THE WEEK AT FOXTON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 663, 13 November 1909, Page 3

THE WEEK AT FOXTON.

HON, j, A, MILLAR'S VISIT. ' "TINKEEING WITH LOCAL NEEDS." Tho Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for £ail« ways and Manna, paid his long-expected visit to Foxton last, week. At the Minister's request, th«ro was no pobho looepfcmn, and the party quietly drove over from Levin by motor-car and pot lip at Whyto'«'H«teL : Subsoqucntly, tha Minister, accompanied by the member for the district, the Major of Foxton, and leading residents, inspootod the wharves and railway station. In relation to tho lighting of the w£ar?es »nd railway platform, the Minister -willingly aeqmescod ra. the demands of tho deputation, and promised ' I them attention without deky. lh reference to tho important question of bamour duos, tlie Minister held out no hope of hie Department relinquishing their claim to collection of the dues of tho port. It may be mentioned that it was Mr. Millar who first dall suggested to a deputation who waited on. him some two years ago tho idea of constituting' a harbour board for tto district, and promised his help in carrjmg the" project to a successful issue. Hβ was not Minister for Eailways then, however, aad_nrobahl« had no idea of becoming rack Whoa h* assumed that portfolio, local tg&3<!d±b hoped, that there would be a greater reauTiicss on. l, B 5" ?* tho Government to deal fairly with the district in rekbon to then request that fho wharfages colkctod and retained to swell railway revenue sienld be. emplajed' i»,' making the river moro navigable This, ' however, the Government has determined not to do, and the Muostar suggests the raising ■ of the necessary rovenne to open up and the port by means of a ratrng-ekrase in tho local Harbour Board Bill, wiudi was / passed last session. The unfrawss of this proposal is at onoe manifest when it ia known that the rorenne derirod from frharf dues would bo ample to carry out all the necessary works on tho nver and port At , the present tiroe vessels of small tonnage with half a load take the ground IB the shallows and sometimes have to, wait djys for an ' improving tide or to be lightered aad^towed off. A small sum 6pent in iodwwtis dredging would overcome the whole difficulty and give a depth of 10 feet right up the stream, but tho board have no foods, amply because the Eailway Department retains their,, legitimate revenue How long, this is to be allowed is continue is unceitain, but as long as it does continue shippers aro being K voty unjustly treated. The proposal to insert a okuse in tho Bill to create a rating area will be opSoscd most strenuously, as it was a dear unerstanding locally that no rating area would be required, as the' natural roveiroe would .be sufficient to meet" all reqnrrements Tha ia borne out by all the facts, and the ondenea goes to prove that the dues are abundant to oarry out a satisfactory works policy. The Government's claim to tho wharfages is |that it built (he wharf i From a Parliamentary return, it is shown that tho Government has spent about ,£3OOO on the wharf and hAi received nearly ,£30,000 in wharfages. However, the Mimstei intimated in reply to 'a question that the Government "would consider the sale of tho wharves to the board. Just what that means remains to bo seen, but the local feeling is that tho Government will not meet tho local demands in any shape i or -form. In reference to the question of constituting Foxton a port of entry for dutiable goods, the Minister promised to lay the facts before bin colleague. Mr. Millar, of course, refrained from expressing any opinion 'on the matter (even with the volume of evidence and argument whioh he was met), as the matter tu outside his Department and Concerned the Department of Customs only, Tho convenience of the cymmorcial firms in the district counts for very little evidently. With these demands of an important nature, the Gov£ ornmont evidently expects to appease the agitation of a large community by promising ft few gas-jets on a railway platform and wharf. Such tinkering with local needs will afford the cnergctio member for the district (Mr. Newman) a fino opportunity of showing the mannor in which the Government is dealing with the Palmorston, Manairatu, and Orona constituencies, and it is strange coincidence that these three seats are held ny Opposition membore If the gi anting of local needs is to be consistent with .Government -snnpoTti only, as with certain newspapors.it is probable a "few elections tmII go past before wo obtain much rolicf " Tho sports meeting on November 9 passed off very successfully The weather, however, bcluvod badly, a high south-westerly blowing the whole day On account of the unfavourable weather conditions, the atendance was not as grod as formerly, which the military tournament at Palnierston North kept tho Pnlmcrston people from paying Tofton a visit, The locil sportrag people havo something of la grievance against Palmerstop for adootinp; as their military sports day a date that has been regarded for many years as Toston's ono daj in the year for its athlebo sports and reception of friends from far And near. Tho A. and P Society simplr drains tho whole district to Palmerston for the summer show, and a wock v later it attempts to repeat the process and the emallcr communities from having a profitable meet, ing The local sports would have resulted m a* , loss this year but for the enthuHafim of a" number of amateurs with a bent for drama. This ohb, recently formed, played tho "Ticket 'of Leave Man" to a splendid house on the evening of the sports, and saved the situation by givinfe the total pnoceeds to the Athlotic Club. Tho sports attracted a larpe number of outside competitors, who mostly earned the prizes away with them The evontf gave > general Eafasfoetrcm, esd great pniw is due to the committee, wfco earned the whole thing through without a 'complaint" from anyone neing , heard. V '; >\ ' The Manawatu 'No-License League"Mα imi monthly meeting here on Monday last.' ' -It was resolved to issnoi a monthly journal to ,be named tho "Dreadnought," to, forward the league's interest and keep,electors,posted up .on all>imatters, affecting thie important question. " ' " i , , ' *i , 1 The , Presbyterian Church' here, has made -» forward movement. So far, it has been only a mission church, but. at the.recent assembly meeting a petition to, have it tatted to ,a full charge was agreed to. It a' understood that this, will mean.that the congregation will'now.bo in a position tp have;a fully-ordained.-ministcr in charge .of tho district. The ohurch has been, making good progress lnicfyi* and several' improvements ,te the property aru contemplated., ll tho new arrangements includo the removal from tie district of'tho Eev.'iMr! AiUcen, who', nas ,b«& labouring here for some threo years past, the change tvill not be regarded by ttU as an unmixed blessing, but that is, a matter tttat affects the members of the ohurob.- rather th,aa . . - '■.-■>■).*