The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1902. THE HARBOUR QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 85, 21 March 1902, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1902. THE HARBOUR QUESTION.

At the meating of the Harbour Board to ba held to-day the Board will haveto decide what answer it will give to the Hod. A. J. Cadman, C.M.G., in reference to the harbour. The question is not altogether, free from difficulty and not so simple as it at first sight appear?, and the responsibility of rdecidicg the matter is a very grave one and requires very careful consideration, i There are, however, one «r two points which deserve mention. The most important of these is the fact that , without additional facilities for shipping the ironsaad works will be lost to New Plymouth. Mr. Cad man has made this so clear that it is beyond question. The Board has therefore to consider the 'possibility of providing these facilities. We suppose no one disputes the opinion expressed by Mr. Cadman that the Harbour Board is the proper body to de so. At theeame time he offers an alternative, Attempts have been made to make it appear that in making an offer to form a company to construct the harbour works necessary he is seeing the aggrandisement of the ironsand company. Now, while, Mr Cadman does not pose as a philanthropist be made it very clear that he only put forward the harbour scheme to secure the success of the ironsand company, and that only in the event of the Harbour Board being unable to undertake the work. Even then the harbour works would be undertaken by a separate company. The question Foi the Harbour Board (o decide is: Canit see its way to provide the facilities E®r shipping required by the ironsand company, and at the same time provide for the requirements of the ordinary trade of the port ? We have before this expressed the opinion that an extension of the breakwater can be made without recourse to the ratepayers for a loan. I ffe are not, however, prepared to say that this can b» done fast enough to meet the large and rapid increase of trad© which would certainly result from tie establishment of tbe ironworks. The Board must either face a loan of from £150,000 to £200,000, or some alternative, if it decides to provide the facilities asked for in the matter of shipping accommodation. The only alternative at present suggested is that presented by Mr Cadman. We do not consider the time has come to discuss theee alternatives. The proper course for the Harbour j Board to adopt appears to be, as we before indicated, to take a poll of the ratepayers, when the matter will be fairly open for discussion. In doing this, it seems to us that the Board should lay before the ratepayers a full statement of the property, reserves,: revenues, annual expenditure and prospects of the Board, together with the plan and cost of carrying out the necessary improvements to the harbeur. The ratepayers would then be in b position to arrive at a decision on the question, which is of vital importance to the whole of Taranaki.