AFFAIRS OF FOXTON

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 658, 8 November 1909, Page 11

AFFAIRS OF FOXTON

HARBOUR. ■ ~ — fc-ii.—

« " -CONFERENCE WITH,THE MINISTER. (2y 'lelugraph.—Special Correspondent.) :mt . . Foxton, November 0/• The Hon. J. A. Millar, .Minister 'for flailul ways, visited l'oxton-by invitation to meet tho ts. Harbour Board on' Saturday. A visit,was paid m to tho wharf,.and tho position of soiiio land which -had been taken for railway purposes v was.shown. Tho Minister expressed opinion 'f 'that portion of it might be returned. ' • "• ®- After luncheon, ho met a deputation in the )b Council' Chambers, consisting of Messrs. Stiles id (Mayor of Poxton), Nash (Mayor of I'almer'ston North), Wood, Tolloy, Gardener (Mayor of -4 - Lovin), Wilson (memboi- ot tho Harbour Board), 1: 'Captain Preece (Chamber of Commerce, Pal•o; merston North), Dr. Mander (Chamber of Com•e. -iiiccco,. Poxton), and -Messrs.' Field and NowIf man, It.P.'s for tho district/ is i (Mr; -Newman asked-itlio Minister to hand ir, over a portion of the rovonue derived by tho railways for the improvement of the river, as ■■j .the.income received by.the board was altogether ]j , inadequate to. meet the requirements; . Mr. Stilos, who-wasrthe-next speaker, went 0 into, detail as to the-work which was necesrl : :the "interests of; the district,-and p. - pointed - out tjiat, at..present, thero was not 3 ;,onoughi money , coming., m (some v£WO) to do [,• even. tho necessary work, as nearly the whole {, of -tho-,, revenue; was taken by .the railways as ;wharfages. He'hoped. the Minister would, in 3 justice.fo tho board,, hand oyer ia sufficient sum d to enable tliem to keep, this riVer, which was c used by such a largo district, in proper order, s and, perhaps, borrow somo money to improve e it..- , ( i- i i After -Messrs. Nash, Wilson'; Tolley, Field, K Gardener had spoken -in'the' same strain, i; Mr. . Millar replied that, as Minister for it .Marine, he had handed oviir' the whole ■of the r endowment to the board ns;he had been asked, ; ... ; but, as Minister for. Railways, he could not see his way (unless the board v'As prepared to proe :mi)te a Bill to rato.the disirict) to assist;'. The » !-.. railways, had' made. the .vHirf. (A voice::.lt-' - : has been paid for several' times over by - the • s wharfages,' and. we are entitled, to the revenue.) *. .Maliyifother. harbonr boards : ¥&3'in the same, s. position, but if they .wnnld, do as ho-had sug8, igssted,'"hb7would-.recommend the Cabinet to > assist,, The ,wharf;:woi'ld bo lightod shortly, t and .possibly a verandah would be pronded for • • tho railway platforms. - • , .' The' .'question'of rrtaking' Joxton a : port"of - 1 ontry was dealt with :by Captain Preece and .* f: Dr. Mander, and Mr. 'Miliar promised to lay : 3 the'.matter«bofore his-, colleagues., . 1 ' r ; Mr.-'.-Newman then' thaliked irr, .Millar for | ' to Poxton, but . stated .that he, had .; hoped his decision ; would hi'vo been morb .fav- i r ourable. . Still, the residents. be felt, suro, would i' J '■be grateful to hi mfor coming to see tho posi- " , tion for himself. . - * ,-Mr.: Millar, in replying, . said that ,ha , was ' sorry. that.hb could.not give a. moro favourable j. i-- replyj'.bnt' hb, had to l.be principle, < ; ; and; that had been the policy adopted by-the !. ', Government from tho commencement.