ACCESS TO THE SEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22205, 7 March 1934, Page 9

ACCESS TO THE SEA

TO THE BDITOB.

Slit,—The latter part of your leading article tinder this heading in Monday's issue is somewhat misleading in regard to the Otago Harbour Board members. ' _ It presumes to draw a moral in a most immoral way by imagining certain things and ascribing to mqst of its members a certain bias in their attitude towards a full inquiry on the present policy of the board. A close examination of the export statistics of our port ig anything but satisfactory. Ten years ago our export trade was always either fourth or fifth place in the Dominion's trade, but the last three years have found us well down—once sixth and twice but seventh on the list. Three years in succession we have had to take second place to our near neighbour—Bluff. We cannot shut our eyes to these facts, and it. is time something was done. A further, examination of administration and working costs reveals an equally disquieting position. The present inquiry seeks to find out if it is possible to work this port of Otago in a more efficient and economical manner «6 that it can hold and attract more shipping and more export trade. At, present it 18 distinctly evident we are losing both, and there seems little or no chance /of doing this by pursuing the present policy. Your suggestion that it is a revival of the old dispute between the city and Port ■ Chalmers is entirely unfounded, and the bringing in of such an issue is greatly to be deplored. Our one and only, object is to secure a port of Otago that is efficient and economical.—-I am, etc., R. D.

[We are certainly astonished at what our correspondent appears to have been able to read into comments of a general kind which might have been penned -with eoual force at "any time in the I>ast 10 O.D.T.J