The Lebin Chronicle. SATURDAY, MAY 4,. 1918.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 4 May 1918, Page 2

The Lebin Chronicle. SATURDAY, MAY 4,. 1918.

It would be -a pi'tv it through apathy and lack of interKsfc the oppci'tunity that will shortly bo presented op ac(|Hiring and developing the Eoxton w'liarf and. harbour should bo -allowed to pas.s. rdl sh-rd Hi rdl hrd Hi rdlmm f.he • BoaJ'd the right to purchase" the wharf from the Railway for t'he sutii' of £5000. When it is-, re-ineinljere-d that the .department has estiihated the v.iluc of the property--by capitalising, its oiirninfjS—nfc sums rai'vinp: fj'oni .C' 20.000 -io ;C32.000, it will be admitted that a pnrtieularly advantageous -bar.iiain is beinp: offered t,o the Board. The only conditi-im im-poi-icd by the Cbmmix.sio-n on the Board war- that it should. Mtri.ke a- 'rate on the district's served by tlho "wharf as seeuritv lor the intoii'est and sinking fund of the purchase money. So far as Levin Borough is coneerned sucli a rate would be almost iiifiniteshnal, amountintr to one penny for every £-10 worth of property held, o'r 2s Id for every £1000 woi-tli of eapiltal value. Even tho-t amouif':, however, will not need to lw> 'collected, : as ' tile Harbour Board l«w underUiken to pay interest and -sinltinji fund out of genera revenue. T!h-e works the Board will be enabled to carry out- will .greatly improve the facilities for shipping 'imdi, it is hoped, make the port available to much heavier tonnage than has hither, to been possible, and Tvill thus giro towns as near as Levin the benefit of far cheaper .sea carriage than they have- hitherto enjoyed. Under such circuniKtances it becomes' a d«|':y for all ■entitled.to n voiec in tile matter to record their votes at t'he poll tlint will be taiken <yn May 21.

carry tho loan proposal find show 111<' I Government. that tiie.v are in caviiest in w:i tny to have i (jut: d of the wharf. A\ lion the Hoard came in 1:> 1 ])(>,-si'v-iidii there would be a saving of CIiOOO to !_'7O(K) |>'• r year in charges. T1 ioro w-rjuKl '»«> ;i .sn on coal <->i" three or four .shdlings a ton. The pre:st'tll method of handling; jymd.s v,as about a.s awkv.ard pi;.- -I 11!:■. The Hoard's illl-:i was to Iniild a .-.lied 1 alongside <:>! the . ii- rili, and, thus s:ivi' .He 'i-c -toihandl iII g. Pos.-i-bly I!i'> improvements to tlio port would mo'ji: a saving to the i!i~tn c-1. <;l' between ;Cl.o,fli.'o and C-JO.COO a year. At thv same lime the district v. (odd not 1)0 iV.ked l:> take a ponny liability as .sufficient revenue would bo obia.'iied I o pay all disuses without on-llectiug :\nyihing from tho riit-epayors. Tliey wanted lllip people to realise tlio sphn--1 did chance 1 lint was offered to secure ' die wharf. ll' the Tl'avlmur Beard took over the wharf, they would spend the money on the people's own pi.peity. The Railway "Department would have nothing to do with it at all, although iho Board mightr Have "to make some temporary arrangements with the .Department until its own sheds vcie completed.

There has br en a. growing feeliiig in T.cvin that a little more li.U'ht should be

-brawn upon the conditions under which an evi r-l-n-oreasmg number of cruiscieii) iel's •:!b; 1 -:'''tel s to mili ary sei,'ice are employed on the (.'ential IDeve'upnmnt I'arm at AVerarua. In tlie aln eitc-e hitHs'rto j;f any official jjronouncement a aood deal of curios':t> has been v,:a nii'e--fed as to how these men - - most ly lacking nothing on the •vhysioal sit'.e---have managed i':o escape a 'law that has -sjiaTed -neither ''the 'a,st man on the farm" nor tflio "absolutely e.ssi ntial" expert from a hundred indiii tries (vide any appeal board report). In f-Jine quarters locally a reeling akin to indignation- has been roused b,v tlie fa-et thai': average con(•ienticus objector seems to be enjoying (j-iiite a pl-easant time n the security of the State Farm, and certainly a far less strenuous existence than (r-liat of thousands of other young Xrnv Zcalander.s, who '.have not been "too proud t:> fialit." Tlie sincere conscientious ohjector may lie 'entitled to have itis

eruplcs respected at a time when the safety of the State should, be the supreme law. but the question has been asked what different;atcs the Weraron contingent's objections from those of the men who arc known :o ha\'e Ik-c 11 sent overseas last veal, •tli! ' r otijections notwith.--tanding. Ihe Minister says it is all a mattor of .religion. "The position is," He says, "in a siateinoii: issued t-11its week, "that, reservist.- who are now, and Have been -irn-e August -I. 1914. either adherents

-a- members of the O'vristadelphinn. Quaker and Seventh 'Day Aclrentflit L'hurches are religious obje.cto'rs undei tbe definition of Se/'t on 18, subsection I. of the Military Service Act, and are therefoir-e lentitlcdi to- have tliefr appeals allowed on signing an undertaking to do non-eonvbatant serviice in the enTploy of the ICxecutive Government as prescribed by regulations on April •2-1. 1917. This non-combatant service

■ensifji of wark on the Central Development Farm under the Agricultural iDc.partment at soldiers' uiato of pay. The whole quest'ibn is governed bv statute."