The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, February 5, 1916. PALMERSTON AND THE LOCAL WHARF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1506, 5 February 1916, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, February 5, 1916. PALMERSTON AND THE LOCAL WHARF.

The Palmerston Chamber of Commerce is doing all in its power to assist the Foxton Harbour Board to come into its own in respect to the transfer of the wharf from the Railway Department to the Board. The wharfage dues diverted from the Board to the working railways account, is the port’s principal source of revenue, and without it the Board cannot improve the port in order to facilitate shipping. While the bar and river fairway remain as nature wills, so long will shipping fight shy of the port, and as a result, merchants and other industrial and commercial concerns, be compelled to suffer inconvenience and pay increased freight charges. This increase- is, of course, passed on to the consumer, so that indirectly the whole district as well as the port, is sacrificed in order to swell the revenue of the working railways, which is no more responsible for the wharfage revenue than a bar of soap. The diversion of the wharfage revenue, to the detriment of the port, is of vital concern to Palmerston business people, and the Chamber realises this, and can be depended upon to assist the Board In its demands to the utmost.

Mr. Nathan stated that the Board should demand not only the wharf but all the endowments as well. The Marine Department, when the Board was reconstituted, transferred all its endowments to the Board. The only endowment that has not been transferred is the wharf—-the principal source of revenue —which the Railway Department refuses to part with,

Messrs Crahb aud Clausen referred to the increase of 5s per ton in coal freight coming through Foxton. The only increase during the past ten years has been is 6d per ton on coal, but since the war the Railway Department has put a ten per cent, increase on railage. It is true that the coal trade has been diverted to Wanganui, but this would be remedied if the bar and fairway were attended to. As far as a wharf at the heads is concerned, this is quite unnecessary.