FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4450, 10 May 1930, Page 1

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

LBOROUGH COUNCIL DISCUSSES LEVY. OPTIMISTIC NOTE BY MAYOR. A copy of the Fox-ton Harbour Board’s special resolution levying the differential special rate for the current year was received at the meeting' of the Levin Borough Council on Monday evening. The vale on the Levin Borough is l-84«l iu the £ on the capital value, providing £36. Speaking on the matter, the Mayor (Mr. Blenkhorn), who is the Borough’s representative on the Board, said that the rate was levied for the lirst time last year and ii recurred this year, the local bodies’ quota towards the levy seemed to he an annual one of £l, ()()(). He had attended the Board’s meeting that day, and Palmerston N. had been making a protest against the levy, which fell rattier heavilv on that town, though it did undoubtedly reap some bent fit from t lie Foxton Harbour. Figures had been given to prove that fact; mid he thought that Levin also reaped some benefit from the Board's activities, and hoped to do belter in the future. The reason tor the levy this year was that the wharf was in need of repair, and ilie Railway Department said that if it was not done in the immediate future they would not allow their tracks to run on it. The Board was holding its own; there was a verv considerable amount of goods coming through that port. He had that day visited the shed, which was very lai*ge and commodious, and he was astonished at the amount of produce and goods there; he was told that eight truck-loads lmd come out of it that morning. Ur. Walker: We understand that, the levy was never likely to be collected.

His Worship: The harbour lias been there a considerable number of years. It was purchased from the Railway Department some years ago, when the Board resumed its activities, and it has got into a lamentable state of repair. O. Walker: Is there much trouble on the bar now? His Worship: Not a. great deal. They seem to bring the shipping in fairly well. There was a proposal, which is out of court at present that the wharf should he shifted down to Rush* Flat, near the mouth of the river, and that they have a railway siding up to the main line at iFoxtou. That may come ahoul some time, but it is not within the bounds of possibility tor a good many years. It would perhaps cost £IB,OO0 — at any rate something very much more tlugn the Board would stand. 'flic Town dork read out a list of the amounts that would he contributed by each of the local bodies to provide £IOOO for the Foxtou Harbour Board: Foxtou Borough, £l-19; Palmerston N. £101; Feilding, £11; Levin, £3O; Manawatn County, £205; Kairanga County, £ll7. He stated that the rateable capital value of the whole area was £l7, 189,000. The Mayor said that last, year about 5000 tons of produce and goods went through the port of Foxtou to Palmerston, and the saving effected its against carriage of the goods by rail varied from £1 16s fid to 9s per ton. He had asked the secretary of the Board to prepare a eomparitive schedule showing the cost of transit through the port ami by rail, and this would he put before the Council. His Worship was sure that there would be some advantage to the Levin people in dealing with that port. tV. Parker remarked that the service cut out Timaru. His Worship; The shipping is limited and they go where they can got the best freights. They have a couple of: very good boats on. Cr. Roe expressed the opinion 1 hat. the port of Foxtou had served its usefulness. In the early days it was all right, because of the absence of main roads and railways. Goods cnold then be brought by sea from Wellington and there was

no outlet for produce but through Foxtou, between which place and Palmerston there was in those days a wooden tramway. “The sooner the Foxton people realise the position the better,” Cr. Roe added. “'We are not going to spend money on that port, any move. It is very nice to say we have a port there, hut lo compete with the railways and motor traffic is an impossibility. The same applies to Wanga-nui;-'there will always be trouble there, also at New Plymouth and Napier. They are sinking money in those places that were never intended to be ports. L sympathise with the Palmerston people, bat the day of the port has gone bv. If the Foxton people are going to build up that wharf, it is throwing money away; and if they cut the Manawatu River— as Mr. Nash says — we don’t know what will happen. 1 think it is time the local bodies slopped it. The Mayor: Wo will get you to go over to Foxton and give an address.

Cr Roe: 1 will with pleasure. The. Mayor: They think that the trade of the port is going to revive and from present indications 1 think Ihe sit me. —Chronicle.