Harbour Should Keep All Available Water

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 837, 4 December 1929, Page 1

Harbour Should Keep All Available Water

AMERICANS ADVICE PORT’S UNKNOWN FUTURE

“Don’t give away any of your water. Who knows what the Pacific trade will do to Auckland, or what its harbour requirements will be in twenty or thirty years’ time? You might want alt the water you can get.” TJAISING his left hand American A' l fashion, as he took the oath, with just a suggestion of twang in his voice. Captain C. A. Berndtson. iho youthful-looking master of the Matson liner Malolo, provided an interesting interlude at yesterday’s sittirg of the Harbour Bridge Commission when he told its members of his experiences of harbours and harbour bridges the world over. Captain Berndtson, who was called by Mr. R. McVeagh, representing the Auckland Harbour Board, considered that the building of a bridge from Beaumont Street to Shoal Bay would prove a serious obstacle to the handling of shipping. He did not favour the Beaumont Street-North :ote route either, but thought that a bridge higher up the harbour would be wiser. For large shipping he considered a head clearance of 150 feet would be necessary on any bridge, and at least a clear span of 700 feet. He added that the Malolo’s funnels were 100 feet above the water. Mr. G. Findlay: "It is only fair for me to tell the captain that I represent the arch-enemy. I suppose you have heard of the bridge prosopals.” Captain Berndtson: “I hsve read about them in the papers, and I want to tell you that you have very honest papers.” Referring to a statement by witness concerning American bridged, Mr. Finlay reminded him that Auckland was not as big as San Francisco. Captain Berndtson: No, but you hope to be some day, don’t you? Look at Honolulu today. Whoever expected that they would get the shipping they are getting today. They never thought they would have to cater for big shipping, and now it is the cross-roa.ds of the Pacific, with big liners working in and out all the time. And what are they doing there now but tearing down wharves and altering their harbour to carry it. Auckland has big possibilities as a stop-over port, and you don’t want to make the same mistake as Honolulu. You have a fine harbour and a great chance to build up to meet any increase, but don’t you give any of it away.

Witness was questioned by counsel whether such a large span was really necessary to meet the possibility of a ship being carried through broadside on. Do you think such a contingency is very likely to occur? he asked.

Captain Berndtson: “Not very likely, but you could only afford to have it happen once. Before he took his departure Captain Berndtson earnestly advised his audience to go very cautiously about the business of building harbour bridges. “Some day you might want to bring in a fleet of battleships or a big convoy of ships and drop it somewhere in the harbour out of the road. If you have cut off most of your water with a bridge you might find that you could not handle the convoy too well. You could not tell them that they couldn’t come in because the tide was out,” he added. "Keep all the water you can,” waa his parting advice.