MAKING A PORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 274, 16 May 1912, Page 4

MAKING A PORT.

The Gisborne Herald writes as follows: It was announced by ' the chairman of the New Plymouth Harbor Hoard in his inaugural address last week that it could "be confidently asserted that the coming year would see ocean steamers berthed at the breakwater wharf. Our neighbors on the other side of the Island are to be congratulated upon the successful accomplishment of a project that has for many years occupied their attention. Harbor building in New Zealand has been attended with miauy reverses and disappointments. The attempt to control and direct the forces of Nature often becomes a Hecrulean task, but it is gratifying to find, as at New Plymouth, Timaru, Westport,. and. in a minor degree, at Greymouth, that the patient and persistent application of up-to-date, scientific methods ultimately brings its reward. For many years, at each of these places, the people were more or less in despair of seeing an adequate return for the heavy expenditure undertaken in -harbor building. Sand and shingle accumulating, tlie force of the seas and other factors made the task of securing safe accommodation for shipping well nigh insuperable, but gradually man's ingenuity conquered, and fine artificial harbors have been built. That at Timaru has admitted ocean-going steamers for some years past. Westport and Greymouth accommodate the larger class of colliers with ease, and vessels are handled with safety which ten or twenty years - ago could never have attempted to cross the bar. Now comes New Plymouth into line with a safe and commodious harbor. Napier is debating the problem of extending .its breakwater or excavating an inner harbor, and Gisborne-is already busily employed on this latter task, the bolder project of an outer-harbor being reserved for the present. With the developments- i-n the petroleum industry that the next few years are likely to show, New Plymouth is bound to become an important port, and it is well that the people of Tarana-ki -should have taken time by the forelock and established facilities for the greatly increased volume ! of shipping traffic that is sure to require j accommodation.