THE FOXTON WHARF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1245, 14 May 1914, Page 2

THE FOXTON WHARF.

DEPUTATION TO AGAIN WAIT ON MINISTERS.

The Foxton Harbour Board by no means intends letting the question of purchasitig the wharf from the Railway Department drop. The agitation was renewed at Thursday’s meeting of the Board, and as a result of the discussion that ensued, arrangements were made to again place the position before the Ministers for Marine and Railways, and also the Prime Minister. The matter was first broached when a letter was read from the Minister for Railways, the Hon. W. H. Herries, in connection with the interview he had with the Board quite recently. The Minister wrote : “It is only right that I should make it quite clear in order to avoid any future misunderstanding, that I did not say I would give a siding in connection with the proposed new wharf unconditionally. What I did say was that if a proposition was put before me by the Board it would depend upon what the proposition was whether the Department would give a connection or not. I promised that any such application would be carefully considered.” Hon. Herries also replied to the Board’s representations urging that a piece of land belonging to the Department, at Foxton, should be handed over to the Board, stating that he found on enquiry that the land in question was mostly reclaimed by the Department, and only a very small portion thereof was even vested in the Board, and that only by an oversight. The land belonging to the Department was defined by proclamation, and would ultimately be required for railway purposes. He regretted that he could not see his way clear to accede to the request.

The Hou. F. M. B. Fisher also wrote, stating that he had referred to the Marine Department for report the Board’s application for grants for the purpose of improving the harbour. As soon as possible an inspection would be made.

Mr Holben, Government representative on the Board, stated that the attitude of the Government was unreasonable. They should not treat this section of the community as they were doing just because the Railway Department held the key to the position. He referred to the deputations to the Ministers for Marine and Railways, and thought that the Board should next see the Premier. He considered the powers of the Board were by no means exhausted. It was scandalous that this part of the country should suffer because of the errors of their forefathers. If the Board accepted the subsidies of from the Railway Department and from the Marine Department, it would be but a temporary relief. What was wanted was the absolute control of the river by the Board. If a dredge wa« purchased there would be upkeep, and where was the revenue to justify that expenditure to come from under the existing conditions ? This was a national affair that the Board was fighting, and the Minister might well complain that the freights on the Manawatu line would suffer if it was a private company that wanted the wharf, but not when it was the people who wanted it. Mr Jenks thought it would be a good thing if the old, rotten wharf dropped into the river.

Mr Gardener said he failed to see what effect seeing the Premier would have on the position. It would not be a business proposition to build another wharf and have competition. The whole trouble was that the Government was being governed by the officers and the Railway Department was frightened of showing a loss of certain revenue on its balancesheets. Their arguments were childish. The Government made other harbour boards spend a certain portion of their revenue on the upkeep of the harbour, but in this case, where the Government owned the harbour, not a penny was spent on upkeep- Mr Gardener urged that something definite be placed before the Government. There were only two things that could be done. The Board must either purchase the wharf for the odd demanded by the Government, or see what could be done with the subsidy. The matter should not be allowed to stand still any longer.

The Chairman (Mr Hennessy) remarked that a new wharf of Australian hardwood could be erected for ,£4,000, whereas the Government wanted £28,000 for their old, rotten wharf. Mr Gardener : They say we are paying for the goodwill. Mr Nash: I thought we were going to get the “square deal” iu this matter. We have been live years urging our claims, and have got uo further advanced. Con-

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tinning, he expressed the opinion that the Board should do one thing or the other. The time had now arrived when the Board should ask for the co-operation of local bodies and chambers ot commerce in forming another deputation to the Ministers, and also the Premier. Mr Massey had told the Board that he never understood the position before it had been explained to him by the last deputation, and he promised to give the matter careful consideration. That was twelve months ago, and Mr Nash said he thought the time was now ripe to see the Premier again. He moved that members of the Board able to be present, and two delegates from local bodies and chambers of commerce interested, form a deputation to the Premier and Ministers for Railways and Marine, to re-open the wharf question, and to come to some finality over it, and that the secretary be instructed to make enquiries as to a suitable date in June when the Hon. gentlemen could be seen together. Arrangements are also to be made for a meeting of the Board and the delegates prior to the deputation, in order to lay out a plan of campaign.