HARBOUR EXTESION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 196, 20 June 1903, Page 4

HARBOUR EXTESION.

A SPIBITBD DEBITS i At the Harbour Board meating en Friday, the Chairman moved the adoption of the report submitted at last meeting. He bad been endeavouring to get something defini'o as regards the prisoner?. He hid wind the Pr< mier and got a reply that the matter would be brought before the Minister cf jHßtic. 1 f necessary, he was p' eptred to go to Wellington in the morning to push the matter. Mr Kings conded, and said he would like to ask the engineer what difficulty there was in dredging the berthags for the largest eteamer*-. the Bnginrer said it was quite easy. Twenty feet was looked upon as the maximum draught <f the largest steamers lewirg Wellington, but the same s'eamera leaving here would probably not be fu'ly leaded and be able to work in less water. Of course, if tin wbo'e harbour area had to be dredged the ccs", would be large. In reply to Mr McLean, the BugiBe?r said the saed was no*, more than 2 or 3 inches, at the most 8 to 9 inches. It was not like the Takapuna or the Botoiti with the large steamers. Mr King, continuing, said he thought no time waß to be los v . ia getting this matter forward, and a Bill should be introduced this session. Mr Maxwell opposed the report, and thought the Government nominees should not vote. Thin had nothing to do with the administration of the Board. The proposal meant borrowing and was thereford a separate matter to ordinary business, and he contended that the Government nominees should not vote or speak on this question. The matter had been discussed by the Fanners' Union and not a single word bad been said against New Plymouth, and the feeling was strongly in favour of improving the harbour; but they were unanimous in the matter of opposing the extension of the harbour until the constitution of the Board was altered and made entirely elective. He' contended, therefore, that the Government nominees should withdraw and he warned them that they were going the wrong way to work. He then went on to refer to the terms on which the lean was raised and the prom/se made that no rate would te struck. The loan was, in hi) opinion, a first charge on th 9 whob of the revenues of the Board. He referred to tbe promises made by the Government Land Officer regarding there being no probability of a rate being struck. He (hen went on to argue that the whole revenue of the Board was trust monies, and that the money used for the wharf was wrongly tiken, and contended tint had this diversion not taken place the ratepayers would have been saved at least one year's rates. He contended tbe order of the Oourt was wrongly procored, bemuse tbe ratepayers were not properly i» presented before it. H» went on to compare the action of Timaru, Oamarn, and Napier Bwrds, and said they stripped their revenue io •very way before striking a rate. The Chairman: I'hat is what we are doing. Mr Maxwell contended that if any surplus of £3OOO was to be found, which he doubted, it should be used to pay the interest on the present loin, and not used to extend the breakwater,

or in any new work whatever. He, however, agreed wi'h it beicg to maintain the wharf and existing wo k*. He coatended that unless they could show th»t they were keeping faith, they could never hope to get farther help from tha ratepayers. He then went on to ridicule the proposal to develope the open roada'cad at Now Plymoath when they had each an ad mirable portyooe of the bast in the world, at Wellington, and he held that they should aim at being a secondary port to Wellington, lie dwelt on the sdvintages conferred by nature at Wellington, and the equipment there, which was, he said, so great a factor in the BUCC9BS of ihit port. He considered it preposterous to thuk of making a success of Moturoa. He referred to the difficulties vessels had to get oirgo, and ■aid the cos* of tramping round to get cargo added to the cost of freight. They! would alas be ti-d down to one line of steamers, which was a still further drawbick. He dwtlt ou the risk in caned at New Plymou'b. and coc-sid-red tha 1 : in every way it was a grr a' advantage to work with Welling ton. In addi'ion to this he argued that, though the big steamers c died at the Bluff and Port Chalmers, the small vessels, still went there and picked up -the butter and took it to Wtlington. Mr King: There are no fre zing works there. Mr Maxwell said there was another question, and that was tha continual aggregation of tonnage which, in his opinion, would only fce limited by the accommodation provided. He then referred to Timaru, and held that, though the most successful of artificial ports, it could not expect to c.mpste with Wei liegton. He predicted that his words would prove true. He then dealt with the que-tinn cf cost, and said that at tb« k mii'. moment they were able to send their to London at the same cost as from Wellington, and they could not better that. The big steamers now stayed in Wellington and received transhipments. This was because it paid them better thin to pay two port charges and tha eost of running from port to porr. He referred to the low dues at Wellington and said they compared as fol lows: -Wellington 120, Lyttelton 180, and Port Chalmers 240. This was the proportion of charges. It was noi a question of merely 2s a too; the iuteri si on cost of working the harbour and maintenance list year was jus's 6s a ton. He held that the Board had nothing to justify them in going in for such a s:heme. He then dealt with the trade of the port and contended that it did not warrant the assumption that an increase of accommodat'on was re quired. He thought they should rather devote their energies to improving the present facilities for quick transit to Wellington as the trade d.d not warrant the expenditure contemplated, Mr Dingle was rather disappointed that they t ad got no details regarding prison labour. He though-, if they went to the poll on this question they were courting difear, but if there was a possibility of getting 40 or 50 prison-e-s he wiuld have some hops of some thing being d< ne within tbeir mean?, but under pr sent circumstances he should vote against adopting the rePort.

