THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1908. CONTROL OF THE MANUKAU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13649, 17 January 1908, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1908. CONTROL OF THE MANUKAU.

It is greatly to be regretted that ; there should be any feeling in One- ! hunga against amalgamating the.; controls of the Waitemata and ; Manukau Harbours. For these two ! harbours are really one and indi- j visible, lying as they do upon the j opposing fronts of a metropolis, j which is one in all its common inter- j ests, however much it may be split J up and hampered by parochial lines I of demarcation. We have always I recognised the claims of Onehunga in harbourage questions, for Onehunga is to the West Coast what the City is to the East; and though the East Coast trade is much the larger the West Coast trade should not therefore be ignored ,or underrated. In any reconstruction of the Auckland Harbour Board, Onehunga should certainly be given a special representative and we are somewhat surprised that this is not realised by those interested in the proposed measure. That Onehunga has been overlooked to this extent may well occasion some indignation, but we hope that it will not lead to, any organised opposition to the bringing of both the harbours under one jurisdiction. The question ought to be very easily arranged, for all parties are really interested in the effective management of both waters. There is literally no rivalry between the two trades. On the other hand, they mutually assist each other. There is all the more reason for their doing this, and for energetic management of their common interests, in the approaching deviation | of the through travel from Auckland to Wellington. This will not seriously affect the West Coast trade if it is strenuously fostered; and for the Government to regard it as likely to relegate Onehunga to the place of a petty waterside village is absurd. But it will unquestionably take business from Onehunga, and the West Coast trade must therefore be increased and extended to make good the deficiency. If the Manukau is brought under the control of the Auckland Harbour Board it will have the full benefit of the staff and plant of that great corporation, will be freed from the more difficult phases of financial problems, and will not be dependent upon Government concessions. If Onehunga has representation upon the Auckland Board it should be well content with this solution of the difficulty, for when all is said and done Onehunga is part of Greater Auckland, and its certainly great and prosperous future depends upon {ho growth and expansion of the great metropolis of which it is a part.

During the discussion at the recent Onehunga meeting which considered the question of Harbour control the jfjuestioft of canal assumed what

must be considered quite undue prominence. For in the first place it is out of the question that the Auckland Harbour Beard can assume the financial burden of suoh an undertaking for a considerable time. The comprehensive wharfage scheme now in hand must be well advanced, and the income of the Board must be shown to be plainly capable of meeting all possible contingencies before the immense expenditure necessary to connect the East and West Coasts I by canal can be provided for. That j Waitemata and Manukau will seme day be joined may be regarded as certain, and that the Auckland Harbour Board will be the chief agent in joining them may be regarded as extremely probable ; but it is surely not for this purpose that we have Harbour Boards or that it is desirable to bring the two harbours under the same administration. Whether the best route is by Tamaki or Whau. whether the best agent for building a canal is G' ve.mment •or ■ Harbour Board, whether a canal scheme is considered in ten years' time or not for a century, it is still to the mutual advantage of Auckland and Onehunga and of every other district which forms part of our metropolis, that the harbours to West and East alike shall be attractive to shipping, shall be provided with modern wharfage, and shall be accessible at all states of the tide. There is no way by which the Manukau can be as quickly brought to this state of utility as it can by placing it in the hands of the Auckland Harbour Board. As for the rival routes, if there are rival routes, the best will win, but the selection will certainly not be affected by the disposition now made of harbour control. What is really at issue at present is whether the Manukau shall be well or badly managed : it will be well managed if it is placed under a joint control with the Waitemata. and badly managed if its control is retained by the Government or given to a new body which has neither the means nor the staff to place it upon a suitable modern footing.