THE COLONIST. Published Daily—Mornings Nelson, Thursday, March 4, 1897. RIVALS.

Colonist, Volume XL, Issue 8806, 4 March 1897, Page 2

THE COLONIST. Published Daily—Mornings Nelson, Thursday, March 4, 1897. RIVALS.

For many years pasfc the rivalry between Auckland, the former capital of the Colony, and Wellington, the pres* ent seat of Government;, has been made manifest On lnany occasions, and sometimes it has occasioned a little amusement to onlookers. For come years past Auckland has possessed a dock that is frequently used by warships, and now a section of ths Wellington people a*?e asfeage? that a dry dock of the largest capacity shall be constructed in Wellington, as they are, that mail steamers to and from America shall call at their port; The question was referred to at a recent meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, when Mr Duthie urged that " such a work must be undertaken by this port, for without it Welliogton could not take up the position of a fully equipped port-, nor could it expect to be tile headquar ers of the fleet*" Tha' gentleman posed as a public financier, and said that if in 1907, when the Harbor Board loans fell due, the Board's indebtedness was renewed at 3J per cent, the annual charged would be tediiced to £5985, which would ihean an annual saving of £6(52, and he said that with tliis surplus the construe ion of a dock to cost £150,000, could be undertaken without further taxation being im- ( posed. Had a Colonial Treasurer, who happened to be on the opposite side in politics to the former member for Wellington spoken of a similar balance to that referred to by Mr Duthie as a <l surplus," we can well imagine how virtuously indignant he would have waxed, but Mr Duthie, according to a fellow member of the Chamber ot Commerce was also deeply at sea in respect to his estimate, for it was asserted thatthe cost of constructing such a dry dock would be nearer £300,000, and the gentleman who said this very forcibly remarked that it would be better t"> pay £200 or £800 as towage for any d sab led vessel to Lyttelton or Auckland than to have a dock which wonld mean an annual loss of £7000 or £8000. The chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, in moving the adoption of the annual report, asserted that tha prosperity of Wellington was due to the efforts of her Harbor Board, but it is pretty evident that a very few proposals such as that advocated by Mr Duthie would have brought the Harbor Board, and the citizens of Wellington also, to grief, for the annual loss of £7000 or £8000 is not a light matter. But while a certain section in Wellington is desirous of securing eimilar conveniences for the refitting of large ships to those existing at Auckland and Lyttelton, the people of the Northern City, or some of them are anxious apparently to make their harbor more attractive to warships and to the Admiral in charge of the station. If the Auckland people chose to tax themselves to povide a residence for the Admiral, and to maintain it, no one else perhaps has any right to complain, but apparently the Government is expect to assist, and therefore it is well that objection should at once be raise 3to the proposal. The polony has no right to waste money in that fashion, and it is to be hoped that it never will do it. One suggestion made by the Auckland Harbor Board, however.'deaerves someoonsderation. We refer' to the proposal to provide special facilities for the rapid coaling of warships at times when the services of such ships may be instantly and urgently required. If such facilities aa are desirable do not at present exist in the north of the Colony, it is clearly desirable that they should be provided, and in this connection it would also be advantageous if means for coaling were provide! in one of the sheltered inlets in the vicinity of Tasman Bay, or of Admiralty Bay, so that warships might be coaled without running into Wellington, and at a place where coal couldbe cheaply run from tha West Coast mines. Proposals that are the mere outcome of selfish rivalry, deserve that they Bhould only be made in vain, but where they are supported by reason and necessity, the position is altogether different.