431
large saving involved. But it opened up for consideration
the question whether the frontage of Lots 81 and 34 with
the public road to South of them would now suffice for the
requirements of the passengers arriving by water without
sacrificing the berth for an Ocean Steamer the provision
of which was one of the chief reasons for the acquisition
of Blackhead's. Since this is one of the best deep water
berths in the Harbour the matter is in my opinion of the
first importance, and since its deep-sea frontage con-
-stitutes the chief value of the Lots, it would be im-
-politic and wasteful to sacrifice it to ferry boat
services and to thereby reduce the value of the land for
Store Buildings. Under the original scheme proposed by Sir
Matthew Nathan these considerations did not arise, for the
prolongation of the sea-wall to Blackhead's Point would
have provided ample deep-sea wharfage to the North-East
of the Lots.
6.
14258/9
Your Lordship will observe that
on the plan which accompanied the Chief Resident Engineer's
letter of 15th. February, 1907, (copy of which was en-
-closed in Sir Matthew Nathan's Despatch of 21st. March,
1907) the passenger wharf is shewn projected from the road
between Lots 34 and 88. The assignment of such a position
was