WANGANUI’S HARBOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 27, 23 April 1927, Page 9

WANGANUI’S HARBOUR

REPLY TO CRITICISM NOTABLE ADVANCES (From Our Own Correspondent.) WANGANUI, Friday. As a rule, when the election campaign is in full swing the public services come in for strong criticism. The Harbour Board has been a target in that respect, but to-day Mr. A. G. Bignell, chairman of the board, supports the policy by pointing out: (1) That Wanganui has been improved from a small coastal port to being able to accommodate overseas vessels carrying direct cargoes, thereby saving the district many thousands of pounds in coastal freight for transhipping cargoes. At the present time there are no fewer than five oversea vessels carrying cargo from oversea ports direct for Wanganui. (2) The board’s revenue has trebled from £13,291 in 1910 t0£39,742 in 1926. (3) The cargo handled has increased from 78,402 tons in 1910 to 170,988 tons in 1926. (4) The ratepayers have not been called upon at any time to pay a harbour rate. All the board’s engagements have been met from its steadilyexpanding revenue. (5) The board’s wharfage and other charges are among the lowest in the Dominion. (6) The administration costs are among the lowest in the Dominion, being per cent, of the total receipts or 3g per cent, of he total expenditure. (7) The direct result of the board’s operations in. harbour development has been the means of establishing various important industrial undertakings at Wanganui, thus giving employment to a large number of people. No tidal harbour in the Dominion can show such satisfactory results for similar expenditure of money than Wanganui.