HARBOUR EXTENSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 14, 17 January 1903, Page 2

HARBOUR EXTENSION.

A QUESTION FOR THE RRTfiPAYERS. Ax the meeting of the Harbour Board on Ftid>y, the Harbour Extension Com|mitteerepor!ed that (hey were eaMsfi id with the correctness of Mr Ward'sfigures produced at the lass Bjard meeting, and they were of opinion that it id absolutely necessary that the extension of the breikwa'er should be proceeded vti hj, but, «s the term i.f the present Board expires a 1; its hex'; lueetiog, it would be rnoro desirable to leavo the mode of carrying out the work to bj deil". with by the new Board. Mr Ward said that on thinking the matter over, ha had dec ded to give the following notice of motion on tbe subject :—" That the Board proceed wiih the extensiju of the breikv.it#r ou*; of revenue to the amount of say £3OOO more or less- per annum, and tLat tiiu B mrd's engineer be requested to report on mitteis connected with the extinsion as s>oon as possible after the meeting of the Board. Mr Foreman inquired how tha Committee proposed to get the rereuue for the extension works.

The Ghniilnan tt-pliad th*t the incoming Bo»rd couli deal with tint question.

Mr King and it would ba contralto all hoiiour, for the Board at its last meating to pledge its successors to a policy involving such a large expenditure. He was quite satisfied tbat £3OOO a year was available and thit all the members were agreed that tbe work was a necessity, but the new Board must decide as to tbe details.

Mr McLean would have much preferred tha 1 : the committea had brought up a scheme so that it might be laid before the rat-piyers and he thought thit course ought to have been taken, as the new Board were not so likely to be as couvereant with the matter as the present mernb m. He considered there should be some guarantej tbat th* burdens of the ratepayers would not be increased.

Mr Foremin moved that the report, be received but nob adopted. He wjuld like to hive further informatiou on tha subject. Mr Ward had m .de a s'rong poiat of beginning aud cjntinuiog the extension works out of revenue, but to far as he ('he spaaker) could s.<e th-ro was no reveiju-i available, Mr King : It is there.

Mr Foreman said he could no'; sse it-, and he t'elc that the only way of mee'ing ihe proposed expenditure was out of overdraft.

Mr Max fell,in seconding the motion, s iid he considered the Committee would thrash the matter out, Lu« they hm: evaned the whole poiu!, as towhe'.h.i the Gxpetiditute could be met out of surp us reveuue, and whi-ther, as gojd business men, ihey ooasu'ered the pio-po.-al wusoue that should be tacklei. Hn pointed ouc that at tho tatu proposed it wuuld tako 33 years for completing tin? work, and neither Mr King lwr Mr (JjnmU had given a pledge to tuppor; tho scheme. (Laughter.) Mi* Curtis believed the scheme was not vvirhiu tha m--ai,s of the Board, aid he coiisider&d ic was his duty toseo ihit t.he Board's income devoted to keeping the harbour up to dale and having the overdtsft reduced boforo new works were entered up->D. The report was then received.