NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 54, 23 March 1901, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

Under tho above m-ading, Mr. (Spurge; McLty.n writes as uuner to tho Hawwe j ,SiHis position as a membev of th* Pou-d gives additional interest to liif- j remarks, and the views he «xpre j s«n are probably tliose lifld. by mnofceontwentictha of tho people in tin Waimnt« PI aim district-, misnamed Hawer* ridiog. Mr. MoLtan t'a'/s : —" >S-]VOin< letters having latriy appoaml in thi. I Star nn New Plymouth Harbour Bw»S mnt'ers, and, bcin,-; somewhat behiwi i the scenes, I won't 1 . like, with your kinc'.! permission, to make a few remarks or . i tho subject generally, haping thereby to 1 awake tha settlers withic. tho rating j area to a sense of the nmvity of th<v| situation at tho present juncture. Tho' BoarJ, a« At prewnt constituted, consists of nine members. The district is divided into six ridings, each of which returns ono member, and pays liarinuirates as under: —Hawerariding, £1 307 8s; Taranaki Eist, £lO7l 10s; Taraa.ki No.'th, .£1156 0s 9d ; Taranaki South, £474 13s lid; Clifton, .£4OB 15s 3d ; New Plymouth, £578 15a Bd. Theso ara official figures of rates paid last year. Oa the retirement of Colonel Davis from the Board, Mr. N. King opposed Mr. Horr.icks for the vacant smt, and was duly elected. Mr. King can cimmand move votes, nnd is perhaps the most popular man in the province, for which reason he was induced by the New Plymouth people to contest the election. No better man than Mr. King, sound in judgment, just and honorable, could ba on any Board, hut, being human, he is bound to he influenced by his large interests in New Plymouth, In fac r , ull the New Plymruth people think it tho hub of the universe, and whatever benefits it of necessity benefit the whole district. Mr. Sarten resides in Qliftoti, and is a Government nominee, but his interes's must be in Now Plymouth, as he persistently votes wi>,h the ti?n members, Messrs. Cliff and Ward »re Nnv Plymouth men, and also Government nominees. It will be therefore s : en that New Plyn outh has practicallv five members, and therefore a majority on thi Board where any matter vi!al to the interests of the town is concerned. At our last meeting, a ie ; olu»ion was proposed by Mr. Higneit, " That Messrs. McGnire and Sym-a b.i psk.'d to represent to the Cabinet the unfair constitution of the Buard at presnt, and urge upon them at the next period of nomination, which takes plsce in some six we'jks, that the southern end of the district should have at lenst one Government nominee." The motion was lost, or rather talked out, as Mr. Ralfe was oblig 3d to leave by the 4 p.m. train. In the discussion on the matter, it was asked what fanlt there wis to find with the Government nominees, and also what right the B-ard had to dictate t) the Gov: rnrront as to whom they sboulo appoint. In speaking t>i the resolution, I poin'ed out that there was no hint of fault in the matter, as every member of the Board performsd his duty nccordiuu to his ability; that we did riot for a moment wish to dictate to tha Government whom tlpay should app hat to urge that tho representation should bi territorially fair, and that a small majority of ra'epayeis should nob be in a position to place an overwhelming burden upon the great majority of ratspayers, I pointed out tK.it we had a' present tnxation without reprefeuta- ' ion, the very thing which was the cause of the present Boer war, acd, to go further baok, lost England the American colonies. Moreover, I said that I felt certain there was a scheme nfoot to convert the pivsent loan, barrowing £360,000, buying up the present binds, and leaping some £140,000 to play with, The spending of this sum would giv9 New Plymouth a great Clip, but as far as the port is concerned would be a positive injury, as it would make J it more expensive to work, i*nd tha harbour rates would have to be increased, any case, the great oceangoing boats would not lie there. And if one or two in the year did call and deliver g:ods the port would lose the present grand coital service, as there would not be left freight enough to employ them. The ocean loita at present prefer paying the freight on dairy produce to Wellington rather t'nan call at New Plymouth to take it in. I will sext notice Mr. Standnh's snhtmo for raising the money, in which be tails us that nf'er tin years no rite will bo required, the land fund be'ng sufficient to meat all liabilities ('ftM wareWM ihe same tfying by. S f r Harry Atkinson when the present loan was ra : sed); but we are all aware that, tbd land fund is a °radi;a|ly diminishing quantity, ami that if so'tlement goes on as at present, in ton years there will be no land fund,! "av i :t fourth of h rents arising from lea el The cle«r Ft-'teiaeit of t o"'se is; We wil have to pay tbv fu I|d iate ot tho increased value of I '■•ur proper'iej for all time, without a liop.i of (! ve •gn ting quit of it, I once toH the board, v/hen speak in:; to a re olu'ion as to the bem lit wo derived 'rom the harbour, that, I looked ou i f ,a' i river tha' fl';ded ouee a your and enried away an acre of my land, not ven leaving a sick of firewood behind. Yet Hwera merchants toll mo it ro-ts 8i to 16s a ton more to land goeds via Plymouth thin by Patei. I dv nt minco matters. The New Ply- j mouth people mean to have this money to spead, by fair meana if possible, if nut by any m<a r s, and ihoy have longheaded men amongst them who can °l"t, plan, schema, and pull the strings. Instance, the seizing of the sinking fund of the present loan, which, if allowed to accumulate, would by this time have extinguished the loan. The m t'on lost at last mfo'ing will be brought forward at our next, and probably carripd by tho casting vote of the chair, I fear, \*i h littla effee 1 ", is the New Plymouth menhers (with the ono end always in view) have unfortunately managed to infcroduoo tin polit'cil element into our discussions, '*odvith:>nt tho sightost foundation Ab far us I am concerned, politics artdead ami buried, I not caring a straw ehr-ther Sedden or llussell rur.s the diow. T may, however, be allowed to "iv in Diy opinion in the case of the £4O se. tho Government party took h ; uoi ' honourable ooursa—by payW i' consider we have oarnod the "ion y, d, having the power, we wil »l;o i'. - 'ban those members of the Oppo--i n who, while voting ng i-st it, took the coney and apjjliad it \q,

•.hiT- private ufcu. 1 may luvve fa«hioried ido.i.s, but to me it se«uis like celling a man's birthright of honesty (whieh should be every true man's "lory) for n, mess of pottage. No, sir, I am simply a farmer, but I havo dune D)y little best all my life to rouso rnv brother farmers to ft rosso of their poTver, and to ie-; ; st siine of tbo injustice under which t!>ej sutler. At present wo are pprfcotly ignored on thia great question of Federation, wo are noi even asked to giv<; an [opinion, while, at a profit expense, the I tailor, candlestick, end loliipop-m&k<T i are asked for their opinions. Well, we | gat ONV deasorts. Wc are either asleep lor too inert to arouse ourfcolven. I The authorities pass by, saying of the [farmer: "No nsa asking that fellow. If you kick him ho only turns over and grunts. We dance while ha pays thu piper; let hira dose away." But one day the flerow will get the extra turn too much, when ho will urine 4 in his might, and perhaps tike more than would have satisfied hitn were it voluntarily given. The only excuse I can make for troubling you with this long letter is the gravity of the subject, with which it deals, and, as I do nrt often trouble you with correspsndence, tru*t you will find it a placa io your columns. Thanking you in anticipation.—l am, etc., Geo. McLean