The Daily News. FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1903. THE HARBOUR QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 193, 28 August 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1903. THE HARBOUR QUESTION.

The able and exhaustive let'er which appeared ia our last issue from the pen of Mr 0. Samuel, on the qtus'ion of the Harbour Loan Bill, should satisfy the ratepayers and prove a complete answer to those who have been attack irjg the Board on this important ques tion. Mr Samuel has made it abundantly clear that while piovidingfor securing Legislative sanction to th* raising a sum not exceeding £160,000 io effect the necessary additions to the breakwater and whavf, to enable direo steamers to visit our porb, every care has been taken to protect the interest of the ratepayers, and further, to secure thatunderany circumstances the rating liability shall not be increased. Furthe the Bill limits the amount of the interest .payable by the Board, so thai ucder no circumstances can a very heavy burden be imposed on ratepayers for the additional loan, The most important featute of the Bill is, however, the provision \h-t no money whatever can bs borrowed under the BjII until the Board his obtained the express sanction cf the ratepayers at the be'lot. This clause of che Bill has te-sn most carefully drawn, and gives absolute pro tectiou to the ratepiyers, Why, ucdei these circumstances, so much opposition is shown to the prcposal would b 1 difficult to see, where it not that it com s from short sighted people who appeal to be afraid to trust the ratepayers, and intend, if possible, to deprive thaw of their undoubted right to dfcid this important question for themselves. In spite of their abuse of the Harbour Board and its Ohairmar, the B.ia. d does not treat the ratepayers like a !oi of children unable to think and act fo> themselves, but as reasonable thinking men and women. The p si ion taken up by the advocates of exioneion is to give the Board legal powtr to cor sub the ratepayers. The plan of the pro posed improvements and the cost will oe submitted to Parliament, with the request, if Parliament thinks the proposals reasonable, to give tie Boarrl power to consult the ratepayer? end secure the'r authority to borrow the smount necessary to carry out the work. If this power is giver to the Board, the memb rs will then lay the whole proposals before the ratepayers, taking them fully into their confidence, and then fisking them as reasonable men and women who.her, as a business transaction, it; is worthy their favourable consideration. Th< opportunity of giving expression to their decision will be given at the billot, where each ratepayer can record bis vote for or against the proposal without, fear or favour, and the Har bour Board is prepared to abide by the result, Under these circumstances the opposition to the Bill is most unfair and uncalled for at this stage. Regarding Mr Newton Kinp's letter in rcph to Mr Msxwel), it is euch a crushing reply and exposure of that gentleman's reckless statements fcbat, in mercy, we leave Mr Maxwell to Mr King to deal with. We would only say that if any ratepayer will send one shilling to Mr Bedford, Collector of Customs at New Plymouth, and secure a copy of the

Nautical Alni'ni'C, he will find Mr y mtwell'is sUtcij ontti regarding certain Lirboura completely nnd oiiioinlly re-f-ited and Mr kind's 3 just as (:>m'o!et<;iy provi-d, b.sidui which he will get a miss "f information regarding Now Zealand harbours that will be mest interesting ivtid ineful.