THE PORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1920, Page 5

THE PORT.

RECENT DEVELOPMENT. STEAMERS FROM MANY PARTS. GROWTH IN OVERSEAS TRADE. A new development in the progress of the. port of New Plymouth is marked by the arrival last night of the first Japanese steamer to come here, and the vessel—the Atsuta Mam—will berth today to discharge 3000 tons of coal from Newcastle for the railway department. The advance made by Taranaki's port is strikingly demonstrated just now. Last week a large Home liner was in port, to-day a Japanese vessel berths, in a week a liner arrives from Sydney to load for Home, a week later, a steamer from San Francisco is due, and then, a little later, the first liner to bring direct imports from England to Taranaki will lie in port. And all the time the coastal service is growing, and the movements of boats from the north and the south and from the west coast help to keep the port busy. The volume of shipping is often beyond the port's present capacity, but the Harbor Board is hastening the scheme of extensions, for Captaiu Bone (Marine Superintendent of the Now Zealand Shipping Co.) has promised that the biggest liners trading to New Zealand will be here before very, long. "Forging ahead," is the term which can be aptly applied to the port of New Plymouth- in regard to the development aspect. • It is not a far cry back to the days when the only overseas vessels to visit here were sailers. Barques and schooners have their uses for particular lines of trading, and will still be seen at the port, but the feature of the more recent years has been the ever-inereas-ing number of Home liners calling for produce. Yet another era has arrived, for the advent of the Mamari from England shortly with general cargo marks the inauguration of a direct cargo service by steamers. In the past imports have come mostly in sailing vessels OPENING- OF NEW ERA. An outstanding year in the records was 1017, when visit*, ■were received from''several lincri, and this was really the commencement of tho direct overseas shipping through the port. In 1914, the old "Walkwe was berthed on Bth June, and at. that date was the longest vessel the harbor had accommodated. The ship was 355 ft in length, had a ton-' nage of <SOO, and drew "21ft 10' m. A cargo of IMS tons of manure was discharged by the ship, which, made a .stay of thirteen days. War condition: were responsible for a lull in trade, but on March 21, 1017, the Wniwera (0237 tons), with a length of 428 ft, was berthed, and thus the previous record was raised! A cargo of 213 tons was taken on board. The I'aparoa (SBOO tons) followed on the 24th of the same month, and on June 4th the Kumara (0034 tons) loaded 102 tons of produce. One of 'the biggest vessels to visit t/lie port was the Kia Ora (8030 tons), which came on August Ist. Her length was 44Sft. The Mamari, which arrived in November, had a length over, all of 473 feet, and a tonnage of 8813. The run of steamers for that year was concluded with the Whakatane, of 8775 tons. This ship arrived on December 31st, and 1457 tons of produce were loaded, this being a big advance on previous loadings. MORE RECENT VISITORS. In 1913 the Port Alma (6278-tons) was 5J days at the wharf, loading 1143 tons, and this was the chief steamer to visit the port during the year.. Sailing vessels included the Narwhal, the barquentine Thrasher, the Albert Meyer, and the schooner Otillje Fjord, all of which brought timber and case oil from oversea ports, In 1919 the Matatua arrived on February 26, while the Orissa berthed in May. Later in tho same month the Kia Ora took 600 tons of meat, In June the Whakatane also loaded 'meat. The second visit of the Waiwwa >was made in September. The Karamea brought a •cargo of phosphates in October, and loaded meat. The Kia Ora made her second visit in November, and was 11 days in port. For the months of 1920 just passed, the Lorain, Gallic, Kumara, Donald McKay and Otarama have made visits to the port, in addition to a number of sailing vessels. The recent activity has emphasised the need for increased berthage accommodation, there being occasions when vessels have had to wait in the stream owing to ihe shortage of room at the wharf. This, however, is a feature which is common in the history of most ports, and the maximum business often taxes the roomiest wharves.

With the visit of their vessels the shipping; companies have been able to piiiage {he value of the port, and from time to time have also made recommendations to the Board for various improvements, and works have been carried, on to give adequate berthage to ocean-going vessels. The big scheme now under way is designed to make a first-class port, but the very nature of the work makes the operations a tedious job. BRIGHT PROSPECTS. Prospects for the future are extremely promising. The Inxsrer elnss of- vessel which is now entering the port was commented upon by the chairman of the Harbor Board (Mr, Newton King) in his last- annua! report, in speaking of the large increase which was shown in the nett tonnage. Last year's exports totalled 32,347 tons, an increase of nearly 5(100 on the previous best year. While the people of the province have been aware of the good progress which is being hiade generally; an analysis of the above records produces even a greater impression. An example is the finding that the Otarama was 1 the twenty-ftrst liner to make a visit, and it is interesting to note that the port has attained its majority in this' respect. The ships have been representative of many lines, and as the volume of 'business grows fresh competitors appear. The Donald McKay and the Lorain belong to a classed irected by the American Government, this being a new advent in the shipping world. The Atsuta Maru's arrival last night widens the field, and marks the first arrival of a Japanese vessel at the port. It will perhaps also serve as a reminder of the fact that the Japanese are gaining a reputation for. exploiting new fields in the commercial world. The West Oamargo, which is how at Auckland, having arrived from San Francisco on Monday, has some cargo to discharge at New Plymouth, and is another illustration of the service of steamers which is beine established between New Ply-