MARL-BOROUGH RAILWAY AND SHIPPING INTERESTS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 166, 15 July 1903, Page 4

MARL-BOROUGH RAILWAY AND SHIPPING INTERESTS.

The following appeared in ovr second tdition last issue: —

BLENHEIM AND PICTON.

The Borough Council received at last meeting a circular from the Mayor and Corporation of Pic ton inviting local bodies to a public conference to be held at Picton on Wednesday, August sth, 1.30 p.m., for the purpose of considering the quebtions of -wharf extension and railway improvements in the province of Marlborough, the repre» sentatives of the local bodies to be empowered by their individual bodies to take such action as the conference may think fit. Or Shaw said this had too much the appearance of an attempt to defeat Blenheim's Harbor Board movement, and to close this port so that the trade might be drawn to Picton. Once allow that to happen, and Blenheim was doomed. Blenheim had let too many things slip through its fingers—such as the central telegraph staff, the freezing works, etc. Now they wanted to take the river shipping trade. Ths Mayor said that if the conference was going to help Blenheim equally with Picton there would be something in it, Or Priddle agreed with Cr Shaw. Tho river should be kept open so that freights might be kept down. Ho mentioned the fact that there were 12 or 13 families living \n Blenheim who were dependent on the work given by tho rnnniug of the two river steamers. Tho trade was capable of expansion, and let them improve the river and have as many boats as they could get. The position was serious enough now, so much trouble did the steamers have !in negotiating the flats. If things went on as they were going now, and they received no assistance, it woHld only be a matter of twelve months or | so, and the whole trade would have to go to Pioton. Cr Penny said he was dead against | this Little Pedlington business, which pitted Blenheim against Picton and vice versa. Anything that served the mercantile interests of Marlborough as a whole tended to benefit Blenheim in particular, and to help Picton would not damage Blenheim. Some people here did not even believe in the railway being pushed on to Christchurch. Our isolation made some of us miserably narrow-minded. He was for j doing everything in their power to increase the efficiency of the river trade, but was prepared at the same time to see Pioton developed and traffic opened up in every possible directi.>n t Let us speak oug as a province, and let us j approach the Government in a manly way, not with 'bated breath. He thought Cr Shaw had put the wrong construction on the Picton invitation. Or Priddle knew that the idea originated in -Blenheim, and not Picton. As for not appointing representatives, they would not help themselves by allowing their opinions to go by default. Let them send men to watch the movement, and oppose it if necessary, rather than display weakness and simply pooh-pooh it.

Cr Ching said hb opinion was that if they got a lot of their produce sent to Pieton it would get to the markets more cheaply. Suppose all the trade went to Picton, and the river was shut up. The Government would take the stuff along the railway more cheaply, and the Union Shipping Company would not have things their own way, because other steamers could cut into the trade. How was it that some time ago it cost Is a hag to get potatoes from here to Wellington, and the rate was only 8d from Oamaru to Wellington, while in the case of chaff the comparison was 8d as against 4d? (Cr Shaw —Close the river and it would cose 2s). He agreed with the broad views expressed by Cr Penny. The Blenheim merchants had approved of the Conference and ifc9 objects, while agitating at the same time for the improvement of the river trade; aod they were still better judges than the Council.

In farther discussion tbe Mayor said he had it on the best authority that with tho navigation of the river on a permanent basis produce would be shipped across to Wellington at all times for 7s 6d a ton. Or Ching—Why was that not done when the river was in proper working order ? Or Shaw—lt never was ifl proper working order. He moved that the letter be received and acknowledged. The Mayor said that the Council was there to represent Blenheim, not the whole of Marlborough. If the conference would consider equally with Picton projects the Blenheim river movement, the matter would be alright as far as the Council was concerned. But if as a result of their supporting it the Government were eventually to turn round and say, "you are the very peopjo who oame to us for Picton and we can't give you at Blenheim what you have already got at Plcfcon,"—if that happened they would have defeated their own ends. Or Patchett seconded tho motion. Or Carr said he was not very much in favor of sending delegates to Picton. They had never got much assistance from Picton when anything was on here. Still ho thought it would be well to appoint representatives. H©

himself was very strongly in favor of the river trade, and he thought that if they did away with that they would do away with Blenheim. If they could improve the river they would have a steamer running over to Wellington every six or seven hours, and freight would be down to 7s 6a a ton. No doubt from the point of view of foreignshipping merchants Picton was tho port; but the better the river the better would » lenheim's trade be served. Referring to Cr Shaw's remarks as to Blenheim having allowed so many things to slip through its flagers, Cr Carr also instanced the removal of the Public Works Department to Picton. Several families were thus taken away from Blenheim—for what reason ho did not know; and now whenever we wanted anything done up here we had to go to Picton for instructions.

After considerable discussion on the question of appointing representatives to the Picton Conference, Or Penny solved the probiem to the satisfaction of all opinions by proposing "That the Council will appoint delegates on the understanding that Blenheim river improvements are included in the scheme."

The motion was carried unanimously