FLOOD TIDE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1923, Page 5

FLOOD TIDE

PORT’S POSSIBILITIES. BIG DISTRIBUTING CENTRE. MAIL BOATS AND TOURISTS. THE HARBORMASTER’S VISIOX, There is a tide in the affairs of harbors, as in the affairs of men, which,, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. As far as the port of New Plymouth is concerned, the tide ia at the flood. Under the compulsion of trade expansion,. New Plymouth must go ahead and Taranaki’s future is assured. There remains only the necessity that we should keep abreast of the times. Such a viewpoint was expressed by theh harbormaster (Captain Wm. Waller) yesterday when discussing with a Daily News reporter the future possibilities of New Plymouth as the great distributing port of the west coast of the North Island. He struck no exaggerated note for he has behind his words a wide experience of New land harbors and their possibilities* GREAT WEST COAST PORT. \

"The trade of New Plymouth not only justifies the building of the second wharf, now in course of erection, but, when that is finished, we will have to consider the building of another or, at least, the remodelling of the pretest one,” declared Captain Waller. "Thors is no doubt of the progress the port is making. The tide has turned, and we must keep with it. New Plymouth is already established as the great distributing port of the west coast for coal, manures, and case oil, three vary necessary items, especially the manurial agents, which are required for our light, friable soil.

“I feel sure the time will soon come when we will get a weekly service to Sydney,” continued the harbormaster, in pointing out that the distance from Sydney to New Plymouth wae 1140 miles, or quite one hundred miles shorter than either Wellington or Auckland. With these two porta New Plymouth should not clash, as a casual glance at the map showed that New Plymouth stood out on its own about mid-way between the two. A 16-knot boat could go from New Plymouth to Sydney in three days. The route presented no outside dangers, while both ports were easy to make and easy to leave. New Plymouth’s position lent itself to this possibility, while the harbor was accessible to mail boats at all states of the tide. SUMMER HOLIDAY-MAKERS. The Sydney-Hobart was a favorite summer trip for New South Wales people, but the captain considered that, if properly advertised, the Sydney- “ aranaki trip would prove even more OGpular and woiud attract many visitors from across the Taaman, especially during the period from November to the end of March of each year. Taranaki was a land of perennial spring and would prove a welcome contrast to Australians during the months of intense heat and summer drought. Added to the change from a sultry to a mild climate, were the many beauty *pots and pleasure resorts in which Taranaki abounded.

Another point illustrated by Captain Waller was the fact that New Zealand imported large quantities of citrus and tropical fruits from Australia—oranges and lemons from New South' Wales, bananas and pineapples from Queensland. New Plymouth, he felt sure, would become a fruit-diatributing port for the district from Te Kuiti in the north to Wanganui in the south. The large, fresh and constant supplies that would thus be available would have the probable additional advantage of making the fruits cheaper. MARKET FOR DAIRY SUPPLIES.

By some process of preservation, L supplies of milk were recently,sent fr«. » the Cape of Good Hope to England, a voyage of three weeks. The passage hom New Plymouth to Sydney occupied only three days, and, if a sufficiently regular service could be inaugurated, the harbormaster saw no reason why Taranaki milk and dairy supplies should not be sent to Sydney, where, in the seasons of drought, these commodities wen apt to become very scarce. Every yeai Taranaki was being more and more intensively farmed, and there was always a good market in New South Wales foi dairy supplies, provided regular services were available.

The possibility of importing Nauru phosphates to Taranaki, where such manures could be used with great advantage, was also referred to. The distance from this equatorial island to New Plymouth was 2345 miles, and *u o:dinary nine-knot steamer could do tli*» passage in eleven or twelve days. For more intensive farming purposes, T; anaki was dependent upon manures, and a fine site for treating the manures could be obtained near the port before distributing supplies throughout a large area of farming country. Tha usual claw of vessel in this trade would carry about 4000 tons, and Taranaki itself would be able to absorb largo quantities.

IN TOUCH WITH THE WORLD. The early completion of the new wharf would enable two liners to be worked at once, while the coastal trade was constantly increasing. Thirty-five large overseas weasels had visited New Plymouth so far this year, and several others were in sight during the last month of the year, all of which gave tn indication of the expansion of trade. There was no occasion for pe-sim»*«i. Some “croakers” had raised their voices, but, despite that, the port*! prospect* were assured and there waa every inducement for us to launch out further. Bigger .«hips would goon come to th' port, and sufficient berthage and shelter would have to be provided for them. “I don’t think any other port in N< ’ Zealand has a better future than New Plymouth.” said the captain, “but we must know what the shipping requirements are. Thia port is an ocean gateway to the province, and through it we are kept in touch with the world.” Tn the process of reclaiming land, the big steam-shovel is eating its way into the bank on the quarry side of the railway line. Thus part of the vast lupincovered hillside is being levelled in th" process, and, as Captain AVallor pointed out, this area will provhle valuable sites for the erection of warehouses, stores, etc., the necessary adjuncts of a harbor.