WESTPORT HARBOR BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1919, Page 4

WESTPORT HARBOR BOARD.

FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES. (mil PKESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYBIGHT.J WESTPORT, July 23. Through the operation of Clause 108 and 109 of the Finance Act, 1915, the W estport Harbour Board, which used to be one of the wealthiest institutions of the kind in tile Dominion is having -financial difficulties. The Board has had to pay out of its ordinary revenue, the whole of the increase charges resulting from the war in the way of higher wages, extra cost ol material and so forth, but lias not got one penny of increased revenues from the railway and wharves although "profits front these were given by Acts of Parliament as an endowment to the Board, and upon its endowments the Board lias raised something like £850,000 in Loan Money. The Board considers that a monstrous injustice lias been done to it, and it lias been trying without avail to get I satisfaction from Ministers. Yesterday complaint was made that neither letters nor telegrams to the Minister of Marine on the question were getting satisfactory attention and it was resolved to send the chairman (Mr Slec) and Mr Mclntyre (member of the Board) to Wellington to interview Cabinet and see if the injustice could not ho removed. The Government from the source in qujektioii has made a clean lift of £50,000.