HARBOUR BOARD'S DOINGS AND POLICY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21148, 4 October 1930, Page 19

HARBOUR BOARD'S DOINGS AND POLICY.

' TO THE EDITOR. / „; Slßj T' j4ltho , uz?l ** bas been assumed by f££ r . al “^ be F s tba board that a definite policy has been adopted, it must oeja very obscure one relative to the inanner m which they have recently been pursuing tte. same. Which place should be .the port should be faced by the board owing to the future developments of shinpmg companies. The latest prediction is.-.tor larger tonnage, up to 20,000 tons l l ™i, over ’ BU , re] y this must make members of the board ‘ who advocated r vessels arise to their responsibilities and make .the necessary , provisions for accommodating the future increased tonnage. The tendency of- firms is not to increase their overhead charges through small steamers, but to introduce larger ones with, greater 'carrying capao and thus mate.fewer trips . with a greater revenue and less overhead. Future competition and reduced freights must force such a position. Let us forget parochiaham. and not cite Dnnedinw. i'ort Lnaftnera, ’or vice versa, but let us remember first- that every steamer enterpiUrn! , harbour ®uat get up as far as Port Chalmers, and, if sufficiently light of P^ g rl’oi C ° me . to tb l fb?: What is Port Chalmers’s growth is Dunedin’s harvest, and the sooner this is realised the better for the future preparedness to receiye .the new class of steamer ..which is likely to eventuate. While people are quarrelling which shall be the port, Dunedin or Port Chalmers, the steamers and trade will have quietly passed to some other port that has prepared . for the contingencies. Conservatism has deep rooted its fangs, and an eruption is neces--B?ry.to destroy such an element, or the elections nest May can rectify it. if the voters ■ bo choose. 1 Then an opportunity will be given some members who make challenges to take the hoard’s business JP'‘ a public meeting. A start was made to achieve in some small way a. policy when the board, through negotiation with 6 rnT°t rm Government, acquired the Port Chalmers wharves, which eliminated the dual control element. This was a good thing, but all the goodness has been ostracised by the hoard’s recent action in passing the new by-law. It is not a matter whether it was put through on a casting vote or not, but the fact remains : that the intention of the board when the wharves were taken over was not what has recently been accomplished, otherwise keen opposition would have been ‘ extended against the board acquiring the same, _ which they must admit has considerably increased their revenue irrespective of any argument the executive officer likes to submit. The position as it stands to-day is an anomaly, as the hoard, or rather those who voted for the by-law. cannot substantiate their position h) argument other than through parochialism- Dunedin hag eight miles more , waterway to navigate, it has sheds, cranes, and facilities not provided at Port Chalmers, where the wharves cost nothing in comparison to the Dunedin wharves, being given to the board, and the increased revenue for berthage bears out my statements. Yet in view of all these conditions. Port Chalmers must suffer, but, as I said before, what is Port Chalmers’s milk is Dunedin's cream, and what is the setback of Port Chalmers re-

carding future trade ia Dunedin’s decay. Now, let the executive officer show the difference in revenue for berthage at Dunedin and the expenditure on the wharves, and the public's -eyes will be opened wide. What other instrument did we secure at an enormous cost to improve our harbour? The new dredge! When first mooted the cry was "no delay; we want her for the channel as soon as we can possibly procure her.” She has been here now' approximately 15 months, and how often has-she been in the harbour channel? She has been spending the most of her time dredging a hole for a wharf at Ravensbourne, the channel for which they will never keep open owing to the debris from the Leith. She nas occupied a greater ■ time than her working time by steaming to sea with her loads, and I would like to know the enormous cost for oil and running expenses. Recently a cry from the wilderness was raised her going to sea, that if something was not done she would have to be tied up as the expense was terrific. The Vulcan was shifted suddenly from the boat harbour to the southern endowment, worked for a short period, then laid up for installation of new motor, and the new dredge has to go to sea again at a very high cost. The wooden structure of the mole may be completed, but the stone wall will never be with the class of stone at present being placed upon it, the recent heavy sea having, proved that. 1 would like to know the heavy cost to secure this stone from the various places and the cause of the failure to secure a given quantity in the recently opened quarries. Three years ago the electrification of the dock was, to have . been completed, and ; yet nothing has been done; it still remains the same'to-day, and is a menace to pumping out, it neither being'steam nor electricity, and the hoard still having to maintain steam for pumping, a§ well aa using electrical energy. Is it any wonder that shipping, companies go elsewhere and that Wellington was urged to promote a floating dock? .The- greatest and most lasting joke of the lot is the question of placing rails on the narrow congested Victoria wharf. Perhaps it is for ■ the ‘children. to run trollies upon during their holidays. What is there to go into trucks at Dunedin that, can be K expeditiously and safely worked? ; Kitchener street wharf carries its complaints,. and it is straight into the railway yard. Most of the cargo goes into the sheds .and is motored to the various bonds. Ships in. most cases are too deep to.'come to Dunedin to load produce, so Victoria wharf is hb use for export. A little manure might be'landed, but Port Chalmers seems preferable for quick-railway despatch. The revenue,: if any, would not be sufficient to pay interest °h the cost: of rails, let alone anything else. The approach is bad, and the Railways Department is to be congratulated on its stand as to consignees. The expense would be-enormous. ' Further, it would not encourage shipping to make this the first direct port of call or last for loading, as if our ways are not mended in the conduct of harbour affairs we might end up with being cut out altogether if Wrtber by-laws are'passed. ’ The building of the Ravensbourne wharf .was the greatest farce ever undertaken by the - board. The hole dug there lor supposed shipping is just a detritus pit for the, Leith, and will quickly fill. ■By making this statement, I am not in any way reflecting on Ravensbourne's proS 1 1*“ jt for having the works there, and the contractor for secura cheaper price, I beiieye, than the board’s estimate, bat the 'HU? ye F y . had. one,- as time will prove. Through not having oil tanks on ™ a P C r» n tJ? D ‘ d A? Bo . i,er Point, Port ChalmMs, where there is a deep berth, we are having the prestige of our portlowered. One timers could boast facilities, but not now. : All deeply laden .boats (oil bumers) Thrnnv], go tf. to + Wellingt °n for oil supplies.' Through that reason ■ alone. Port Chalmere is not now favoured with the whal- {??, fac t» r y and other, large ships, ■which left a, large - quantity of cash in various ways, . It is about time the board Bet its bouse m order and made an endeavour to Pf estl 8e of the port by adoptP°hcy. not of increased ctorges, but reduced ones, as it had to d&ck °h. ar ß ea *o, regain the ships which were going to other ports.—l am, Ikirt Chalmers,.October 3‘. Anmbßoh * ,