WOOL CHARGES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 24 July 1913, Page 7

WOOL CHARGES.

HARBOUR BOARD DEBATE,.

WHARFAGE & DUMPING. A PROPOSED INCREASE TO FARMERS. MOTION DEFEATED. A long discussion, concerning Die charges on wool, ensued at last night's meeting of tile Wellington Harbour Board when Mr. R,' Fletcher (tho chairniifli of the board) moved to increase tho wharfage charge on wool by tlireepenco per bale and reduce tho dumping cimi'go |J.V threepence per bale.

Mr. Fletcher said. Unit for over thirty years wool wharfage had remained at sixpence per bale, although the cost of labour had gone up, the capital expenditure of tho board lrnd increased, and tho facilities' provided for wool were enormously greater than' in former days. When tho charge was fixed at sixpence the pay, of casual and permanent workers was considerably lower, and charges on other commodities than wool had gono up iu sympathy, llis proposed alteration, ill tho cnarges would entail an increase in revenue. On last year's figures 56.1 was the per centage ol wool dumped by tho board, so that a reduction 011 50.1 per cent, and an increase 011 100 per cent would mean an extra revenue of threepence per bale on •111.0 per cent. Tho facilities provided for wool in the last thirty years' amounted to nearly .£IOO,OOO lor which wool hud not paid a penny extra, ' while' the general' liupbrter- had had his charges increased from,.time to time and was the man who had paid for the increased accommodation. In reply to a remark that the alteration of 'tho charges would fall heavily upon tho small farmer, Mr. Fletcher said that til# small farmer did not send his wool through the board, but disposed of it to brokers. ill'. A. M'Farlane said that it seemed uniair to inereatj tho charges to 0110 class and yet rcducc the dumping charges to the lowest in the Dominon.

"The board notoriously have failed to satisfy tho demands made upon them," said jlr. Jl. Cohen, who added that either the work of the board was inadequate or its organisation was insufficient. It was a scandal; other boards handled tilings more expeditiously than this. What was tho motive in robbing Peter to pay Paul? Wero they going- to rob ■ tho board of-its reputation as the" cheipest ifi' the-'Do-minion. Jlr. Fletcher: It frill still be tho cheapest. Mr. Cohen: No. . . . Tho intention of this is to penalise the private producer, and 1 will not stand, for that. Jlr. J. G. Cobba said that this proposal was in elfcct that any increase was to bo borno by tho farming community, and any concessions were to bo to" tlio, shipping oompanics, and those concessions would liavo to bo made up by the agriculturists. Ho did not stand for. .wool kings, but tliero was a largo number of small fanners who would feci tho increased tax. Jlr. Fletcher: Five shillings in twenty bales of wool, a value of JC4OO! _ Jlr. Cobbe, continuing, said that wero it not for tho output of the producers the harbour would l not be much used; it might become a dumping-ground for coal hulks, or an experimental ground for tho acclimatisation of various fish. . Jlr. J. Trevor agreed, in the,main, with Jlessrs. Cohen and Cobbe.

An- opponent of tho motion, Mr. H. L, Nathan, said that the small ports had to bo reckoned with—Wanganui and Nelson, for instance—aud, if tho charges wero iucreasod as suggested, wool from thoso districts would be lost to the port of Wellington. Tho shipping companies would welcome any genuine reduction, but did not want to pass • (heir burdens on to someone else; they wero quite prepared /to bear them thomsolves. Jlr. Jl'Firlnnoi: Hear, henr! ' Jlr. Hindmarsh: If, as Jlr. Cohen says, there will bo no more revenue collected, why need the farmers complain? Tho fact was, lio added, that the Harbour Hoard would collect more. It was all perfectly absurd to say that tho farmers wero the backbouo of the country. There were farms up the Wairarapa which would bo of very little uso if the- port of Wellington wero not in existence. Voices: Oh! Jlr.' Hindiuarsh: That is quite so; tlioy are complementary to ono another. ~ . Jlessrs. Cohen .and M'Farlauo: Hear, hear. Jlr. Hindiuarsh added that tho board wanted more revenue, and that if it was got by this means Wellington would (ho understood from Jlr. Fletcher) still bo the cheapest port. A member had spoken of the interests of the farmers. Tho lx>ard did not exist to protect tho interests'of a section; there were some, members who were elected by .. tho publio geiierallv, and to the public they were answerable. . . . •

Mr. E. A. Wright commenced by saying that it seemed that Mr. Hindinarsli lind not listened to the debate. The position was that, while there would be no mora revenue, a tax was boiiis taken off one section and put- on the farmers. If it had been made clear that tlio board wanted revenue, and that this menus would increase it, lie might have been bound to support it. Mr. Fletcher: T have made that cloar. Mr. Wright: No; this juggling wilt fi wi res Mr. Fletcher: Tou' should not use that term. There is no juggling. The figures are vcrv cloar. Mr. 'Wright: I am not using offensivrily, Mr. Fletcher: It is a matter of ment.Mr. Wright: Mr. Cohen's question hna not yet been answered—why should this charge be taken off one to be put. upon another?. I think that.should, bo answered. I don't see wliv this should bo introduced when the shipping companies have not asked for it. Mr. Fletcher: Oh, yes, they have. Mr. Wright: When? Mr. Fletcher: Quito recently, by a (14 putation , . Mr. Wright: llow long ago? Mr. Fletcher: About, three 'month®. A member: Never heard,of it, Mr. Fletcher: Not to the board; to nm-eif. Mr. Nathan: All tile companies?' - Mr. Fletcher: Well. T supnoso thera wore all the companies. .Yon never know when yon get tliom'all in. Mr. Nathan: I never heard of it. Mr. "Wright said thai the proposed increase might result in farmers patronising another port. Mr. Fibtcher: They can't get one. Mr. Wright: Wanganui is doing its best to make a first-class port. Mr. Fletcher: They can't do it.

Mr. Hindmnrsh (smiling broadly): Wo can reduce our charges if wo lose any trade. (laughter.) Mr. Wright: No resolution of onrs will make the farmers send their wool hero if they don't want to. 'Replying. Sir. Fletcher said that he had nover during his connection with tl|o City Council or the Harbour Beard seem so much log-rolling and wire-nulling. "It was simply enormous, and it all camo from one man.. I may soy who—it was Mr. Mabin, of Levin and Company. Mr., Fletcher wont 011 to say that Mr. Mabin had gone lo >his office and road over a type-written statement of. charges of - a grave character against officer? of the. board. Mr. Mabin had promised a copy of the statement, so that inquiries Sinld bo made, but had. not. sent !i copy,,and, Mr. Fletcher objected lo that. conduct. In conclusion, Mr. Fletcher said" that lie had brought the proposal forward merely in the interest of the .board. They would have lo build the l'ipitca wharf soon, at a. cost: of, say, .0200.000. The motion was defeated by S votes to ft. The ayes were: "Messrs: Fletcher, Hildreth, liiiidmarsh, Kennedy, M'F,\v;\n, and "Watson. The noes were: Messrs/ Cobbe, Cohen, Daniels, .Tones,. M'Farlaiie, ..IsV than. Wricht, and Trevor.