THE NEW HANBOUR BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 997, 14 February 1883, Page 2

THE NEW HANBOUR BOARD.

A special meeting of tho Borough Council ■ was held ’’on ; Monday evening to appoint two members to represent the Council on the Harbour Board, in place of Messrs Adams and Aitchison, who retired by effluxion of time. There were, present—the Mayor, Crs Tapliu, Haywood, Aitchison,; Mahony, Gibson, Adams, and Barton. The Mayor having read the regulations governing the election,.... Or Gibson proposed Cr Aitchison,' who was seconded by Cr Mahony. Cr Haywood proposed Cr Taplin, who, however, declined to stand. Cr Taplin proposed ;0r..; Adams, seconded by Cr Haywood. ; ? 5

There were no other nominations. Cr Aitchison did not want them to think he would perform- a, miracle by raising , a large loan, as he would not promise to assist'in any wild or ridiculous, attempt to raise a great..sum, of money 5 for works- dti ‘ aCbig' scale :at the present lime. He did not think it was witlun lheir,.power to do so, even if they had all the burgesses in Pa tea oh the Board. All he could-proraisetwas that he would-do. - the best he could/as circumstances might direct. What they must do on the works now must be on a moderate scale. • • • : «

Cr Taplin would' wish to ask the candidates a question or two : bearing on their, future conduct on the BoarjL Would, they be prepared to. go in greater facilities to settlers to export v their grain and wool? - At,present there was only one steamer,' but when 'the; Patea Company got The - hew of e built, there woald : -probably*be ,: com|ie32 lion, and they might allow settlers free storage for a week or fourteen days, instead of charging a wharf ‘ rate of something like two and sixpence a bale. We had to fight bur own way in, this place, without assistance from Waverley or,, Hawera/ and -we should/look to our own interests. . This increased wharfage was avdirect burden on the settlers. He would go into-reduce the wharfage to a shilling n. ton.- ' ■■■

Cr Gibson-did not want tb'speak to settlers 1 through the Press,. but he thought the matter had, been put rather strongly by Cr Taplin, and the candidates should he cautious before i giving an h’nswer. The • Board might ■ reconsider the whole' question of wharfage. Cr Taplin The,' candidates can speak for themselves ] I did not ask Cr Gibson to answer. Cr Aitchison would not admit that such a grievous mistake had been made in raising; the wharf dues. They bad been pretty well dependent on Patea district alone, as : the}' could hot compote with That state of things would not long^remaiu,;because as soon as the railway was opened: to Manutalii with a little united action on the part of the shipping v cothpanies’

charges would be lowered, and settlers to the north. of Manutahi, could bring their goods by >j?atea at considerablyi less, than by Waitara. Had they not. put on the increased wharf charges they would have been in a worse position than they were now. [Cr Taplin : QueryHe believed the lime would come when the, charges would be lowered, both in storage and landing. As to the wisdom of making a difference between settlers and importers, he had his doubts about it. It was rather hard upon them at present to have to pay such high charges upon wool and grain, but to allow them to go free altogether, and charge regular importers dues would be somewhat unfair. Cr Adams did not think he need much, in reply to Cr Taplin. His action in the past had been with a view of making the harbour popular all

round, but we had not been so successful as be would have wished. He thought the Board made a mistake in increasing the wharfage dries before the railway was completed to Manutahi. If they had not imposed tlie increase, he believed Hawera would never have left them and gone to Waitnra. As to continuing harbor improvements some bad the idea that the borongh would agree to a rate, but he had his doubts about that. The only thing they had to fall back upon was. the Government. Other harbour boards were moving in the matter of getting a share of the one hundred thousand pounds to be apportioned lor harbour improvements. It was understood it was to be for West Coast harbours, but he did not see why a lot of cool shareholders should have the money to improve their property and Patea should go without. Or Aitchison said the railway wharf would be - open shortly, and possibly settlers might get a deal of free storage. tltfk vibe Mayor considered that the qnestions put to the* Councillors nominated had been fairly answered, but they had to consider ways and means. It would be well to consider hereafter what the permanent wharfage dues should be. Crs Adams and Aitchison were declared elett'd.