Transport Facilities Inadequate.

Although it had been publicly notified on 9th January, 1858, that the Sumner Road, from Lyttelton, was then open for light cart traffic, and although the steamer “Planet,” of the Canterbury Steam Ship Company, after making a trial trip on 10th February of that year, had provided a service between Lyttelton, the Heathcote River and Kaiapoi, these facilities were found to be insufficient. Apart from the considerable export of wool, there was need for cheaper and more expeditious handling of the agricultural produce of Canterbury, for which produce there was a good market in the northern provinces of New Zealand and in Australia.

Consequently, the Superintendent (Mr. W. S. Moorhouse), when opening the tenth session of the Provincial Council on 1st October, 1858, after congratulating the province on the highly satisfactory state of the finances, referred, among other subjects, to that of communication with the port. He stated that the want of better means of communication between the principal seaport and the plains had long been a source of great embarrassment in the conduct of the commercial operations of the province. Having the advantage of a safe and commodious harbour perfectly adapted to a very large commerce, the germs of which commerce were now commencing a vigorous growth, it had become a matter of the very highest importance that consideration should at once be given to determining the best method of securing the safe and expeditious transit of the marketable produce to the place of export.