PORT OF NEW PLYMOUTH

Taranaki Daily News, 16 February 1933, Page 3

PORT OF NEW PLYMOUTH

VALUE TO TAUMARANUI CHAMESR OF COMMERCE VISIT. GATHERING AT THE INLAND TOWN. TRADE PROSPECTS DISCUSSED. Continuing their tour of the Ohura and surrounding districts the delegation from the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, which spent Monday at Ohura, visited Taumarunui on Tuesday and met representatives of town and country at a conference. Prospects of trade between Taumarunui and Taranaki were discussed, and the visitors stressed the advantages to be gained if the people of Taumarunui district sent their dairy produce to the Moturoa grading, stores and did their shipping through the port of New Plymouth. . The touring party was met by the Mayor of Taumarunui, Mr. C. A. Boles, and taken to the Council Chambers, where they discussed with a number of leading business men various matters of interest to the two districts. The visitors received a very cordial hearing.

As there is no Chamber of Commerce in existence at Taumarunui at present the Mayor extended a welcome to the visitors, expressing pleasure at seeing such a representative delegation of business men. They had certainly set a fine standard, he said, by visiting other districts. He realised that they had not come together to push their business interests, but to foster a fraternal spirit that must be to the mutual benefit of both. He felt that New Plymouth had avenues such as its harbour which might be of advantage to their district Mr. A. G. Laird, the last chairman of the Taumarunui Chamber of Commerce, who had travelled 60 miles to attend the meeting, also welcomed the visitors. As one who had received his infant admonition and early nurture, at New Plymouth he congratulated those whose persistency had made the town what it was. No doubt there were openings for trade between New Plymouth and the large district through which they had travelled, he said. As they could see, it had only been scratched, and had great potentialities. He hoped to see as a result of the visit an interchange of trade between the 'two districts. . INTEREST IN RAILWAY. Mr. A. F. Sandford, president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, expressed pleasure at meeting so many business people who had assembled at. such short notice. He explained the reasons for the delay and apologised for the late arrival of the party. They were very pleased to have the opportunity of discussing Taranaki affairs, which interested all of them. They were both interested in the opening of the Main Trunk—Taranaki line, and now that it was an accomplished fact he considered that it was the duty of all to avail themselves of it to the fullest extent. They therefore were endeavouring to use every effort to see that the railway was supported, and. for’ that reason, were out to make contact with the business people of Taumarunui. The railway was a vital one to Taranaki, and especially' to those settlers who had been waiting for railway connection for so many years, and it was therefore up to the business people of Taranaki to see that the programme set out by the Railway Department in regard to the time-table did not fail for want of support. Assistance in securing feeder roads v giving them access to the' railway would’ be welcomed. He had gained very favourable impressions regarding the prospects of the Ohura-district, holding as the result of his first visit that there was some fine country that had great possibilities when opened lip. They were of the opinion that the development of production in the Ohura and further back would be helpful to the New Plymouth harbour, where as. ' the ; result of the far-seeing policy of the-Harbour Board a harbour had been provided capable of handling any ■ cargoboat that • came to New Zealand. By increasing the amount of cargo handled : it was hoped that it might be possible for the board to reduce" its rates, which should be beneficial.to a district even situated so far away as Taumarunui. He also stressed , the importance of the Taranaki Producers Works to the district, remarking that the ‘ completion of the railway would probably widen the scope of the works. HARBOUR SEEKS BUSINESS. Mr. C. E. Bellringer, chairman. of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, said that naturally the Harbour Board was looking for; business,. and: he thought - that it could offer the district a proposition that would be attractive to them. He , recognised that as business men they could look at the matter on business lines, and do their business with the port where it could most economically be done. He pointed out that it had' been the : policy of the board to provide a deep sea port suitable for the needs of Taranaki. They now had the only deep sea port on the West Coast of New Zealand, and he thought the port closest to the. Taumarunui district. If .was only 126 miles from Taumarunui to New Plymouth, as against 174 miles to Auckland and 170 to Wanganui. Last year. 63 overseas ships, of which 42 carried dairy produce, visited New Plymouth. The port. had every facility for handling cargo and was a railway port, so that he thought.it would pay the .business people of' Taumarunui to investigate thoroughly the possibilities of shipping through New Plymouth. The Railway. Department had given splendid' service and was now quite alive to the necessity of studying the interests of their clients by providing every facility. He had looked into the railway freights, and considered that on many' lines the business people of Taumarunui would make considerable savings. Indeed one man in. Ohura had told him that he could make a saving ■of about £ll on 50 bales, of wool. All the New Plymouth Harbour Board asked was that the. business people should investigate the position, and if if proved more economical give the facilities provided by the , board a trial, as he was ■ satisfied that now the railway was . through they could give the district a very satisfactory service. If they looked at the . matter on . purely business lines he considered; that they would realise the advantages that the port had for them. , Mr. Stanley, business agent, Wanganui, spoke on the same lines ; as at. Ohura, remarking' that tentative time-tables had been prepared, on which they wanted the views of ; various bodies interested. That day notification had been received that Messrs. Couch and Miller, traffic managers at Wanganui and Ohakune, were to proceed to Wellington to-day so that the time-table could be finalised. He pointed out that the line under discussion was the only one that had been allowed to proceed, and he urged on all interested the necessity for supporting the line so as to show that the expenditure, on its construction was justified. He pointed out' that the Ohura district was partly in the transition stage from timber to agriculture, and from his visit through the-district during the past 1 two days he realised that it had great possibilities which should benefit • Taumarunui. They had'the co-operation of the people of Taranaki and now sought the co-opera-tion of the business people of Taumarunui to ensure that the line would be a success. He stressed the point that the service provided depended upon the manner in which the line was used.

Mr. G. Fraser. gave some interesting figures showing thnt the freight to Taumarunui on class A goods (general merchandise) was 925. 3d. per ton from Auckland, 87s. lOd. from Wanganui and 78s. 2d. from New Plymouth. On southern produce the freight from Auckland was 20s. lid. per ton, from Wanganui 20s. 5d., and from New Plymouth 17s. lOd. Since then he understood there had been a 15 per cent, reduction in freights. The wharfage at Wanganui was Is. per ton, and at Auckland a little more. Replying to Mr. A. S. Laird, Mr. Bellringer said that he understood the wharfage at Auckland was 2s. 6d., at Wanganui 4s. and at New Plymouth 3s. To a further question Mr. Bellringer said that it would be admitted that New Plymouth had not the same facilities as the larger ports, but it gave quick dispatch to the boats. Mr. J. Brown said that his primary object in visiting the district was to place before Mr. Stanton, chairman of the Kaitake Dairy Company, the advantages to be derived from shipping their dairy '• produce through the dairy produce stores at New Plymouth, which" he considered could handle produce more expeditiously and more economically than any other works in the Dominion. He detailed briefly the progress made by the Freezing Stores, and extended a cordial welcome to any visitors from Taumarunui to inspect the works. Mr. Sandford expressed thanks for the attentive hearing that had given the delegation in placing matters of interest to both before them. The attendance that evening showed that the business. people of Taumarunui appreciated the importance of the railway. < Mr. A. S.' Laird, in (hanking the delegation for having put their case so clearly, stressed the necessity, for co-opera-tion by Chambers of Commerce. The Mayor, Mr. C. A. Boles, also expressed the hope that the visit would be the forerunner of other visits.