FOXTON & ITS HARBOUR

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1448, 24 May 1912, Page 3

FOXTON & ITS HARBOUR

j BOARD AND DEPARTMENT. [ DEPUTATION TO TTIE HON. A. M MYERS. -i LIVELY DISCUSSION. A grievance about which the pcoplo of huxton feel very strongly was ventilated by a deputation representing the Foxton Harbour Board, and oilier local bodies, which waited upon the Minister for Railways (the Hon. A. 11. Myers). The deputation was introduced by Mr. J. Robertson, M.l\, who explained it desired an understanding in regard to the Foxton M liarf, at present held by the Railway Department.

i 1'- Hennessey (chairmcin of the roxton Harbour Board) said (lint Ministers of the Crown were like kings in that they never clioci. Mr. .Myers was the third Minister who had boon hedged by the Foxton people to restore that of which they had been robbed by the Railway Department for the past 30 venrs. The Railway Department had driven its iron horse through the Harbours Act of 1878, and had crushed the Harbour Board created at Foxton under that Act. 'Iho I'oxton people wanted to be placed in the same position as those at Wanganui, I'at?.T and Waitara. 'Originally Foxton had enjoyed the same constitution as theso ports, but'owing to a lack of energy or foresight, the residents of I'oxton had refrained for thirty years, from demanding control of their harbour revenue. The Railway Department had some power to levy shipping dues, but the speaker contended that it had no legal right to "grab" the revenue of the Foxton Harbour Board as it had done. Deputations to former Ministers had extracted an offer to sell the wharf to the Harbour Board for ,C20.00f1, but neither tto Railway Department nor any other Government Department had nnv right to mortgage in this way "the God-given revenue' of tho Foxtou Harbour Board.

"Inclined to Throw up the Sponge." 4' (Mayor of Palmerston) said that it was nf<> to assume that the lKulway Department had riot spoilt £5000 on Uio wharves at Foxton, but Mr. Millar had (lemanded a sum of .£20,000 from the board and in addition stipulated that nratins area should bo formed. A grant of ,i;2oli had been obtained from the Government diirniß the terra of the late .MilliJvcr for Railways, for expenditure on river improvements. Another grant of this kind was absolutely necessary. It was mere existence so far as the Foxton Harbour Board was concerned and its members had sometimes been inclined to throw up the sponge." Mr. Jfasli invited the Minister to visit Foxton and go into the facts of the case on the spot. «: > r "n. Vm' (Major of Levin) . . th" t thei I.aihvay Department was making a profit of from £1500 to £2000 a .real at. Foxton, but made no effort to spemi an adequate sum upon tlio improvement of the port. Foxton served a very large area oi country, but if the present s™to of affairs continued, the port would tall mto_ such a state that it would' become useless. He hoped that somo reduction Tfould be made upon the huge price which the lata Ministry had placed upon the wharves.

11 j.'\i ' Woods, another member, said that the amount of shipping now usinsr the harbour would be doubled if a sufficient sum were spent iu improving tho river. TII9 board had a very smnll revenue, and had to pay for lighting the lner and keep 0 pilot, besides meeting otner expenses. As showing the possibilities of encouraging a largely increased export trado from Foxton, Mr. Woods stated that in 1009 the export cf- flav amounted to 11,320 bales, while last vear it had increased to 48,631 bales. It 'was absolutely useless to go 011 as at prei-enf. Conflicting Interests. The Minister, in replying said that it seemed quite clear that local interests and the interests of (ho Railway Department were iij conflict. It was quite impossible for the Ifailway Department to set asido its own interest, and allow the Foxton Board to take over the wharf at a price which the board considered reasonable. There was a middle course to pursue, and that was to adjust the conflicting interests. 110 understood that the board had been granted an option entitling it to purchase the wharf for tho sum of ,£28,700. Mr. Hennessey said that this was the first time that the olfer named had seen ths light, so far as (lie public wero concerned. A Bill laid before the House during the previous session had proposed to let the_ board acquire the wharf for -£20,000. .iust before the second ballot the price named by tho Minister came to light. On account of the political feeling then existing, ho (Mr. Hennessv; woulci not then let it sc-e tho light, and it had not become mutter of public, knoivlcdgo until now. The Minister said that it was quite clear that the board was not desirous of purchasing at the figure named. Neither was the Department anxious to sell, believing . that, in its own interest, it should retain control' over the Foxton wharf. Ho was informed that it was not necessary to spend much in improving tho river. In view o; the small revenue of tho board it might approach tho Government for a grant similar to that obtained last' year. If possible, ho would visit Foxton, as suggested by Mr. Nash, before Parliament met. Mr. Nash: Are we to understand that the prico for tho wharf has been fixed at .£28,000? Tho Minister: I simply say that, almost under any conditions, we should prefer to retain the wharf ourselves. To another question Mr. Myers replica that, there would be 110 chance of passing a Bill like that of last session, because the Department would oppose if. "A Worse Position Than Ever." Mr. Nash: If that is the position wo are in a woisc position than ever.

Mr. Hennessey: What about my argument that you have no right to rob tho port .of its revenuer Tim Railway Denartuieiifc never got any right to that wharf except by_sqiialtin«r. . . . There'is no Act oil tho Statute Book that gives you power to take the revenue and not spend it in improving tho river. The Minister: 1 am sorry to hear tho extravagant language used by Mr. Hennessey,'because. so tar as I can see, there is 110 justification for it. I can only take exception to it. . . . There are two interests to be considered, that of the Railway Department and the local interest. Thero should be no difficulty in adjusting these conflicting interests.' Mr. Hennessey: It is my belief, sir; it is my firm conviction. The Minister: Well, X am giving you mine. Mr. Gardener said that a peculiar position had arisen. Tho bcivrd had been I encouraged by Mr. Millar to buy these wharves. He had told them to form a rating area, as a preliminary step, and they had done it. In further discussion it appeared that the board had been granted an option, valid until March' 31, 1913, to purchase the wharf for .=£28,700. The members of the deputation insisted that the late Minister had approved the price of ,£20.000. The General Manager of Railways (Mr. T. Ronayne), yho was present, said, on being appealed to. that he could only bo ■ guided by the Departmental files. He assumed that Mr. Millar must havp reconsidered the question. Mr. Robertson said that written evidence would bo produced showing that Mr. Millar had approved the price of .£20.000. With this tiie discussion terminated, and the deputation thanked the Minister and withdrew.