The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, Judy 3, 1909. HARBOUR BOARD LEASES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 464, 3 July 1909, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, Judy 3,1909. HARBOUR BOARD LEASES.

In an article on the Foxton Harbour Board’s endowment of foreshore and pilot reserve, our Devin contemporary is not seized with a knowledge of the position of affairs. It states that Levin is within the “rating area.” As is well-known there is no rating area. There is a harbour district which has the power to elect a member of the Board. Such harbour district is the borough of Foxton, and it is from this district that the only elected member of the Board is drawn. The other members are appointed by the local bodies and a Government nominee. The lands at the Heads with which the Board is now endowed were previously held by the Marine Department and not the Lands Department as mentioned by oar contemporary. Those who “squatted” on the land and erected cottages, only held the land on a monthly tenure. ' There were no leases granted by the Marine Department. We agree with our contemporary that the Board owes a duty to the whole of their constituents, as well as to those who hold the foreshore leases, and that is to get the market value for their property. This course, in justice to themselves and to those whom they represent, is the only possible one, and the way to find th,e value of the holdings is to put them up to public competition. Should any preference be shown in the matter now, the reserves in the future may, and almost certainly will, appreciate in value, and the Board would suffer a loss which would be unjustifiable.