HARBOUR AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14691, 27 May 1911, Page 5

HARBOUR AFFAIRS.

Sir,—Pleaso allow me space for a. brief reply to Mr. "Walker's l.'tt.pr on harbour an airs, bummed up, his (■onion/ion is that; tiio central or commercial wharf, ad if; has been /'ailed, should not l>e built, because lb may interfere somewhat with the Devonporfc ferry service. The Hilarities ho quote;-;, -Messrs. IJay and Ferguson, staled in. their report. that they approved of tho direction ana locality of tho wharves as proposed bv -Mr. llamer, hut. suggested that tho • central hart .should lie deferred for p<Jme years winch has certainly been done, as their report; was written in 1905, over six years ago. -Now, suppose (his wharf is not built, 'as contended for by Air. YV ulker, what does ho proposo as tho substitute? lfo gays that tho required accommodation should bo provided at -Mechanic's Ray, or at tho western breakwater at Ponsonby, which means that tho intercolonial steamers, and certainly a, miniIx? 1; of the Northern Company's vessels, and also some of ho larger over-sea boats should lie sent to Mechanics' or Freeman's.Bay to discharge passengers, and also cargo, which cargo would have to be carted' back again; to tho warehouses mostly situated near the lower end of Quecn-stroet. I think this would no a very foolish • and expensive plan, to pursue, and it certainly does not satisfy the requirements of tho leading importers and business houses of the city, who will object to pay for carta go an extra Is 6d per ton, on all goods landed so far away from their warehouses. When the Chamber of Commerce and tho leading business men of tho city recommended the adoption of tho engineer's plans for tho permanent harbour works this idea of Mr. Walker's was discussed and rejected almost unanimously, ancf I can see no just reason to alter their decision. Mr. Walker says: ""If Mr. Mennio will visit, the Railway Wharf occasionally and note the amount of work done by the railways in shifting all classes of goods, ho will get his eyes opened a little." Precisely so, and it is just because I am often on tho Railway Wharf and seo the enormous traffic already centred thero that I would strongly support the laying of rails to the Queen-street and Central Wharves, becauso it is absurd to expect that all the heavy traffic of a groat port can bo done from tho one wharf that is connected with the railway system. J. M. Mennie.