DEEP WATER BERTHAGE AT PORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3099, 6 August 1913, Page 3

DEEP WATER BERTHAGE AT PORT.

DISCUSSION BY THE HARBOUR BOARD. Mr F. W. Platts, pursuant to previous notification, moved at the meeting of tho Otago Harbour Board on July 25 —“That tho chairman, the secretary, Messrs Wilkinson, Hazlett, and Bullock act as a deputation from tho board to th Minister of Railways and the General Manager of the Railways to ask fqr the co-operation of the Railway Department in providing a deep water berth at Port Chalmers by widening the George street pier or by strengthening the present structure of tho pier to enable tho necessary dredging to bo done.” Speaking to tho motion ho said that. at present the greatest depth of water at the wharf was 25ft 6in, and ordinary liners trading to tho dominion drew 29ft and 30ft when fully laden, and tho result was that such vessels could not bo accommodated in the harbour. They could not make the Port their first port of call nor their final port of departure, and the result was that the Port was thrust back and became a third rate port. No pier had tho length or sufficient strength for dredging alongside it, but the engineer had stated that it was possible to get depth at low water of 39ft. Ho (the speaker) asked that a deputation consisting of the chairman and members of the board proceed to Wellington to wait upon the Minister and General Manager of Railways and urge that this work should bo attended to. Ho considered it a most pressing work, and if they had a deep water berthage it would lift the Port into the front ranks right awayv Mr Bullock, in seconding the motion, took exception to the remark by Mr Platts as to the Port being a third rate port. Within tho last six weeks the Otaki had come here, and had drawn 26ft or 2;ft of water, and she brought one of the heaviest cargoeg ever landed here. Vessels were arriving every* month from London and making Port Chalmers their first port of call. Mr Hazlett said a suggestion had been made to him by a nautical man that as the George street pier was at present far enough out into the channel, the Bowen pier should bo removed, and dredging bo done to a depth of 40ft, after which a fresh pier should bo erected in absolutely slack water. Ho thought the engineer might report upon tho suggestion. The Chairman (Mr H. E. Molier) said bo was much struck by the suggestion brought forward by Mr Hazlett, which ho believed was a good one. He took exception to tho remarks made by Mr Platts, who was a Port Chalmers representative. Mr Platts overstepped tho mark when he said that Port Chalmers was a third-rate port. Since he (Mr Mollcr) had been on the board these sort of remarks were made principally by Port Chalmers representatives. . The lower harbour had never lie on better than it was at the present time, and ho thought, it spoke well for the engineering work that the Port of Otago had been improved the way it had been. Mr Belcher said lie understood that at the present time tho wharves at Port Chalmers were fairly well able to accommodate most of the vessels that came and went. With regard to tho deep water wharf, there was possibly some wisdom in tho suggestion that had come to Mr Hazlett. and it might be acted upon. But the trouble was that tho Otago Harbour Board had absolutely no control over the wharves at Port Chalmers, and it would have to bo loft to the tender mercies of tho Government whether it would act on the recommendation of tiie board. They were at tho mercy of tho Government or the Railway Department all the time. Ho suggested that when tho board’s representatives went to Wellington they should make thornselves heard and felt before the Harbours’ Association and before the Ministers, asking that the Port Chalmers wharves: should bo placed under tho control of tho board. Mr Platts said tho chairman and others had misunderstood his remarks about the Port Chalmers harbour. Ho said that tho effect of the absence of deep water was to thrust it hack into tho rank of a thirdclass port, but that if it was properly dredged it would take its place as a firstclass port. Owing to the want of deep water, Home vessels cou’d not make it their first port nor tho last. Members: No! No! Wrong! Mr Platts: I know I am right. lie know of an agent who, on making inquiries, had boon informed that there was not sufficient water for his vessel. The Otaki hud drawn forward and 261 ft aft, and ho indicated that some difficulty had been experienced in berthing her. Although there was 40ft of water in tho channel from tho Heads right up to Deborah Bay, yet there they ran into a considerable stretch only 25ft at low water, and that effectively destroyed the value of tho rest of the channel. The motion was carried.