The Star. FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1902. THE PORT OF LYTTELTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7416, 30 May 1902, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1902. THE PORT OF LYTTELTON.

The Lyttelton Harbour Board is not apparently unduly alarmed at the organised agitation which seeks to divert the oversea traffic of the province from Lyttelton to Sumner and aip a canal which somebody is goingi to cut somewhere, with moniey provided somehow by someone. Ins&ead of sitting shivering at the unholy prospeob of impending bankruptcy, the Boardl is pro-, ceeding to "pull down, its 'barns to build larger." Possibly this 'is a diplomatic counter stroke, and the Board is hastening to put its house in, order for the purpose ol further discounting the efforts of the canalites. More probably, however, there is no question of wiliness involved at all, and it is simply the strong arm of necessity which hai moved the Board? to a spirited policy of improvement. Visitors to oui jrort — even the ordinary laymen — 'have- been wont to compare it, in its artificial aspect, unfavourably with the pojjts at Auckland and Wellington, and the reproach, seems to have been fairly earned. We are going to change all that. The area of tihe inner harbour is, unfortunately, somewhat circumscribed, but 1 , not so much so as to prevent the provision of more berth'age accommodation to meet the requirements of a rapidly-increasing trade. This is one step in th«~^gh* direction; in. fact, in, the only direction. Mr Laurensorn is for advancing furtiher, and has given notice to move at the next Board meeting in the direction of enlarging the dock, so as to enable it to accommodate the larger vessels now trading to the port of Lytteltom. This is another welcome indication of advancement. But while it is in so complaisant a mood the Board might take into consideration the betterment of the approaches to the wibarves from the point of view of tihe, passenger. At present "they that go down to the sea in ships" locally ojily do so aiter running the risk of being decapitated by some casual engine or bumped over the side of the wharf as a part and parcel of shunting operations. This is as much the Railway Department's business as the Board's, but being that of both it is made naturally that of neither. Tie Board is apparently the more amenable \and the more progressive body^ and it will probably be more effective to worry it for this desirable reform rather than to waste time upon soi proverbially a thing as a. Government Department.