Harbour Matters.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13331, 21 March 1911, Page 7

Harbour Matters.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Mr Hatrick’s letter advocating a harbour at the town which appeared in your issue of the 14th iust.„ gives food for much thought, and it must be admitted that he makes out a strong case in support of q harbour at or near the -Gasworks. -While personally favouring a harbour at the town, there id’much to be said on the other side. In the first place, the additional cost of dredging a channel some 35ft deep as far up as the.,townwharf would be enormous (though probably to get the best results on the bar the river will have to be dredged to a much- greater depth than at present). Secondly, the Harbour Board could probably reclaim a much greater area of land at CastlecHff than at the town, and so have more land- to let, while this lan'l would become immensely valuable fo v building purposes, just the same as it would at the town if the harbour wero there. Thirdly, it will lie necessary, in any case, to have accommodation for oversea boats at Castlccliff, as the whole of the frozen meat and a large quantity of wool, tallow, and other produce will always he shipoed there. At present I am not "o much concerned as to whether the harbour siionld be at Castlccliff or Wanganui. 1 am more interested in getting the big liners into the river, and am inclined to agree with Mr Murray that the question of the position of the inner harbour may stand over for the present. I am much pleased to see that Mr Hatrick is at one with Mr Robinson and myself in advocating a big loan or a big dredge. I favour the present works being pushed on, as quickly as possible, to completion; the present dredge being at once set to work awain in the river (I don’t think-it should have ever been laid up), and a big loan (say, .£200,000) as soon as possible, for the purchase of an up-to-date sea-going dredge and carrying out Jihrbour works bn ,a comprehensive scale, suitable for over-sea-boats. Mr Murray, in his letter appearing in the Chronicle of the 16th inst. says: “If dredging on the bar is going to do such marvellous works, it is strange that the engineers have not referred to it in any way." There are no big commissions to be earned if dredging is adopted, but the construction of harbour works to attain the same end is quite a different matter, i th (ilk in the excitement of the election two years ago Mr Murray really must, have forgotten what- he did say when returning thanks for election. His words were that “if they (the Board) did not, give us 22ft of' water on the bar by next (the present) election turn us out.” Well! the Board has not given us the 22ft yet,

b ( ut I consider it litis done remarkably well, particularly when unavoidable delays are considered, and i for one don’t wise to see tlie Board turned out, provided it will push ahead and go in for that loan, and dredge, as soon as it can. I want to see 35ft of water on. the. bar within three years, not 33 years. I’m getting tired waiting while Auckland, Wellington, and New Plymouth (and even little Patea, if we don’t take care) are side-tracking us and’ stealing our birthright. Mr Murrey tolls us that 10,000 bales less of wool were shipped this year than last. What became of them? We should have shipped 10,000 bales more. It’s high time , the people of Wanganui woke up, aud poked up the Harbour Board.—l am, etc,, PRED. 11. ALLEN. 'Wanganui East, March 20,'1911. ,