THE FOXTON WHARF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1424, 15 July 1915, Page 4

THE FOXTON WHARF.

RECENT INTERVIEWS WITH MINISTERS.

EVIDENCES OF FINAL SETTLEMENT.

We have received the following information in respect to the wharf purchase question from Mr W. H, Field, M.P., which bears evidence of an early settlement : “With respect to the Foxton wharf matter, I have been pushing the matter pretty strongly lately and I think at last with good result. Some ten days ago Messrs Nash and Henuessy came down and had a conference with Mr Weston, the Board’s solicitor, and myself, and when they announced that they were now opposed to a commission being set up because they feared that they would not have a voice in the selection of the commissioner or commissioners- I told them that I would take good care that I had something to say in the matter and before selection was made, but that I thought we ought to still try and make seme satisfactory terms with the Government without the intervention of the commissioners. Finally it was agreed that I should suggest to the Government the appointment of the Chief Justice, in whom the Board would have entire confidence, and that failing him I should ask the Government to submit the question of price to arbitration. As legislation is necessary to authorise the sale oi the wharf it would be convenient to add a clause providing for the question to be submitted to arbitration. At the end of the conference it was suggested also that we might make a straight out offer fo the Government of which if paid iu instalments could be made without raising a loan or levying a rale. In accordance with the decision arrived at, Mr Weston and myself wailed on the Minister of R always and had a good straight out talk. I have all •along made no secret of the fact that the Railway Department should be .satisfied with the profits they had already harvested from the wharf, and iu view of the interests of the district which had been throttled fur so many years, it would be fair to ask that the Board should receive the wharf without payment at all. This, of course, 1 recognised however, was more than we could expect, and eventually the suggested amount of was mentioned. The Minister very naturally pointed out that he was Minister of Railways, and as such he had to do his best for his department, but admitted that the Government, as a Government, might be entitled to take a different view. I replied that if the department were to be paid lor the wharf, and if the Government looked to the history of the past, it would be a fair thing that the Government should find what money it should be decided that the Railway Department should receive, The Minister was expecting a final report from the Solicitor-General on the question of the basis upon which the commission should assess the price to be paid, and promised that when this reached him he would lay the whole matter before Cabinet. I, of course, conveyed to him the message ol the Board that they would accept the Chief Justice as Commissioner, or would be willing to submit to arbitration. After seeing the Minister of Railways, and in contemplation of the Solicitor - General’s report being laid before Cabinet, I got Mr Buick to wait upon the Prime Minister with me, when I laid the whole facts fully before him and impressed him with the necessity of having the whole thing settled without further delay by one of the methods suggested, namely, by straight out purchase at a reasonable sum, or by the Chief Justice’s Commission, or by arbitration in the ordinary way, when the Board would have the right of selection of one of two arbitrators, who in the event of disagreement would themselves appoint their umpire. Mr Massey plainly saw the necessity of immediate action, and promised that directly the SolicitorGeneral’s letter was laid before Cabinet, they would give the matter final consideration. I am very sanguine that this long vexed mailer will at last he brought to a close, satisfactory to the Foxton Harbour Board, ami therefore to the people of Foxton and the surrounding district, which of course includes Levin, Shannon, Palmerston N., Fielding, and inland of it, Bulls, Martou and the whole of the Saudon-Rougotea district, indeed the good effect will extend even through the Manawatu Gorge.’’