WANGANUI WHARF CONTROL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 8

WANGANUI WHARF CONTROL.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OF RAILWAYS,

AN UNSATISFACTORY REPLY.

An influential deputation of Wanganui residents waited upon the Hon. W. H. Hemes (Minister for Eailways) yesterday, as an outcome of negotiations which havo been in progress for some years past, concerning tho control of the Wanganui Wharf and wharf shed. Tho deputation consisted of Mr. T. B. Williams (Mayor), Mr. J. B. Murray (chairman of the Harbour Board), Mr. W. J. Poison (chairman of tho Wanganui County Council), Mr. W. A. Veiteh, M.P., anil Messrs. A. G. Bignall and W. J. Bassett (members of the Harbour Board). Pressmen were not admitted when the deputation interviewed tho Minister, but it 3 members were told that they could afterwards mak9 public what they thought proper. Two of the deputationists, Messrs. Poison and Voitch, called at The Dominion oflico last ovening, and made the following statement regarding the matter at stalte, and thoir interview with the Minister regarding it:—

About thirty-five years ago the Government, by proclamation, took over the whole of the land fronting the Wanyanui wharf, and cutting off tho wharf from the town. Th© strip of land so taken is about half a mile in length. This was done by arrangement with the people of Wanganui with the. object of facilitating the work of tho Railway Department and assisting the port, which was then in n, struggling condition. Tho Railway De- ; partment erected a goods shod and put in sidings. It also took over control of the wharf on behalf of the Harbour Board. This arrangement continued for man/ years without any disturbance of harmony. Some years ago, the deputationists stated, the Railway Department suddenly raised tho charges in connection with the handling of goods to such an. extent that the Harbour Board said that tho rates were exorbitant, and that rather than consent to the increase it would prefer to Tesume control of its wharf. After a groat deal of correspondence and delay, the deputationists went on to state, the Eailway Department suddenly gave the board notice that it would have to toko over control of its wharf within eleven days. This happened about eighteen months ago. When the board approached the local railway manager at Wanganui he knew nothing about tho matter, stated that ho had received no instructions from headquarters, and declined to give up control of the wharf. After further correspondence and somo deputations, to Ministers, the Eailway Department formulated terms, demanding .£7OO a year for right of access to tho wharf and use of tho shed. Tho board considered this charge excessive, declined to pay it, and endeavoured to obtain better treatment. Ministers of tho past thrco Governments have been deputationised and interviewed on the subject, and when Mr. Herries was in ■ Wanganui he said, according to the deputationists, that ho would go into the matter with a view to dealing fairly with the board. ' Yesterday's deputation waited upon the Minister in order to hear Ms. final decision. The chairman of the -board (Mr. Murray) stated tho case very fully, and explained that the piece of land in dispute was regarded as the birthright of the town. It had been taken, he said, not with the view of obtaining revenue from the board, but with the object of facilitating the work of the port. If the Government insisted on retaining tho land or charging an exorbitant rate, the business of the port would be strangled. Tho Department, Mr. Murray submitted, was riot in the position of a. private individual trying to obtain the last ounce of flesh; it should rather consider the matter from a national standpoint, and with' a view to assisting the town of Wanganui, as well as'for tho good of the Dominion as a whole. : . Other members of tho deputation spoke on similar lines, and stated that if tho excessive Tent proposed was insisted upon, it would pay the, board to abandon the extonsive wharves which it had erected at great cost, and build other wharves elsewhere.

• The Minister, to the oonsternation of the members of the deputation, declined to consider any other alternative . than that of submitting to arbitration tho question of the valne of the land and shed at the present day. Deputationists remarked that, as this land was in the heart of the town, it would no doubt be worth, with 1 the shed, ,£7OO a year at present values. On the other hand, . the Minister and > Department admitted that they were working the wharf at a loss—they asked the board to pay .£7OO a year for the right to. talve over something they were working at a loss. ' The Minister refused to alter his position. said that these were his terms, and the only terms upon which ho would consider the matter. Some heated argument followed, the deputationists declaring that tho Minister was depriving Wanganui of its birthright, and that the indienation of the town would be intense.' They had never imagined, they said, that the Government would bei so harsh. The deputationists who furnished the foregoing account of . their interview with the Minister Btated that a public indignation meeting would. probably be called at Wanganui to consider the matter.