THE FOXTON WHARF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1227, 31 March 1914, Page 3

THE FOXTON WHARF.

At last night’s meeting, Mr Heunessy, chairman of the local Harbour Board, asked the Hon. Minister for Marine if be would refuse to grant a permit to the Foxton Harbour Board to erect a wharf of their own ? Mr Hennessy explained that the Government asked for the wharf at the present time ,£28,000, which meant a charge on posterity of ,£I2OO to ,£I4OO per year for fifty years. The Minister said the Government would not grant such concession to the Board to depreciate, by opposition, the value of the Government’s property. The Government looked upon the wharf as belonging to the people of the Dominion.

Mr Hennessy then asked the Minister why the Government sold the Onebunga wharf to the Auckland Harbour Board for ,£3OOO, and gave them three years in which to pay for it, without interest. The speaker then went on to say that the future prospects of the Onebunga wharf was far in excess as to value than the Foxton wharf. The Government had put a value on the Foxton wharf which was the gift of nature to the surrounding district. The Minister said that he had already expressed his views to Mr Hennessy and the Board on the subject.

Mr Kellow asked if the Minister thought the wharf was worth the amount asked for by the Department, ,£28.000. Mr Fisher replied that if a person were selling a business he computed its value by its earnings and this was what had been done in connection with the Foxton wharf.

Mr Kellow interjected : but the Department takes all the revenue and doesn’t spend anything on the improvement of the channel or wharf.