PROGRESS OF AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13487, 14 May 1907, Page 6

PROGRESS OF AUCKLAND.

DUE TO NATURAL ADVANTAGES.

[BY TELEGRAPH^— OWN ) CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Monday.

Mr. J. P. Luke, a member of the firm of Luke and Sons, ironfounders of this city, and a brother of the Hon. CM.- Luke, when interviewed in; regard to notices of motion at next City Council i meeting, expressed the opinion that it was high time the v two : principal ). local bodies, the City Council and the Harbour Board, united in a common endeavour to remove the existing anomalies, and give such relief as will place Wellington in the undoubted position of the premier city of the colony. ' Owing to the limited area of land at its disposal, Wellington, he argued, had been restricted both in its trade and the development and promotion of important industrial enterprise. Mr. Luke said the remarks made by. the general manager of railways jat Auckland the other day were fraught with very great concern. The statement was to the effect that Auckland would eventually come out on top by reason of its natural, advantages, and he felt the statement would be on the correct side if a greater amount of enterprise and concern were not displayed by the people of Wellington for the commercial and industrial development of the city. Mr. Luke's idea is that the Harbour Board and the ' City Council should combine to secure reclaiming rights at Evans' Bay, and that sections of land, there should be leased to proprietors of bona-fide industrial and commercial concerns on a-basis of, say, 5 per cent, on the initial cost of the reclamation. The land should not be loaded in any way the leases should not be of a competitive character ; there should be absolute security of tenure; and wharves should be built to enable all raw material to be brought direct to the works.