PROPOSED HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 386, 19 May 1908, Page 3

PROPOSED HARBOUR BOARD.

Press Comments.

N.Z. TIMES. There seems no ' reason why the control of the Foxton wharves and river should not fall into the hands of a properly constituted local Harbour Board, provided that the surrounding districts can bring down a scheme of control that will prove practicable and generally beneficial. Owing to the local inertia, the Railway Department has managed to secure a monopoly over the wharves, and naturally enough the Minister concerned is not going to let a good revenue producer go until he is convinced that the Harbour Board will rightly fulfil its functions, and that its operations will prove beneficial, truly beneficial, to the surrounding community. We are not sure that the deputationists have up to the present laid down a sufficiently business-like scheme to justifiy a change of venue. A great deal of revenue will be required not only to pay interest on the wharves and jetties, but to dredge and snag the river, and keep the channel clear. The Foxton people maintain, and justly maintain, that under the picsenl arrangement while the Railway Department bags revenue, it does not make a sufficient contribution to the general upkeep of the river service. The channel is constantly becoming blocked, steamers are delayed through contact with mudbanks, and there is nothing to encourage the hope that while the present system obtains shippingwill be increased. To make Foxton an effective port a gieat deal of expenditure will be necessary. Parliament, when it is asked to consider the Empowering Bill, will have to be convinced that proper provision wiil be made, and that a sufficient rating area can be tapped. The proponents of Foxton’s claims will need to be well armed at all points. It would, we are convinced, be an excellent thing for the West Coast to have a good harbour with adequate facilities at Foxton. It is a ‘‘consummation devoutly to be wished.” The Government should help the project in every legitimate way provided that the West Coast people to are prepared to give aswell as take, and that the whole thing is placed on a thorough business basis.

MANAWATU TIMES. We sympathise with the deputation from F'oxton which has been interviewing Ministers in Wellington on the subjects of endowments for a Harbour Board. There should be a Harbour Board for Foxton and some steps should certainly be taken to develop what ought to be aharbour utilised by Palmerston and all the country east to Dannevirke and north up the Central line. The fact that there is only 24 miles of rail between this and Foxton should make it in the fullest sense the port for the Manawatu towns. At present, however, as a harbour it is wholly unsatisfactory. It would have been better had those who had the matter in hand joined with them delegates from Palmerston, Feilding, Marton, Shannon and the Central line, as well as from Woodville and Pahiatua, to impress the wide reach of the Port were it improved. Palmerston has everything to gain and nothing to lose by the development of Foxton as a port and should ; and would, do everything in its power to co-operate in securing that end. FEIEDING STAR. It will be a matter for regret if the desire of Foxton to have its port vested in a Harbour Beard is thwarted by the Railway Department. We think that every available ounce of influence should be thrown on the side of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce, and we willingly contribute our little mite. But Feilding is more closely interested in the scheme than the general reader of the Star may imagine. There is at least one important merchant here who gets his goods forwarded via Foxton port and the Sandon line; and if this is worth while for one business firm, it should be also for others. Therefore we would like to see Foxton fight on, pursue its purpose pushfully —and victory must result.

MANAWATU STANDARD

The promoters of the Harbour Board at Foxton have bumped up against a problem which is causing considerable perturbation. One of the inducements held out in connection with the formation of the Board was that a rate would be unnecessary, the anticipated revenue consisting largely x>f wharfage fees, which would properly belong to the Board. Wharfage at Foxton amounts to about per annum, but this money is collected by the Railway Department, and much to the surprise of a deputation from the Foxton Chamber ot Commerce on Wednesday last, the Minister of Railways informed them that this revenue would not be available. It was stated that the Foxton wharf is part of the railway service, and cannot be handed over to the Board. Of course, this is a mere quibble, and does not reflect much credit on the authorities for taking advantage of it. There is not a commercial man in the Manawatu who does not appreciate the need of a Harbour Board at Foxton, and seeing how greatly it would benefit the district, we cannot understand the position taken up by the Department. The Minister has certainly promised to lay the matter before his colleagues in order “ to ascertain what other way the port can be assisted,” but if we are to judge by the assistance—or lack of as-

sistance —by the Government in the past, the expectation of future help is indeed remote. Considering the thousands of pounds that have been collected at Foxton in wharfage fees, the least the people at the port could expect would be a reasonable grant to improve the channel, but practically no money for that purpose has been forthcoming, and shipping has been seriously inconvenienced, with a resultant drawback to trade. The retention of the wharfage dues by the Railway Department is decidedly unfair. The Harbour Board would utilise this money for the benefit of a large area of country, and in refusing to allow it to pass from the Railway Department has decided upon a course which is inimical to the interests of the distiict concerned. As already stated, the wharfage lees at Foxton are being used to swell the general revenue of the Railway Department, and the Minister says he can see no way of handing them over to the Harbour Board, forgetting that a similar difficulty was easily overcome at Wanganui and Patea by a very simple expedient. The report of the proceedings in another column will give some idea of the attitude Ministers tcok.up. It is evident that stronger representations must be made. The port of Foxton is the nalmal outlet for the coast, and it could be made to serve a wide district which requires coal and merchandise at the cheapest rate of carriage possible. Under the regime of the Railway Department the river mouth is being neglected, and no pains are being taken to make it decently navigable. The Harbour Board purposes taken this work in hand. These are simple tacts that Ministers have not or cannot realise, and it therefore remains for the people of the coast to make their desires very plain to Ministers- The Palmerston Chamber of Commerce has had some experience of deputationising the Government. Its work in organising a demonstration in the matter of the Manawatu line is a case in point. We look to it to similarly champion the equally important cause of the coast. It should at once go to the assistance of the Foxton Chamber and organise so influential and representative a deputation that its requests cannot be further ignored.

the harbour board,

[BY GIL BLAS.] “Be gobs!” said Phil, to H w, “ We’ll lorm a Harbour Board ; Just dip your pen and scatter the ink, And settle the Railway horde. “They’re robbing the port of thousands; Their troubles when steamers get stuck ; Be jabers, not one ot 'em cares a big d If Foxton is left in the muck ! *' Who the divil and all is L n and Co.; And who says the Board will not pay ? Let us handle the dibs that the Railway grabs, And the channel we’ll work night and day.” H w’s face with enthusy grew— Phil, the nail had hit on the top—’Twas better to Jack than a gambling raid— Right on to the job then they got. Their eloquence stirred up the Chamber, Till M n fell out of the chair, Then Philip jumped into the running— Rope and Twine, Mat and Doughboy were there. Johnny S s was heart and soul in it; M e and B d the Bill coon filled out, Included were wharf and endowments ad lib; All opponents soon faced right about. The inflexible heads of departments concerned, With the scheme wanted little to do ; But the Chamber decided to back up their claim; The Harbour Board Bill must go through ! So down went our great deputation— Let a war cry resound to its fame — They spiked the big guns with their logic and facts, And the papers recorded the same. Then hurrah for the Harbour Board Bill, boys! And may its safe passage ensue. Good luck to the great deputation : Foxton’s thanks to the whole bloomin’ crew ! Then, here’s to you, Phil, Jack, and F d, To Brassey, George S s and P u; To six-and-eight M e—minus legal guffaw, And brave little Mat. Now adieu I