The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, November 13, 1909. HARBOUR BOARD MATTERS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 506, 13 November 1909, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, November 13, 1909. HARBOUR BOARD MATTERS

Boiled ! down, the result of the Hon. Mr Millar’s visit and conference with the local Harbour Board, amounts to this: Raise what revenue is required to improve the port and facilitate shipping by inserting a rating clause in the Bill, and the Government will in some way subsidise the Board’s efforts. Now, the Harbour Board has only one chance of raising revenue by such means —Buckley’s ! Nearly the whole of the district served by the port would absolutely refuse to be included in a rating area, and it is not to be expected that the Foxton Borough would shoulder the burdens. Further, a portion of the district represented on the Board is already included in the Wellington Harbour Board area. That portion of the distict which would blindly consent to be rated would be too small, and the tax levied to ensure a sufficient loan too great for the proportionate benefits to be secured. We would rather see the Board straggle on under existing conditions than swallow Mr Millar’s half-hearted suggestion to adopt a rating scheme. It is only a question of time, provided no other alternative is adopted, when the Board will be granted that which really belongs to the port — the wharfages. There is, however, the intermediary course open to the Board,'that of purchasing the wharves from the Railway Department at their present valuation. This would remove certain issues which at present stand in the way of transferring the wharfages, and would not prejudicially effect the position of other Boards. We understand that the Board intends to make an offer in this direction in the near future. If the Railway Department accept such offer to purchase, the question of raising the sum required should not present any grave difficulties. We have every reason to hope that the Minister, now he is seized of all the facts and has made a personal inspection of the wharf, will meet the Board in as fair and reasonable a manner as possible.