LOCAL STEAMERS AND BYE-PORTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 11316, 7 September 1898, Page 3

LOCAL STEAMERS AND BYE-PORTS.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sis,— "By your leave,' sir ?" So say railway porters in busy England after taking the bark off a man's shin or giving him a Btern-»!mmp from luggage on a trolly going at high speed. " Practical " is the writer now ia front. And by what right "does J.K. presume to interfere from Patea with " Practical ? ' It's just this; and' even v The Doctor " ' may not bile over about it. In 1893, J.K. out lined the developments in settlement swinging round from Awakino on the north, working -inland in a' sort of semicircle, and back to the coast line on the south, New Plymouth, the ocean outlet, being figured up as about the centre on the sear-oard of this inland semi circle, with possibilities in ' meat production, dairying, cropping, and' industrial entei^ prise not even yes fully realised, though the .volume of trade within the said semi cirfle has developed somewhat since that time. Dairying expamion was- then chiefly in view. It was shown how far short of expectations the various efforts to meet expansion of trade had from one cause and another been frustrated, and that the once dreamed dream of a direct ocean-going steamer set vice with England from New PI j mouth was becoming remoter, the "big coastal steamers of the Union Company even fighting shy of the harbour miuu- the'bulKnose parapet sand) blocker'or excluder, but with its slide»ineasy sand and sea slope device. Hist! does "The Doctor" interject, or is the mixture amixing yet ? No? "Practical s' 7 turn first; or rather let J.K. chip in with a quotation: "Ifr may be a step down> from the lon^hoped-for but now [1893] almosfc,deßpaired of ocean>going service. Yet it is more than probable it will answer requirements. < The suggestion is to cut; the' painter somewhat as regards Auckland, and work more towards Wellington for shipping* purposes; '< > Then the Julia Percy was paraded as a locally awned steamer trading ''between Warrnambool and Melbourne' having a cool chamber capacity of 1020 butter boxes of 561 b size, carrying butter from the factory port to Melbourne, i o ihe full satisfaction of producers, the product being bo well up to the requirements of the Government expert examiners thac the dairy stuff was;, on occasions,- allowed to pass right out from Julia Percy's cool chamber into the great ocean liner's refrigera*. tor department. " Practical " says all else necessary. J.K. concluded, "Itbtit requires that' Taranaki shall' adopt a similar method of transport. Taranaki would, however, have advantage in the fact that a similar boat so fitted, could call at intervals at other ports, including, perhaps, in the not distant future, even Awakino." bince that was written Patea has become a veritable harbour bugbsar to New Plymouth produce handlers and shippers, notwithstanding the fact that i never a step was made to improve that easily made- better small steamer port since the first' section of wall on Coode's lines was finished in 1880. The extra trading through the port enjoyed now has come naturally through the great increase of settlement chiefly in- the north. It has had no artificial aid. Patea has had quite a lot of amateur Sarteos dead against Coode and his plain and explicit directions and ready to . shelve the master craftsman's work . for something other than carrying vout. Sir John Coode's plans. A small work is now being carried out on the western bank of the rivet on Coode's lines. ' If this, on completion, only puts a lining of Band on the tidal face of the present ragged stone wall, as expected by Coode to be effected by this western; groin and half-tide traiuing walls ,to follow, then the present danger to navigating the entrance will be removed and larger vessels will be able to trade with safety. ■ If Patea as ,a', port is at present' a bugbear to New Plvmouththe latter may have grounds for squealing if improvement; follows present small expenditure at Patea . '1 here is an open door, however, by which New Plymouth may profit and at the same time help its present little but formidable competitor. -Let New Plymouth people adopt " Practical s ' suggestion and get a steamer to work their own products at lower freights, a la Julia Percy for a* start, making regular calls at the various bye ports. Ntither Wellington merchant snippets nor Auckland ere have so far extended consideration, and, are not likely to do more than compelled by' the fear of other competitors going one better. i Here then is New Plymouth's further opportunity." ''"Remember the Maine' has been the Yankee jingoes battle cry. "Remember the capture of Banks and Buckland" when those gentlemen came as delegates from Auckland to select a site for branch freezing works. s A nod will be no more good than a wink in this present obtruding opportunity if the old inertness remains. But, if genuine business instinct has by this time developed with capability of looking ahead and planning for the future, then tho boat, as suggested by " Practical," will bb got as the steppingstone to tbe haudliug of a larger surplus of raw and manufactured products from Taranalii, at rates which will encourage present production in staple commodities, in dairy stuff, cattle, coal, lime (for the farmers), aud general merchandise. Then thit grand old mountain can be made use of all around its wide base as locations for manufactures, worked by electric power motors the water to move which will be flumed down from easily made reservoils on the lower ranges. At once taking up the trade of the small ports, on equally favourable terms as regards freights, will lead to all round develop* ments and lay down the foundations at present Jittle dreamt of business extensions. Go it " Practical;"— l am, &c, James Kenworthy.