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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 107, 27 October 1877, Page 2

A sfBscBiSEB Writes from Sandon requesting information respecting the Wangdrntti Harbor Endowment and Borrowing Bill now before the House. The Bill m question provides that there shall be set aside as „an endowment for the Harbor Board. — " All that parcel of land m the Manawatu District estimated to contain 25^000 acres more ot loss, bounded to* wards the North-east by a line bearing 1122 deg< 45 mm. magnetic between the Oroua and Pohangina Rivers } towards the East by the Pdhangina River ; to* wards the South*west by the boundary line of the Manchester Block between the Orotta and Pohangina Rivers, bearing 122 deg. 45 mm. \ and towards the West and North*west by the Oroua River." v The "Waste Lands Board may sell this as other Waste Lands but the proceeds are to go to the Harbour Fund* The Harbour Board may pledge the proceeds of such land itt such a manner, as they think -fit.. They may also for the purpose of constructing Harbour Works raise a loan not exceeding £100,000. This Bill has passed s the Lower and is now ort its way through the Upper House. 11l moving fiefcond readiug of the Bill,- Mr Fox said :— ■ "The present resources of the Har* bour conservator's of Wtfngantfi were not sufficient to enatble them to undertake the improvements contemplated. The toial £motint required Would be £10O,0t>0, of which £20,01X7, or thereabouts, would go to wipe out an oblrga* tion due to the? Corporation 1 of Wan* ga'nni. The object of the present Bill w v as simply to provide the means of carrying otft the iniprofeinent of 6he harbour* SncJ it }frt<s ysf opened to ho done m this way > First, there was a provisd'on m the Bill to endow the Harbour ' Botfrd of Wanganui with a considerable landed endowment m an adjacent district, Mriefh dtish-ict would bteirtJnienfrely benefited by the iiriprWtwtapt of the" harbour. This endotfmem consisted of a block of land of about .25,000 ficres xn extent, being a portion of the Upper Manawatu District, which waa only distant from Wanganui some thirty miles. The powers given by the Bill Were to appropriate tUe proceeds oF that land to the construction of tKe works he had described. There might, of course, m a case of this kind, where there was an endowment vested m a corporate body, be. reason to fear that the land might be kept tn & state of torpor for many years and not be tftiligod. There > was, however, a simple provision m the ' Bill which removed this difficulty. It prescribed that the land might be dealt with by the Waste Lands Board from time to time m like m&iincr as other waste lands m the district were dealt with, provision being made, however, that the prpceeds were to be paid over to the Wanganui Harbour Board, to be. applied m such manner as that body might think fit." It was considered that if this Bill passed 1 the Government would be m a measure . committed to a favorable consideration of other Bills of the same character" as for instance 1 affecting the harbours of the Thames, Coromandel, Bay of Islands, and Riverton. Doubtless the same mode of assistance, might b^e applied m the case of the Foxton harbour and very successfully too. A territorial endowment would have the two-fold effect of giving the efficient aid required and of promoting settlement.