TOTAL, COST OF HARBOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 476, 4 September 1909, Page 2

TOTAL, COST OF HARBOUR.

Wk have received from the Government Printer a copy of the return asked for by Mr L,aing in the House on September nth, 1908 : “That there be laid before this House a return showing the amount of money expended by the Government, under the authority of a special Act or otherwise, on each of the Harbours in New Zealand.” Under the head Foxton it is stated that the Marine Department has expended ,£l5B 17s pd ; the Public Works Department, ,£264 13s 3d ; and the Railway Department ,£2,289, making a total expenditure on the local wharf of ,£2,712 1 is. The amount shown above is the cost of constructing the wharf and carrying out a little dredging, but does not include the ordinary expenses of administering the harbour such as salaries of harbour staff and contingencies. It will be seen to what extent the Railway Department has profited at the expense of the port. We would not be far out when we state that the revenue accruing from the wharf in three years would liquidate the total cost of construction, etc.