OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16785, 29 August 1916, Page 7

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Sm, —'ihose interested, in the commercial prosperity ol thu south —and who of us is not? « —should welcome the slight recrudescence of interest in th© subject lately developed by some correspondents in tho daily press. 'J. he chair-man of the Chamber ot Com- ■ merco found room in his address —after eug-, gestmg ways and means of putting: matters Imperial right—to complain of tho bad treatment of Dunedin by the shipping t companies. Now, if Mr Gibson had given ' as much . thought to shipping matters 03 - he had given to cures for Imperial troubles, perhaps ho would not have voiced his-' plaint. ' Geographically, Dunedin is not well placed as a distributing centre. On top of this disability we lia\e tho poorest harbour and cargo-handling facilities of all tho - mam ports. But, assuming our business men are capable, by superior business methods, of overcoming tho disabilities o£ our geographical situation, vihat is necessary to help them? First, our port must„ oiler special inducements to the shipping," companies. It may be said that ships are but instruments of trade, and do not make trade. This is not true in New Zealand, as in many instances tho financial groups controlling the ships are interested m the agencies buying the produce of the country. Consequently, wo must have a port which any -vessel visiting Now Zealand can enter at any condition of tho tide. We must havo every facility for the rapid handling of cargo, and then, v. ith our ship repair » establishments, wo should liavo induce; ments for the shipowner btipeiior to our" rivals. Tidal ports cannot be popular with tho • shipowners. Ships are rapidly increasing in tonnage, and this fact should bo wol-, corned by tho business community, as big ships mean cheaper freights. It would certainly bo desirable to make Dunedin the port of Otago, but to rnake it so m the terms stated—non-tidal -is impossible for many years to come. _ „ The business community must uso its. undoubted influence to recreate a compromise v hirh would hold trade until tho major schcmo, by reason of increased trade, is possible. A temporary port of Otago ■it Port Chalmers—open to all shipping at • all tides and times—must bo made if Dunedin is to regain portion of its lost prestige, Jt would bo necessity to build wharves and duplicate the railway line. ,but tho amount of dredging necessary would bo comparatively small. If, however, the com- . rmmitv insist? on tho upper harbour being pushed on as at present, the time is not fur distant when tho oversea ships, by reason of their draught, will not be able to visit tho port at all. This is obvious to all who study tho trend of modern sbipbnildin?. —I am, etc , Pbogeess.