PORT OF NEW PLYMOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19859, 1 February 1928, Page 8

PORT OF NEW PLYMOUTH.

WEST COAST TRADE CENT® PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENTS. THE FIRST STAGE COMPLETED, FACILITIES FOR OVERSEAS SHIPS, No.- IL The fact that early next •week shipping of an aggregate gross tonnage of over 42,000 toas, including four largo overseas steamers, is scheduled to be accommodated at the port of New Plymouth at the same time, is eloquent testimony to the development of the port and it# state of efficiency at what one might term the completion of the first stage oi the major scheme of improvements. There is a feeling of confidence in tha province that New Plyouth as r. port is on thct eve of great things. To copia Y/ith the ever-increasing sea-borne traffic more berths and deeper water have had constantly to be provided. The recently, constructed Newton King Wharf has had more recently to bo doubled in length, and now it gives accommodation for three overseas isteamors. One o? the largest and most up-to-date ferroconcrete 1 wharves in New Zealand is about to bfc built in place of the old Moturoa Wharf, and when the present development scheme is completed, New Plymouth, as the great distributing centre"Qf the West Coast of the North Island, will be an accomplished fact, the crowning triumph of the men of vision who founded the port less than half a century ago. Many Overseas Ships. Sixty-seven overseas steamers, exclusive of intercolonial vessels, berthed at the New Plymouth wharves last year, and on every ton of goods that they brought or took away, at least 25 shillings that would otherwise hive been paid in coastwiise shipping to Wellington, and transhipment charges at- that port was saved by thu people of Taranaki. Since 92 766 tons of cargo pasiied over the New Plymouth wharves into or from overseas steamei-a last year, the saving thus effected wa.9 over £116,00 G. One might well gaze at the panorama of the port to-day, nestling under the shadow of the sentinel rock Paritctu, and see with Tennyson " the . stately ships go on, to their haven urder the lull," a dream of our forefathers that has proved of almost greater intri sic value \<haii one can estimate. It w<is not until just under eleven yi ars ago that regular overseas shipping at New Plymouth was inaugurated with the visit of the small steamer Waiwera. '"?> V boats the first year v/ere followed by c:ily one the second year, seven the third ysar, eleven the fourth year, and so on, until last year all previous records were broken both as regards number and size of overseas ships, and the amount of cargo t'isy handled. Included among the visitors to the port was the Shaw, Savill and Albion mail steamer Mataroa, of 12,333 tons gross, tannage. Bemarkable Development. These facts serve to show how remarkably the port has' grown in importance since the year 1917. To achieve this result has necessitated a capital expenditure of something like £BOO,OOO in loan money since the port was founded in 1881, irrespective of revenue that has constantly been applied to new works. Witi 1 " the exception of the shelter affordi-d by the Sugarloaves, New Plymouth is eutirely an artificial harbour, and the greater part of the capital cost has been devoted to the building of tlw breakwater, a massive concrete structure strotching far out into the sea. It was largely in order to'extend this breakwater, and thus give more shelter to the b'jg ships, that authority was obtained from the ratepayers in 1924 to raise a sum of £600,000. At the same time, a definite scheme of harbour development was decided upon.' So far, -only £156.000 of this loan has been raised, but the work carried out has been considerable. 0£ the total length of 800 ft. which it was decided to add to the existing breakwater, i 657 ft. has already been completed. An Enormous Breakwater. •; As the depth oi' water, nacreasing all the i while, of course, as lite breakwater eyJ tends, has now reached 30ft. at low water j spring tides, the structure as it is now being buiLt is 50ft. high and twice as wide as J'Jevon Street, New Plymouth's mam thoroughfare, at the base. And as it has all to be built of solid concrete blocks, specially manufactured, it is little wonder tliat the cost of the extension is now £IS(J a foot. It is estimated that the extension will be completed in about another year. A sum of approximately £40,000 has recently been expended on extending the Newton King Wnarf, and at least £IO,OOO on dredging. A crano re now being erected on the Newton King Wharf at a ,cost of £7OOO, and tendern are at present being called for the supply of an • up-to-date) tug and dredge combined, at a cost , of about. £32,000. When all these proposals are an accomplished fact, the second stage oi the d> velopment scheme will have been completed. The third stago will be the erection of the fine new ierro-concrete Moturoa Wharf, and further drecging, whic'i should take" about four years to accomplish. The port will then be able till all wants for many years to come. The fourth and final stage, which will probably uot be undertaken for a considerable time, will be the joining of Mikotahi Rook to the existing bend in the breakwater, the removal of the root of the breakwater, and the dredging of an "inner harbour."