WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17684, 23 July 1919, Page 5

WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD

TREATMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT

COMPLAINT OF LNJUSTICE.

(Pus United Press Association.) WESTPORT, July 22. Through the operation of clauses 108 and 109 of the Finance Act, 1915, the Westport Uarbour Board, whiob. used to be one of the wealthiest institutions of the kind in the dominion, is having financial difficulties. Ihe board has nad to pay out of its ordinary revenuo the whole of the increased charges resulting from the war in the way of highor wages, extra cost of material, and so forth, but it has not got ono penny of increased revenues from the railway and wharves, although the profits from these were given by an Act of Parliament as an endowment to the board, and upon its endowments fcho board has raised something like £850,0C0 in loan money. The board considers that a monstrous injustice has been done to it, and it has been trying, without avail, to get satisfaction from Ministers". To-day a complaint was (tnade that neither letters nor telegrams to the Minister of Marino on the question wore getting satisfactory attention, and it was resolved to send the chairman (Mr Biee) and Mr M'lntyre (a member of the boa.rd) to Wellington to interview the Cabinet and see if the injustice could not be removed. From the source m question the Government has made a clean lift of £50,000.