How to Raise £540,000

Patea Mail, 12 June 1882, Page 3

How to Raise £540,000

FOR PATEA HABBOR. The following scheme wsis submitted at to-clay’s meeting of jhe Harbor Board:—

Gentlemen, —Permit met» suggest a scheme for creating a large find to carry on harbor improvements, and for increasing the trade of the port, without levying a rate, i

The Board’s claim against Government for about £4,000 compensation can be multiplied in value in this way. Instead of seeking compensation in land on the open coast, where the value would be closely assessed before handing over to the Board—besides the risk of failure through the land being scheduled for immediate sale—-let the Board apply for one or two land blocks up the Pa tea river, to be exchanged at a nominal value in lieu of land taken for the railway and damage done to Board’s property. Let the Board also obtain river conservancy powers, with the object of making the river navigable for steam launches and barges, and thus clear a cheap natural highway to land so acquired up the river. This plan would enable the Board to acquire a large estate up the river, with power to make the river a highway to it. Land taken at a nominal value of 2s 6d to 5s an acre could be increased in value within affyear “to the extent of £1 to £2 an acre. A block of '30,000 to 40,000 acres might thus be obtained—not as endowment, but in exchange for land taken or damage done. When the Board made this up-river land accessible to settlement by cheap water-carriage, its value would be increased probably ten times, so that 30,000 acres at £1 to £l-10s an acre would estate worth over £40,000. ; Information obtained from surveyors and others warrants me in saying that there are blocks of land adjacent to the Patea river very suitable for settlement; that after passing through a narrow belt of broken country, the land becomes more undulating and covered with light bush in places ; and that within a navigable distance there are one or two Government blocks which could be selected by the Board, with advantage. 1 will assist the Board with information I have collected as to land up the river. It would be desirable to prospect the land from the river as a starting point, to make a suitable selection, in order to put a definite area in the Bilh

i A township site could be laid off near the river ; and the starting of river traffic by steam launches would cause other blocks to be settled by Government. This river traffic would bring ill the trade through the town and port, and thus feed the Board’s revenue from tonnage dues, besides promoting the growth of Patea as a commercial port , The river can be made navigable 40 to 50 miles without any serious rise in the bed. Snags'jwould have to be removed, though much of the cost, would be recouped by selling the timber. Some fulls of limestone which now form rapids would have to be blasted, and some shingle beds caused by cross snags could be easily cleared. The river could be made navigable 50 to 80 miles by placing

one or two locks where the river bed rises rapidly. Most of the goods traffic in England prior to 1830 was carried on canals intersected with locks.

The mode of opening the land to settlement would be somewhat as follows. A Bill for exchange of land, or having a title that does not suggest endowment (of which the Upper House is so jealous), could be introduced this session, containing clauses giving river conservancy powers, and a borrowing power based on a rate for Patea borough. This rate would be only a morainal: security; to . enable the; Board to get power for borrowing say £6,000 after the land was got; and of course the land would be the real security for borrowing. Half the amount of loan (£3,000) could be applied to making the river navigable to the Board’s new estate, and also for survey purposes. The other £3,000 could be applied to starting at once the improvement work at the heads. Before that sum was spent, the Board would have put some of its 40,000 acres into the market, and cash would be coming in from that source to continue the work at the Heads, and to complete the opening of the land block.,

As the Harbor Board would be doing excellent work in populating a present wilderness by developing a navigable river, the sympathy of Government and of Parliament might be reasonably expected. Suppose a block of interior land stands at a nominal value of 5s an acre; the Government would allow something off for the cost of making roads to it) because this operation wouldlbenefit other blocks held by Government. As the intervening country is almost impassable for roads, the Board could fairly claim to assess such land at the lowest quotable figure, seeing 'that they would have to bear the cost ,*of road-making; Therein lies the peculiar value of the river, as a natural highway easily, made, and costing nothing for maintenance. The Harbor Board may fairly claim that river as a natural source of revenue for harbor purposes ; so that whatever value the river nday . have,. as a, highway would be a value created by the Board’s foresight and enterprise.

It is not certain that the Board’s claim for compensation will be recognised. If. it is disallowed, the Board will be no worse off than now, while itjwill have got a borrowing power to be exercised if town ratepayers are willing.,. But seeing that the main object of this Land Exchange and Itiver Conservancy Bill would be the excellent work of making a river i navigable to facilitate settlement of extensive blocks held by Government up this river, politicians would feel strong sympathy with the Board’s scheme, instead of cynical suspicion. In taking compensation, the choice lies between asking for a dozen sections of land on the open coast, the selling value of which would leave little or no balance over the claini of £4,000 ; as compared with asking for perhaps 40,000 acres of up-river land that has no present value to Government. The value would in fact be created by the Harbor Board’s scheme. With these suggestions, I leave this important matter to the intelligent consideration of the Harbor Board. If the proposal opens a prospect of getting £30,000 to £50,000 for harbor improvements, as easily as the Board may get £4,000 by the other plan, besides the great and increasing benefit to all whose interests centre in this port, I hope the larger prospect will be deemed worthy of the Board’s best energies to attain. . , I have the honor to be your servant, . Edward Houghton. ;