Increase of Port Charges.

Patea Mail, 19 July 1882, Page 3

Increase of Port Charges.

DISMISSING A PETITION.

The Harbor Board has taken an unfortunate step, and has done it in opposition to a petition signed by 67 importers in Patea, Hawera, and the district. The Board resolved at Monday’s meeting to increase the charges from Is 6d to 2s Gd per ton on aM imports and exports. The increase is slight in itself, the main objection being that this port will be working under exceptional disadvantages till the railway is opened to Waverley on one side and to Hawera on the other. When this port is pnt on equality with neighboring-ports by a through system of railway, then each port will find its. natural area of trade, and the changes wharfage &c. can be raised to an average level without injustice to any, and without imperilling the prosperity of the district by diverting trade to j other ports. The Board must have some urgent reason for putting on this increase before the railway is through. The urgency is . said to be that the Board has an overdraft of about £495, with interest of £175 to be added in a month, making say £670 overdrawn. Against that sum there are rents now overdue and others falling due this month amounting to £335, leaving a difference of say £2OO to £350 next month. Is that a prospect to frighten the Board ? < The principal fact in this estimate is that the Board has recently leased some reserves which will increase the income by over £240; so that the Board has only to wait, and the increased income will soon extinguish the overdraft. To show how small a bugbear this overdraft is, we may say that the Board had the Secretary’s estimate before them on Monday showing that debits to end of year will probably amount to £1027, and credits to same date will probably be £837, thus leaving a debit balance of £l9O at end of December next. Allowing for some rents unpaid on that date, and some accounts nnsettled, the Secretary’s estimate showed a probable overdraft of £250 next December. Thus it appears that the bank overdraft is likely to be reduced from £495 at present to £250 at end of year. We ask the public in all candour to say whether the Board’s position is not rapidly improving under the present rate of port charges ; and whether, if the Board have worked on an overdraft of nearly £SOO during the past few months, they need be frightened at reducing that overdraft one-half in the next five months without putting a penny extra on the port charges. It should be noticed too that the overdraft has been increased by spending £195 in building a protection wall; also £39 for anchors, &c. These extraordinary charges make up £234, being nearly equal to the .estimated amount which the Board will be overdrawn at the end of this year. Against this extraordinary expenditure in one year, there is the increased income of £240 from additional leases; so that look at the figures hem you will, the Board’s position is improving, and its overdraft is a small affair for practical men to face. "Really the urgency for this increase 7 charges is not in the financial position, ns every business man may see from the Secretary’s estimate laid before the Board, as summarised above. Where then is the urgency ? It should be a pleasure to members of the Board to do their doty in a manner which shall command the confidence, and even the admiration, of those whose interests are identified with the harbor. It is to be hoped that each member who voted for this increase under these conditions can still feel that he has done the right thing, and has not been hurried into a mistake by want of full consideration. Second thoughts are best, as a rule. If members now see that this increase is unnecessary, even if they still doubt whether the increase at this time will tend to divert trade, it will not be

less a duty to undo Lite mistake by cancelling their unwise resolution.

It is not a little remarkable that the following petition,'signed by 67 of the largest importers throughout the district, was received by the Board, but dismissed with very slight notice. Mr Peacock laid it on the table. PETITION AGUINBT INCREASE. Understanding that the question of an increased rate of wharfage will be brought before the next meeting of the Harbor Board, we the undersigned ratepayers of the Patea harbor district beg to protest against any such increase being made at the present time, when the port is already sufficiently handicapped by having no railway communication with Waverley or Hawera. At the same time, we desire to express our concurrence in such an increase being made as soon as any useful purpose, such as to provide interest on a loan for harbor improvements, can be served by imposing heavier dues. Wo believe the receipts of the Board now exceed the expenditure, so there can be no urgent need for the imposition of increased dues at the present time.—J. Gibson, E. C. Horner, W. Brown, J. Anderson, W, and A. Gower, H. A. Arthur, C. Dale, R. A. Adams, P. Mahony and Co., H. E. Deane, W. Odgers, R. Currie, J. Gray, W. Dixon, J. A. McKenna, R. W. Willis, P, Quinn, H. Goodacre, S. Taplin, W. Howitt, G. S. Potto, McCarty and Hunger, F. G. Mace, R. C. Tennent, W. J. Neill, J. F. Donnelly, Hallenstein Bros., Deneghue, Chisholm, and Smith, J. W. Bright, Jas. O’Sullivan, J. Slater, W. Gallagher, R. Whittem, F. McGuire, R. H. Nolan and Co., J. Prosser, J. Livingston, Moore Hunter, E. Pulford, 0. Pleasants, H. C. Owen, T. Ecclesfield, H. J. Pilcher, J. Muelli, A. H. Duff, H. 1, Jones and Son, E. Kempt home, G. V. Bate, Shearer and Michal, M. D. King, J. Rilvany, Adamson, Pease and Co., William Noble, E. Roskruge, J. Boyd, J. Henderson, W. A’Gourt, E. L. Prichard, H. Cook, A. M. Thomson, Armit Innes and Co., Crawford and Co., W. Stanley, W. Pinches, A. Young, A. Milne. The Chairman had reported at a previous meeting the result of harbor-rate meetings held in the district, and had recommended that the port charges be increased from Is 6d to 2s 6d per ton on all imports and exports. Mr Newland proposed and Mr Peacock seconded that the recommendation of the Chairman re increase of wharf dues be approved of, and that the Secretary take the necessary steps to enforce the same. Mr Adams proposed and Mr Horner seconded that the recommendations of the Chairman to impose an extra wharfage be taken into consideration when the railway is opened to Manutahi, In the course of discussion, the Chairman said the petition before them was all very well, hut he knew how easy it was to get up petitions, and he thought the Board’s financial position was so serious that the revenue should be increased by raising the rates. The first motion was withdrawn, and Mr Adams’s motion put to the vote and lost, the division being : For postponing the question, Adams and Horner; against postponement, Chairman, Peacock, Newland, and Aitchison. It was then resolved, in the same proportion, on the motion of Mr Aitchison, seconded by Mr Peacock, that the Chairman’s recommendations be adopted. The effect of this motion was that any articles not measurable by the ton would not come under the increased charge. Mr Adams moved, Mr Newlands seconded, and it was resolved that the extra wharfage charges apply to all classes of imports and exports. A committee comprising the Chairman, Messrs Aitchison, Newland, and Adams were appointed to amend the bye-laws and report on same at next meeting. Mr Gane was not present at the mect-