrs F. Ham'iltori and' W. S. Smith, who at one time held the coal leases in this district, to lay out a railway from their mine to Greymouth, and it had struck him that the better plan

would be to ship the coal from the natural harbor at the Point. Later 'he had made the sam,e suggestion to Messrs Hoare and Wilson of the 1 Midland Railway Company, and 'subsequently had taken soundings at the locality. Those mentioned in the reports quoted by Mr Guinness approximated closely to his. He pointed out . that a harbor at the Point would rediice the distance between New Zealand by one day—b. mattor of great (importance to commercial men. As far as he could judge without making a survey there are no rocks in the bay. AVhat was required was a thorough' marine survey. He estimated that the harbor would cost £600,000 i;o construct. He stated that Mr Scott a one-time harbor (engineer at Greymouth, had thought well of the scheme. Instead of ruining Greymouth and making it a deserted I village, it would result in the town becoming a city. A great factoi' at the Point was the absence of jriver; any place would be better to make a harbor than where two currents met and made a bar as at Greymouth. He hoped the Premier would' live to see the harbor at Point Elizabeth realised, and join in bringing about that "consumation so devoutly to be wished.-' (Applause.) Cr D. Sheedy referred to the opinion expressed by. the late Mr O. Y. O'Connor, that a million and ri half pounds would not make a lia vbor at the Point. He stated that M» O'Connor had got 2000 bricks from Brunner, had them broken >n half, and put in the sea at tTift Point, and they had been washed uj> on the beach. " He (Cr Sheedy) haa no objection to the harbor being made, especially if the Admiralty undertook the work. He agreed that the report of eminent marina engineers should be obtained. THE MAYOR OF KUMAR A.

Mr J. A. Murdoch (Mayor of Kumara) said he had come to thx, meeting with an open mind on the subject to be discussed. He was perfectly satisfied from what he had heard that the construction of the harbor would not result in any de crease in the value of property in Greymouth. He was prepared^ to vote for and support the motion, and he was satisfied that when Mi Seddon spoke as he did about thfc hai'bor, he was not fooling the people. He would be prepared, with the . little interest he possessed b? Kumara, to join a deputation to Wellington to urge on the project. (Applause.) He was satisfied thai Mr Seddon talked sound commoa sense in his references to the harboi at the Point. If the project wer« not undertaken either by the Government or the British Admiralty, private enterprise .would only bfc tc glad to undertake it; but the> had already sufficient experience of public works being undertaken by private enterprise. To asow the private speculator to reap the advantage that would follow the con struction of the harbor would be nothing short of a national calamity. (Applause.) FROM OTHER STANDPOINTS.

Mr C. Parfitt contended that as all the railways centred in Greymouth the construction of the liar bor would not interfere with the 'prosperity of the town. Mr Wm Morris . said they knew he had taken considerable interest in harbor matters for some time, and he recognised that the present accommodation was not equal to requirements. He had welcomed tha Premier's remarks regarding P.oint Elizabeth, especially his statement at the opening of the section of the Ross railway, that he -did not mean to make a port for every little tinpot place on the Coast, but one at Point Elizabeth for the whole Coast. (Applause.) He contended that only by a harbor at the Point could the coal deposits be got. on to the market. Mr Blackburn©, reporting on the Paparoa Company's coal fields, had stated that the property would be worth £5,000,000 iif in England. What was it to provide a million of money to construct a .port to get the coal away ? It seemed to him a bagatelle. He quite realised .that if the harbor were constructed Greymouth would, within the next twenty- five years, be equal to Wellington, and electric' trams would be running between the town and the Point. All that was wanted was to put "their shoulders to the wheel" and help. The man who would throw cold water on the project was a traitot tc his own interests. (Continued Applause.) ..'-,,

The motion was then put and was carried " unanimously amidst applause.. MR GUINNESSES MOTION.

Mr Guinness then moved : That this meeting would respectfully urge upon the Government to appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into and report upon the advisability of the . construction of a harbor at Point Elizabeth, and what will be the probable export and import trade of such harbor.

Mr Harris seconded the motion which was carried unanimously.

A vote of thanks to the Mayor terminated a highly successful and enthusiastic meeting.