The Daily News. MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1903. THE HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 21, 26 January 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1903. THE HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION.

At coot on Wednesday nominations close for the election of members of the New Plymouth Harbeqr Boird, On this occasion there are six membeis ti be e ! cte.d, Th 9 other three se»'s, makirg up the nineeea'satthe Board's table, are nominattd by the Government. Two of ihena a<-e fi led by Mr J, Ward, of New Plymouth, and M< Rich rd Price, <f Inglewoo '. One is v cint through the deith cf Mr L vi Sa en, of Jikorangi. The retiring members for the elective sea's are Mr J. B, Ccnnett (chairmanof the Board), representing lhe New Plymouth subdivision of the Harbour Uistiic*, Mr Newton King, representing the Inglewood or Taranaki North subdivision ; Mr J. W. Foreman, representing the Clifton subdivision; Mr Geo. Curtis, representing theStrat'ord subdivision; MrGeirge McLean, repiesenting the Waimate Plains or Hawera suhdi- ■ visioi, and Mr B. Maxwell, representing the Opuualte or Taran'ki South subdivision. So far as isknoAn at present, a'l the retirirg numbers, i excepting Mr Geo, Curtis, of Stratford, intend seeking re-e'ection." This is a mitter for coogratulatioo, bjcaute a large accession of na.c ruemVers at the present junc- ' are won d nt be advisable. A well conbidered scheme of improvement is more likely to cmaßate from, or b« mpprted by the present memberp, who are mo e thoroughly conversant with the financial position of the Hoard than new m< mbers can be expected to be for some considerable t'me after taking their seals, The issues before the ratepayers are very eleirly defined, and feheae are; the improvement of th» poit (o admit of direct mda wi h the outside world, or merely maintaining i as a port for coastal trad*, It is very gratifying to notice that a grea' deal of the hostility to the harbour is gradu lly, if fbwly, dying out. Whe i the trade of the district was large'y an import trade the harbour at tha breakwas merely a factor in, the mitter of cheapening freights ; but the enormous growth of eur export trade has changed all that, and the fact t* at the being able to place exports on the dir. ct steamer means a saving of upwards of lOs per ton, besides the hundred and one other advantages, has caused al: thrss who watch the steady skid enormous growth cf our exports to give the questi-n'th-ir full and careful considerat'on. The fact that accommodation can be provided at the breakwater for vessels of the class of the Gothic f r less than .£150,000 has caused peopl - to reilise that, at comparatively small cost, incalculable advantages can be secured. With the improvements in

the shape of noads and bridges, ar.d raii « ay ox'ension, Few Plymouth is >o accessible to such an enormous area of the ni'st fi-rtile land in the colony, that the v lue of direct steamers making tte breakwater a regular port of cull I commends itstJf to all but the mo it prejudiced. The Taranaki settler is not without his ambitio", and he idaily growing more and ' self-reliant, while the de ermination t have h s own pirt, and his own expors, is becomiog an article ef fai h wi h him. Whit he wants just now i* eviderca of th>n sJundn-Siof th 9 scheme financially; It is heie !h .tthi offer of tin Hon. A J. 0 daaan to take ovir the harbour has done excellent ae vie \ This offer to take over the harbour, a> a going concern, excited the attention of many who bad never given sub ject a tbonghf-, and t,h« y soon came to the conclusion that wrat was a good enough specula'ion for Cadmin and Oomptny was good enough for tin rate payurs to I'eep and work on their own account'. Of the souninsss of the hi>bour improvement fcheme as a gjed payif.g commercial specula'ion, no one (vho has carefully goua into tin mit»< r >vill for ens moment dou'o*-, bn d we •hall ha vyry much surprise! if the pies nt ele tons bring out any demon suction ngimbt the harbour. We have purpo-ii-Iy avoided going into detail regarJiug the financial position of the Board, or rf any scheme of improv «K-nt, b.cause the first is more s.tis ficttry than it has ever been, and thJatier will have to be gone into by experts. Whe'her the surplus revenue fchould be ussd to. progr si slowly, year

by year, or to pay interest on the total cost of the work, are debatable quoKtionp. Rather than stand still we favour the former. But if the money on be legally raised, and no additional burden thrown on the ratepayers, we favour the latter, In any case, we hope the ratepayers will declare in favour of a policy of progress.