Mr McLean sko opposed, and Fai-i he had seen it reported that en om occasion he bad voted for an additional £60,000 !om. Be wished to explain thithe did this on the word ot ih" greatest financier they had ever had (bat no rate wcu'd be struck. The position had ilso changed; they were not depending on Aucklaud now, and his dutriot had no interest in the port

of New Plymouth. Besides that the Board had seized the sinking fund, and he thought that should be replaced. He agreed with Mr Maxwell that it was nonsense to ever hope to compete with Wellington. That was the experience at Home where trade centred at two or three ports. He a'so expressed his doubts whether any money would give them a good harbour. Further, if they had a harbour they | had no exports, they had no timber, no grain, no manufactures, and only a bit of butter. He then quoted Napier as a case where vessels did cot go in, though they had deep water and other advantigfs. Mr Foreman disputed this.

Mr McLean said he had read it in tho paper, he would would waive that. Further, he had been told by the Chairman of the Wanganui Freezing Works that they could put 25,000 sheep on board the direct steamer in 12 hours in th 9 roadstead. He referred to the hardship of the present rate, and said it was cruel to ask them to inflict such a hardship on the ratepiyers as an additional rate. ; Mr Foreman dii not think there was any hope of a new loan being carried, and if they were not cautious I they would injure the port instead of benefitting it. He held that the pre- ; sent rate was a great detriment. If permitted he would move thit the B aid adopt that portion of the report dealing with prison labour only.

The amendment was not seconded. Mr Ward supported the motion. He! had no doubt abeut the business in- j creasing, and felt sure that the Board wou'd ba wise to go in for an extension. He then went on to defend tbe position of the Government nominees, contending that the contribution from the State justified them in being there and voting. He tben accused Mr Maxwell of stonewalling, so that a vote could not be tiken, and the matter be again held over. The Chairman, in reply, said he had not much to eay, but he asked by what right Mr Maxwell sought to deprive the ratepayers of the right decide thin matter. He, and those supporting the motion did not put .the rate on, thay simply g*va the ratepayers the right to decide this question when they had the he's before them, but not such facts as they had heard that day. Then aa regards the rati', the Board did not impose it upon the ratepayers, that, Mr McLean knew, was due to the Government of the day altering the land tenure. He went on to defend the sinking fund question, seizure it had been allied, but it was not the Boa d but tho Supreme Court that had decide! i\ Then as regards their financial position, they hid reduced the overdraft and it would soon b9psid eff, and yet the Engineer had reported that everything was in first-class order. As regards the shipping of butter to Wellington, that was only a temporary arrangement. They spoke of progress, and said that if they had made tha sort of progress advocated by Mr Max-> well and his friends, they nould be shipping a box or two of bu'ter instead of the quantity now being dealt witb.

Mr Maxwell here wanted to move an amendment, but afcer a hot discussion was ruled out of order.

Tin mover of the resolution having replied, the motion was then pu\ Ths Board divided, Ay.s N^es King McLean I Price Ding'e Ward Foreman Oonnett Mtxwell The Chairman give his casting vote in favor, and deohred the mo'ion cirried.

Mr Maxwell p otested against the Ohairm m giving Lis casting vote io jfivor of tha mo'km, bu k . the Chairman sad ha was pepared to take the responsibility of his action as it referred the matter to the ra'epayers.

Mr Maxwell said it was to in'reduce legslatiou. The Chairman: ISot if we can get the piisonerp. This cljsd the discussion,