WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 264, 4 August 1919, Page 8

WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD

By Telegraph—Press Association Westport, August 2. The financial straits imposed on the Westport Harbour Board under clauso 105 of the Filianco Act, 1915, which leaves tho board to moot all increases of wages and tho increased cost of material out of ordinary revenue, aud gives the 21 per cent, increase of charges made by tho Government (now amounting to ,£50,000) intondwi to meet theso abnormal charges as a clear gift to the Railway Department, is having a crippling effect on tho revenues of the Harbour Board and hampering the development of local industry. It is neccssnrj in order that a bottor class of coal may bo produced that a market be found for tho slack coal, and the market tho coal companies depend upon is the bunkering of vessels. Tho board, howover, owing to tho stricture on its revenue bv tho Finance Act, is not able to keep development works going so as to enter for tho bunkoring of large ships, hence the whole industry is suffering, this hampering of tho board's finances, coupled with the complete holding up or tho construction of the Bnller Gorge railway, connecting up the largest field of coal in Now Zealand, is causing sorious unrest in Westport. and tho chairman of the Harbour Board indicated at a recent mcoting that it may be found nccossary to resort to public meetings to bring home to tho Government the monstrous injustice that is being done to tho board and through it to the district