WHANGAREI TO PORT SAID.

Northern Advocate, 15 August 1919, Page 2

WHANGAREI TO PORT SAID.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —You say that th<; visit, oi' the s.s. "Mahia" to WJiangarei should teach a useful lesson to the opponents of the proposals oi' Hie Harbour Board to increase shipping facilities in Whangarei harbour. It does; It teaches the said opponents that if Whangarei had possessed a Harbour Board, worth its sal', the s.s. "Mahia could have lain alongside , , the Onerahi wharf and have taken ,"is passengers aboard from there. This holds good in the cases of the miny other liners, that, during the last four years have touched at Reotahi. Personally, I see no reason to go into oestnsies that the liner's passengers ha 1 to be brought up by the Manaia, on a bare wharf at Marsden and compelled to an uncomfortable launch journey to the liner's side, where she lay, out in the stream. Yoi speak in your sub-leader as "if the Malua were the first oversea boat to make Whangarei its last port of call in the Dominion —as if, in fact the occurrence were something new and frr which we might thank the present Harbour Board. 1 will reiteiate. If we had had a live body of'men at the head of affairs the s.s. Mahia and her precursors during four years could have berthed at Onerahi in a position to receive oversea passenge , s in comfort and to take overse-i cavgo straight from the train to the ship's hold. I have pointed out on .several occasions how all this could be accomplished at a cost of not more than £30,000. You say further "absolute safety is assured.' Presumably ycu are referring to the time when our Harboui Board shall have erected its wharf at One Tree Point. Sir, we will suppose the wharf there. Let me tell you that, in the heavy >*eas driven in by an easterly gale, no ship could possibly lie at such a wharf. Her plates would be stove in like eggshells. Even at Eeotabi, under the shelter of the Heads, in easterly weather, vessels find a difficulty in riding to their anchors. You also say "and shortly, there will be d'rect railway communication." Arc you not a little previous? Why this discounting of the future? Why this suppressio veri? Your leader wrier knows or ought to know, that, at the present rate of construction it.will be 10 or 15 years 'ere 'Marsden Point is connected with "the ra'.'.wsy system of the Dominion." And why the word "direct"? Why balk the fact, that, to connect with . Marsdea Point, a' branch line of eight miles over loose sand will be necessary? May I remind you that Onerahi is already connected with the railway system by a line of only four miles length from Whangarei. The Minister of Marine some time ago agreed, that, on the basis of its imports Whangarei is entitled to be declared a Port of Entry. It remained with the Harbour Board, therefore, only to ask to have it so declared. Did it do so? No. Instead it proposes to wait until its scheme of 'Improvements!" is completed. Say in 10 oi , 15 years. The chairman of the board, nimself, puts it at six years. He is a very sanguine man. We have, then, the refreshing spectacle of a body of men, elected to advance the interests of the harbour to take the most important step toward such advancement. Instead they deliberately block development by a hare-brain ed scheme, realisable only in the fardistant future. Meanwhile Whangarei is asked to -sit quietly by, while every little two-penny-half-penny port, in New Zealand is to be allowed to get aheal of it, in cater ing for the coming world-trade. And all because of an insane jealousy of Onerahi. Let the electors remember these things next April, Thanking you for space.—l am, etc., D. W. O. PAGAN.