The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 1908. TUESDAY’S MEETING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3784, 6 February 1908, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 1908. TUESDAY’S MEETING.

Tuesday night’s public meeting to discuss the formation of a Harbour Board to control the port of Foxton was evidence that townspeople are beginning to awaken to a sense of the duties of citizenship. Too long has Foxton lagged behind. Other towns have sprung up throughout the Dominon with much less promising surroundings and commercial status than Foxton and have have left us far in the background. Why is it ? The cause is [not far to seek : absolute indifference to the duties of citizenship and downright selfishness on the part of the residents. However, let the dead past bury its dead. Let us look to the future. We prophesy a bright time ahead for Foxton provided our citizens continue to take at intelligent interest in her affairs. It is of the utmost importance that the port should be placed under proper control and so improved that shipping will be encouraged. A Harbour Board at one time did control the local port but for some unaccountable reason “ its light went out,” since when the Marine Department has pottered about with the flagstaff and a pilot and has derived a few pounds per annum by means of rent from the letting of fishermen’s cottages at the heads —a sum barely sufficient to pay the pilot, while the Railway Department has scooped in the dollars at the wharf to the tune of something like a year, and when asked to do anything to the river have talked of no funds ! This happy-go-lucky-dual-control state of affairs has been allowed to exist, to the detriment of the port, for quite long enough. The Marine Department could not be expected to do more than they have done, and we agree with the Minister of Marine’s advice; “Form a Board,” The public are indebted to Mr P. J. Hennessy and members of the Council of Chamber of Commerce for the active interest they have taken in the formation of the Board, and, with the assistance and co-operation of the Minister for Marine, the member for the district and the member for Pa I merston, there should be no difficulty in putting the Bill, constituting the Foxton Harbour Board, through the House during the early part of the coming session.