HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 315, 15 November 1864, Page 4

HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

Wb published on Friday the report of the Jtwigiiioer-m-Chief on the Harbour ImproveliUMits of Auckland. Wo have on previous occasions referred lo the scheme of' Mr. Wrigg on Knclosing Mechanics' liny and making a road across it. \\*e can, therefore, (al;e a general survey of the whole oi' llie surest ions and opinions put forward by both tliose gentlemen on these subjects. We will take M ochanies' Pay lirst. as this scheme lias been longest before the public. Some little progress has been made in the matter, but nothing very definite is yet decided upon. The financial part of the question is the most important, and in fact the only obstacle to a speedy carrying oul of this vast improvement. "We believe tliis obstacle is simply fm apparent one. The total cost, by consent both of .Mr. Wrigg and Mr. Weaver, will be some i t-'!2.oi«) or i.''l.'!,<!HO. The Parnell people, in I public meeting assembled, have agreed to provide Hit) of this, the .Railway Hoard will | proviile anotlier largo sum. sjiv L'S.OOO, and j ilieve will just remain the small amount of I .Ijz2,()00 to bo provided for by the Harbour j 1 riM. and the hitter will obtain land valued at I leist at IM<U Of) for their outlay of ,C 22,000. j Tliere can be no doubt whatever but that this investment is an eminently sat isl'aetory one. We shall get a very large sea frontage, giving wharfage accommodation, which will bring in a very considerable revenue, we shall greatly facilitate the trade of (he port, arid give a direct and excellent means of communication to the city from I'arnell, Newmarket, JJemuera, Onehuuga, and all other places in tliose localities. And now is the time to secure (his improvement at a far less cost than can possibly be done at a future lime. Everything is favorable for a speedy commencement of the work. The wharfage accommodation and the road that would bo supplied arc urgently needed ; the "Railway Hoard must perform ti part of the required work to carry the line along the Jiay ; and advantage ! ought, bv all means to be taken of this cirettmj stance, for, by an amicable understanding with I the Railway Hoard, a very large quantity of j stuff could be brought down by the railway for | tilling up the "ay. The money necessary to I carry it on would bo easily repaid from the land alone directly it, was made and ready for comI mereial purposes : but. as we have shown, there would also always lie a steady income fiom j wharfage dues. We hear that it is now sug- ' gesU'd that Parnell should make a certain I animal payment for some 12 years or so, in consideration of having the road made ; or that if the district provided one-third the cost of the work, there might be arI rmgements made for conveying to it onej third of the reclaimed land. We should j very decidedly prefer the latter plan, having p rfect faith in the wisdom and soundness ! of stieh of an arrangement as regards the ; interest s of the I'arnell community. We do j irnst. howeyer. that the present favorable time I will not be allowed lo slip, and this great imuroveinenl put oil' for an indefinite period. The Stiperintendeu! sees the wisdom of the decided action 1 alien by him with respect to the Hay of > slands coal-licids, and so long as he can. by wise f.uvt bought, and energy, and decision of character secure such immense advantages to the province, lie may afford to smile at the ridiculous pertinacious opposition of a faction in the Council, whose eloquence is equal totheir wit, and wisdom, and their love for displaying their hatred and ignorance on a par uilh both. We should therefore be glad to know that his Honor will at. onee make the best arrangements he possiblv can for commencing some at least of the works recommended by Mr. Weaver without delay, and by a wise forethought provide the facilities for increased commerce, which are so urgently needed, if the Superintendendent can bring us an abundant, supply of pure water, grcalty enlarge our harbour accommodation. and get into successful working the coal mines of the .North which he has sescured to the Province, he will deserve and will obtain the warm thanks of all those in the Province whose good opinion is of any value, and lo earn the condemnation of some persons, is in itself a very high praise, and speaks well for the condemned. Referring to the report of Mr. Weaver, we wish particularly to note that the suggestions he makes are part of one scheme, portions of which can 1 e carried out as necessity ma}' require. This is the proper course to adopt. We are not prepared to say olf-hand that every proposal of .Mr. Weaver is the best that can be adopted. Hut lie is evidently right in the principle upon which he has been working : hirst, provision for present wants, and. secondly, while supplying these, carrying on a portion of one general scheme. With respect to the wharfage accommodation in Custom-house-street for timber and lumber, no one can go along (ha! .street and along Queen-street Wharf without ti-eiMtr (lint the small accommodation now being provided is far short of that which is absolulelv r quired. And as there cannot be (he possibility of a doubt,, as to both good interest being paid for the oullay. and also that outlav itself being speedily recouped, and a perlu tnent, income tints obtained for the Province — while trade and commerce are greatly benefitted, we would strongly urge that the wharfage accommodation at present being provided in Custom House-street should in fact extend the whole length of that street. The very large timber trade of the. port requires this extension ; and public, like private trade, requires that every care and attention should be paid to nursing and developing it. The present system in connection with the timber trade'is entirely wrong. A bulky article like that ought not. to

be required to lie carted two or three times, . ill a very hirgc cxpen.se, before it can be delivered to the CDftsnmer; Tlie whole of the timber business of the port should be centred in one spot alongside the docks, where it can he delivered from the ship's hold, and not be disturbed till the retail purchaser carts it away. Provision should be made for this purpose, just as it is at TTull and Liverpool, the great timber importing ports of England. There, a distinct set of docks arc specially devoted to the trade, with ample storage for any quantity of timber . close .to {he vessel iYoni whence it is discharged. The timber, merchant pays a fixed rental to the dock friisfeev for the accommodation, and he can thus sell just as he : chooses, knowing that he cannot be interfered with and told that his goods must be removed bv noon to-morrow or they will be sold by public auction. Of eoxirse the purchaser of timber has really to pay all these extra cartage expenses, and in the end the person who buys, builds, or rents a house. vY e tax ourselves more than we need, and that is what we have no need to do. Thus, limber is bought by the retailer, measured, loaded, rilid carted to his yard. There it is unloaded and stacked, awaiting sale. It has then to be measured and loaded again, and carted to its destination. "With the accommodation 'provided which we have suggested, the timber would be sold at the place where it is landed, and would never need either carting or removal in any Way until it was taken by tbe retail purchaser. The cost ot providing the necessary accommodation should be noted, and an amount charged for rent which would amply reprty for the outlay. And a renter of any such allotment or spnce'should not be liable to lie ousted therefrom so long as ho paid the required rent and conducted his business m a proper manner. The system that has been introduced of letting such like works by public tender, each vear, as in the case of the wharfage dues, will never answer in respect to dock accommodation.; The Executive must act in this matter in the regular business-like way, fix a rental, and collect it by their own servants.