The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1903. HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 103, 27 April 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1903. HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT.

The meeting hi Id for the purpose of t forming a League to assist th-3 Harbour Board in promoiing a scheme for the improvement of tie harbour and the extension of the breakwater, was 1 very satisfactory in every respect, Id ' the first place the attendance was ]arg< and in the second pl.ee a the meeting very wisely confined itself 3 to forming a league leaving details to a committee, and thirdly io was the a unanimously expressed opinion tbat it , is only by giving a generous and whol hearted fuppwt fo the Harbour i th:it reil >u.d tffeciiva work can b- ■ done. This does not necessarily minn that anyone is debarred from bringing forward a scheme or proposals for the improvement of the harbour, but it - does mean that any scheme proposed muet h»ve the approval of the Board and be submitted by the Board to tbe i. ratt-payeis. This is the correct position as there must be no clashing of interests in a matter of such importance as this, There is, however, one aspect tf the question which is deserving of consideration by tho League, tha' is the constitution of the Harbour Bo ;rd. As it is now constituted no prn-vi-ion is made for any representation on the Board of the shipping and com mercial interests. No douot it wa* int' nd d, when the Board was constituted, that the ratepayers, having the right of electing six members of the Board, the Government should, having 'r tba power of appointing three members, exercisa it on behalf of the shipping and' commercial int- reste. IT -fortunately tl;i-i has not been done, but, responding to pressure, two of the Government - nominees are country residents We should suggest that th-3 time has come wben the constitution of the B mrd r. should be altered, and the shipping ard * commercial interest be allowed to elec* ! two of the nine members. This migh' be biought about by reducing the number of members nominated to two, and of those elected by the ratepayers to five-. This would be in the interests of the people in both town and country, because we feel sure that considerable increase of trade could be secured if tbe Boa r d had a tariff committee, of commercial man, with power to adj ast the charges. As we havo before pointed nut, a very slight reduction would enable some lines to bn delivered at Wanganui by rail more cheaply than they can be now landed there. Nothing will do more to disum the opposition to the harbour on the part of the country ratepayers than improving the facilities for shipping aud making it the mean", by direc 1 . shipments from tho Commonwealth and other places, of increasing his profits o;. his products and les=:eni; g the cost of the articles he imports. Direct shipments is the " trump citd " of the promoters r.{ harbour extecsion, because those most hostile to the harbour mu<t, realise that the establishment of a first- - clas'port, with intercolonial and foreign 'rade, meats prosperity and progress r for the isolated portion of Tann <ki, aud must prove beneficial even to the smaller ports which ara now kesnly compe'ing with New Plymouth for a share of ibe coastal trade. The es'ab--9 lisbment of direct trada at Naw Ply. ■ mouth will leave the smaller ports in undisturbed possession of their own trade ar. d, indeed, place them in a more favourable position as regards rea-'hit g the direct steamer than they now enjoy.

will recognise his or her responsibility | ia connection with these elections. In a state like New Zealand, where the:; highest office in the land is obtainable ' by the sons of the hurabl. at, anj! educated people is the grea est blessingj and the greatest eafegu rd, av d if New Zealand is to make herself greit amongst the nations of the earth it must be by taking advantage of the fact that knowledge is power. The householders meeting is the fulcrum upon which the success or failure of our educa'ion depends. The (-el- ction of committee m n largely influences thwe'fare of education because upon memb rs of school committees d»p nd very large'y the selection of teachers, and altog ther the election of members of BHueation Boards. In a very short time the committees in this district will be called upon to elect three members of the Education Board and householders should baar this in mind; particularly now that each committee man exercisea his individual vote. Educi--ional matte-s ire working smoothly | throughout Taranaki, but unless the householders cordially support the committer a and elect men determined to maintain and improve the standard of education, a falling off will soon b_> evident. We trust tbat thepopleof Taranaki will show by their attendance and interest that they value tbe privilege of free education and wi'l assist, by their selection of committees in making it all that education ought to be.