WESTPORT RAILWAY AND WHARVES.

Inangahua Times, Issue 7, 18 October 1878, Page 2

WESTPORT RAILWAY AND WHARVES.

(From the Westport Times, October 11.)

As Wostport is now Httraotinu; tho hotioo of nil Now Zanland, and adjicont colonies, by tho abundant promises of mineral wraith in lior coal minOe, bald out to (he industrious nnd enterprising, it may not be altogether out of place to notice (he works tliat ha«e been carried out bore by tho Government to develop tho oonl trado, and which works nro nearly npproaohing completion. For tho portion of loaroi and finlios from time to timo distributed hero VVestporl rrßidont» ,«ro properly Rratoful, hut tho hopo is exprosscd that n« the va»t importnnco of our coal supply booomes moro Ronemlly known amon« our le«islntor«i, tlio works which hnyo bcon bo well 'designed nnd oarried oit in tho pnst may be oontinued until fully ootnpletcd.

It is hardly possible) to ovor os'.imato tho iuprimio importanoe of tho maritime position of tliii port. A position whioh, I without detracting in tho slightest do^rce from tho chums of our neighbours nt, Groymouth nnd Hokitika, stands un* rivollod on tho Wost Const, and in fnct nt rory fow plnoos along tho wholo const lino of Now 2Sdiiland. Trnvollors by stontnej! or sailing crnft crcs^nj; tho Bailor bar nro at onoo strtiok with tho I'uoililios of tho harbour, n wide, struiijht, nnd tleop ohnnnol, a well protootod rivor hank, good whnrfngo noooniinodation, nad fnciliiios for tho shipmont of coal equal to all r<quiroments of a very largo export trudo. Th« etructuro itsolf of tho coal

stftifc'u if n prominent feature in tho view, and :is a specimen of engineering nnd mechanical skill bus senrco its equal in tlio colony. Tho wonder is that it lms not lotijj sineo boon niiido familiar to tlio public through tlio illustrated papors publuhod in tho colony, or thnt nt least photographic views nro not nvnihblo. As to tho resources of tho district which lmvo mndii these works necossnry : Thoru nro inexhaustible mines of coal of first rate quality for steam or domestic purposes, aul there is good railway communication to oonvoy that coal to the sonbourd. Tlioro is also orery prospect of tho Uitller bar, nlrcndy by for tho best on tho West Const, deoponing year by year, consequent on tho progress of tho river protective works, and tho belief is confidently cxptvsiod that if those works nre carried out to completion! in no» cordnnco with tho originul schome, not only will largo Australian steamboa'.s come hero for eon I, but tlioro will also bo largo sailing vessels from all parts of the world, lying iv safoty and comfort at tho wharvos. Tho gold industry in ilie.se (arm, though now languishing, is in ronlity only begun, and both quartz and alluvial mining will ngnin revive, and with tho conl trade give a joint impetus to tho ' commercial proipority of tlio port.