THE DEVONSHIRE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7379, 25 May 1887, Page 4

THE DEVONSHIRE OF NEW ZEALAND.

A r.- •'- •"ViVi'V? c" i'iu Ch-isk'!)!' ih I Fri\ ■ (^i . \\ . H. i - 'i'.,.:'). v.-lio has ttv-p u'y j piuti 'J'-':. n.tui ,• \ !<•'•' i ti.i's »viiUs resjiet - iug tliis (liMiiei :—: — : [t'oi'iiiiued from Monday."] I huvo left myself little space in which to spi-ak of tho harbor works of Neu? Plymouth. Tho fact is, I wa3 not abl •'o do justice to the subject. The Ilarbor Board pooplo are very courteous and obliging, but they would have ft.lt hurt if I had proposed to devote l^ss th;in a day to the investigation oi! tho subject. Nobody hurries himself in Taran:il»i about anything, und they would hnvo been ng grieved beyond measure had I betrayed any unseemly haste in dealing with their magnum opus. From inspection I found that tho breakwater appeared to he of a very solid construction, nnd hud bcon carried out a distance of over 1800 feet. It is iilready c.ptible of accommodating the b.s. Wakutipu in ordinary weather, but when there is a pea on tho water pours over iv solid sheets, aad shipping work is impossible. Soma wharves aro to be added, however, anil itis hoped these will enable vessels to be worked even in rough weather. 1 further learned that, the Gove rnment. by their tinkering with the land laws of the country, have destroyed die land revenue which former! part of tho security on which tho ll'iihoiir Loan w;:s raised, ami that in const gut nee, after imposing Ibe full rate allowed 'by law, the Uourd would not be able to meet the interest until the Government had in some way made up the amount which they have taken away from the Board. Thiß no doubt they will do, and Parliament will be nfforded another delightful instance of the muddle the country is being' led jnto by meddling with the land laws without fully considering what the effect is likely to be. I am sorry to say I was not able^tp^see nny very results likely to foljow.the constrnction oF~fbe"~harbour works. The opening up of railway communication with Wellington and .tho consequent development of a through traffic to "Auckland via New Plymouth, has undoubtedly, had a rousing effect already, but it is not so easy to see what the harbour is going' to do. The staple product of the district is butter, and prolific as Taranaki undoubtedly is in this article, she is hardly likely to load up many 5000 ton steainerß with it in the course of the year. There ia no graiu to speak of grown in tbedistrict, and there are comparatively few sheep. Consequently there is no wool and no frozen mutton to export, and it is difficult to see how auy very large trade can (irow up, unless Taranaki producers turn th-iir attention in a freßh direction. "Whether it ever becomes a big port or not, however, it will always be a charming place, free from the carking cares of busier centres of population. I left it with much regret. Unhappily I know nothing about butter — that is to say, prior to its being brought to table — or the attractions of the place might have been too much for me. Whether a man, by diligent study, may fit himself for dairj ing pursuits as he may " cram " for the learned professions, I know not, but I shall certainly look into tbe subject.