PROPOSED HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 395, 9 June 1908, Page 3

PROPOSED HARBOUR BOARD.

The representative conference held in connection with the Foxton Harbour proposals should impress the Government with the determination and earnestness of the people of this part of the Coast to secure reforms, says our Palmerston evening contemporary. All important local bodies and every section of the public interested participated in the conference, and the speeches made constituted a convincing case for the demand that the month of the Manawatu river should be made navigable. About that there were no two opinions, it being shown that the progress of the wide district of which Foxton is the natural port is being hampered by the dangerous state of the channel. In these circumstances the Government will no doubt see that it is taking up an impossible attitude in declining to make over the wharfage revenue to the proposed Board. The point raised by the members of Parliament that a private Bill providing for the disposition of revenue is against the Standing Orders of the House, is, of course, only a technical objection, since the Government, if it has auy real desire to assist, can easily adopt the Bill as its own and facilitate' its passage. We have no doubt that the deputation which has been appointed to put the case before the Ministers will arrive at an understanding that will be satisfactory to those who are putting so much energy into the movement. No time should be lost in arranging to meet the responsible Ministers, as the opening of the sesson is fast approaching, and matters should be put in train so that there may be no delay after Parliament assembles in presenting the enabling Bill.