THE FOXTON WHARF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1624, 14 October 1916, Page 3

THE FOXTON WHARF.

PROPOSED RATING AREA. CONSIDERED BY FEILDING BOROUGH. Messrs P. J. Hennessy (chairman) and A. Nash, of the foxton Harbour Board, waited upon the Eeilding Borough Council on Thursday night in the interests of (he Board. They were introduced by Mr T. J. Claphatn.

They requested that the Council agree to lie included in the Board’s rating area, which the Government required as a guarantee for the loan of £16,000 the Board proposed to raise. Bedding's liability under the proposed scheme would he £2lB, and the annua! rate collcetablgp£44. But the revenue which the Board would receive would render t lie risk of having to collect any rate a very remote one. In fact, there was no risk whatever.

The Mayor said the present proposal was a much hotter one than previous ones, but there was something to be thought of yet. The present Board would probably not wish to borrow more than the £16,000, but future Boards might desire to increase the loan. True, no future loan could he raised without the consent of Parliament, and of the ratepayers in the Board’s area, but in such a poll Palmerston North and Foxton could outvote Feilding. He would like Air Hennessy to explain what benefit Eeilding would get from having a better port, Mr Hennessy explained that from the figures supplied by the Railway Department, Eeilding was now saving about £2,000 a year on freights. With improvements to the river, boats with large draught would be able to come up to the wharf, and there would be a larger saving slid. He regretted the Mayor gave him credit for any possibility of (axing one part of the district for the benefit of smother part. Such a tiling had never entered his head. After giving further information, the deputation withdrew. Discussing the matter la ter, Ihe Mayor said it did not seem fair to rate Feilding at I-Kith of a penny and Palmerston North at l-10th. Palmerston North and Foxton would benefit much more considerably apart front the freights. It would he to the interest of (hose towns to nmke si huge port at Foxton. There was silways a risk in being included in a rating sirea. Thai was their experience with (lie Hospital Board.

Cr Harford said he had always been in favour of inclusion and the Board obtaining the wharf, lie was already saving over C2O a year in freight on the goods lie imported hy using the Foxion port, and it was in the interests of the consumers generally to secure control of the wharf, and it was only fair that Feilding should he included in the rating area.

Cr Braimvcll said the thanks of the whole district wore due to Bedding I'or opposing the purchase of the wharf when the Government wanted £25,000 for it. Feilding’s opposition had slopped the Board from making'a bad purchase at that lime. Now the proposal was a dillerent one altogether. A reasonable offer was before the Board. Feilding should consider the whole districtami not itself alone. He was prepared in the interests of the town and district, to support the proposal. They must not- he too narrow in the matter. He did not think the differentia! rating was quite fair. Feilding should not be on a. higher rate than the Kairanga county, and he thought they should suggest: that, the Bedding rale he reduced. A motion was proposed that the Council agree to he included in the rating area, as set out by the Harbour Board.

An amendment that the Council agree to he included provided the differential rate he 1-2-1-1 hof a penny was then proposed.

Both amendment and motion were lost.

Os Tingey and Bramwell proposed that the Conned agree to be included provided Bedding’s rate bo I-20 Mi.

This was agreed to, the Mayor and Crs. Newman and Barton voting against.