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THE FOXTON WHARF.

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

INTERVIEWED

BY CHAIRMAN OF BOARD

On Saturday Mr P. Henuessy, Chairman of the Foxton Harbour Board, interviewed the Hon. W. H. Herries, Minister for Railways, in connection with the proposed purchase ot the local wharf by the Harbour Board.

Mr Henuessy, who was introduced by Mr John Robertson, M.P., said that a Bill now before the House was based on an understanding with the Hon. J. A. Millar that the Board should have the Foxton Wharf for ,£20,000. On that understanding the Board had taken steps to promote a Bill and take in a district as a rating area. That was the position at present, and the Board desired to obtain the assistance of the Government in getting the Bill through the House. They would like the Minister to look into the legal standing of fhe Board. The first Foxton Harbour Board was brought into existence iu 1878, aud included iu its endowments were the wharfage revenues, By an Act of Dissolution iu 1886 the Oovernor-in-Council was to take the place of the Board and to perform all its tunctions. The Harbours Act distinctly stated that all revenues accruing from a harbour must be spent on that harbour, but iu the case of Foxton the revenue had, he bad understood, been used to swell the railway revenues, but when interviewed, Sir Joseph Ward had stated that the money accruing trom the Foxtou wharf bad been paid into the consolidated fund, in any case, U had not been expended according lo the provisions ol the Harbours —in the upkeep aud improu-.uK-. . ol the harbour. At the lime the original Foxtou Harbour Board was brought into existence, harbour boards were also formed at Waicara, Palea and Wanganui. He believed that at this time endowments 01 some 40,000 acres in the Maaawatu County were given to the Wanganui Harbour Board. With the exception of Foxtou, all the ports were now enjoying all the privilege., coaleited on them in IS7B, which included the wharfages. Mr Henuessy said the Board now desired to prosecute improvements, but could not do so unless it recovered its revenue.

Mr Merries; Is the traffic increasing i

Mr Henuessy ; Fairly

Mr Merries said that the difficulty seemed to be in regard to the value of the wharl. The officers of his Department could find no record of a promise to sell the wharf for ,£20,000. Mr Meuuessy produced a letter from the Mon. J. A. Millar, then Minister for Railways, to the secretary ot the Foxton Harbour Board, dated September Sth, 1911. It read as lollows :—“I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter ot the 29th ult., lorwarding a copy of the Foxton Harbour Board Loan Bill, and in reply to state that I shall be pleased to give my support to the Bill.”

Mr Merries pointed out that there was nothing mentioned in tUe letter as to the price ot the whaif.

Mr Henuessy said that the sum ot £20,000 was specifically stated by Mr Millar. The fact could be attested by Mr Field, tormrnly member tor Otaki, and other witnesses. Further, it was clearly brought out iu the evidence given before the Public Petitious Committee.

Mr Merries said that iu the decision given by that committee it was recommended that the price to be paid tor the wharf should be referred to arbitration.

Mr Henuessy said the Committee’s recommendation in connection with fixing the price to be paid for the wharl reierred to the dispute in this connection between the Minister and the Board. The Minister was asking ,£23,500, and the Board ditl not consider that the value of the wharf was anything like that sum. He said it was not really the value of the wharf that was in dispute, because it was practically rotten at present, but the price ot the goodwill that the Government was claiming. It was hardly fair that the people of the Boston Harbour district should be asked to pay their revenue into the Consolidated Fund, and also to be taxed for the upkeep of the Harbour.

Mr Herries said that every year as the traffic wcm up the value ot the vvhari would increase. He promised to look into the whole matter, The Government, he added, wanted to do the fair thing. Mr Robertson, in thanking the Minister for receiving the dputation, said that the Foxtou Harbour Board uad been put in a very difficult position. It they improved the harbour they were all the time “rushing up" the value ot the wharf. There was no doubt that the Railway Department had got hold of a good thing. The deputation, whicn had been well received, then withdrew.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH19120820.2.17

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1085, 20 August 1912, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
786

THE FOXTON WHARF. Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1085, 20 August 1912, Page 3

THE FOXTON WHARF. Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1085, 20 August 1912, Page 3

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