THE FOXTON PORT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2094, 24 February 1920, Page 2

THE FOXTON PORT.

MOB!-: SHIPPING WANTED, The lack of trading done through the Port of Foxton was the subject (>X a letter received hy the Palmers- / ton North ' Chamber of Commerce T on Thursday from the Foxton Harbour Board, which wrote stating that at the Board’s last meeting a, resolution was passed inviting the co-operation of the .Chamber in an endeavour to again have- the main goods (raftie II) the district carried through its natural port —Foxton. At present there, was only one small vessel trading it! Foxton, making about six trips per mouth, (lie cargoes being only about half general merchandise.- It was absurd to think that a nourishing district like the. Manawatu could exist on that. In reply to the arguments [hat tho navigation of the river was difficult, or that: boats Were not obtainable, it could bo said: (l),The river is not more difficult now than it ■had lafen for years; (2) After the loss of the “Queen of the South’’ it was possible to get another boat to take up the running; (3) The Board was making every effort to improve the river. The Board hacPworked hard for the welfare of the whole liarhour district, and had shown-that; with ordinary traffic, the interest on loan could be paid out of ordinary revenue, but.without tiie support of all business people, and ratepayers it- was likely Unit a portion of the, rate would-■■have to he collected, and it was to avoid this risk that the. support of Chambers of Commerce was asked. —Mr said that (he small 'traders had’ for a time been quite willing to use the port, but scarcely anybody in the town » got their goods through there now, on account- of the inconvenience. One tiling that had become very apparent. to the traders was that by getting their things by rail they were not subject to pilfering. Under tbo old dispensation .this 'had ’been very common, and the. breaking of pack-' ages had been reduced to a tine art, so' much so that when the traders received (heir boxes they were unable to-tell if they had been-broken into or not. —Mr Cameron thought it might be possible Vo get the shipping companies to divert their ships from Wanganui, to. Foxton. —Mr -, CTabb suggested Unit the .letter should be copied and circulated a- , mong merchants for an opinion as to why the port was not being used. —lt was decided to act on the suggestion.