The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1903. THE HARBOUR EMPOWERING BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 207, 28 September 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1903. THE HARBOUR EMPOWERING BILL.

Tjble Harbour Empowering Bill ia expected to come before the House on Tuesday, but its fato is difficult tc foresee. There can be no doubt but that if the House does its duty the Bill will 1)3 passed, because the spirit of the times And the pojicy of the House, irrespective of party, has always 'been to provide legislation to give effect to the will of the people in all matters of local government, Here we have a cast where there is no doubt a wide difference of opinion exists, but, as the law stands, only one side can give effect to tht<ir views; or, to put it more correptly perhaps, the law as it staids does not provide for taking a poll of the ratepayers to ascertain if they arc, or are not in favour of a progressive l policy, What is wanted ia an amendment of the Harbour Act, so that, as is the case with Loans <o Local Bodies, on a petition from a majority of the jratepayet£ a poll for a loan for harbour; improvements sjoalj )be taken. As| the law now stands no poll cani be taken withou j a special Act being | passed, so that instead of the Legislature encouraging the improvement of a port and the prosperity cf the colony I everything ia i ' favour of thoss who ai'e opposed to th" will of the majority and the facilities for obstruction are enormous. In the case now under consideration, so far as is known, only a minority of the ratepayers are opposed to a poll of the ratepayers being taken, yet a few agitators are able to make it appear that making provision for giving the ratepayers an opportunity of expressing their views at the poll is a most unfair thing to do. These people not content with opposing] the Bill in every pobsiblo way before the Local Bills Committee, have we understand called a special meeting of the Harbour Board to rescind all that has been done or put such clauses in the Bill as to render it almost inoperative. We can hardly believe those 1 members, who were on tha committee, which brought down the proposals which Jed to the draughting of the Bill, Messrs Foreman and Dingle, will stultify themselves in that way, Indeed, wa are quite at a loss to understand the" sudden change of opinion on the oart of the latter. Mr Dingle has always been looked upon as one of the most progressive settlers in that most progressive part of Taranaki—Straford, Spaakjog to the motion proposed by himself to appojnt a committee oinBißting of the chairman OonneH), Messrs War*?, King, Foreman gnd himself to repori on the question of harbour improvements, on May 22nd, Mr Dingle said " he favoured a policy ,pf advancement as he did not - in standing gtijl. He remembered the old days of tlua surf-boats, which scrvad their purpose for a ti»9, she» csrae the harbour, whick was also very good for a time, bub the increase of the dairy industry was so great that in a year or two it will be doubled. Tht> time bad arrived when fometbing .should be done, and it was for the *atepaypr/3 to s»y aye or ray, and nor for the Board to wrangK" This was putting the position in a nutshell, and is the logical, businesslike attitude to take up. Why Mr Dingle has fallen away from grac», and now feels that the ratepayeas are not to be trusted,

wo connot siy. In all ftiirneen tho pr.ipor ccurs? m this matter is u.i losvo this question to tha rifopayoiH. A if-- ice at the figures relating to the uuia ar of ratepayers and valuation.-:! of tha several wards confirms tin-!.' We have seve.i;l times published th-> j figures, but t'coy an of hufficimi*; im- i pji'tauco to bear repeating. Tiioy ni\> I is follows : s

RATEPAYERS AND VALUATIONS 1903-4. *o. of Ratepayers Ward Vidua'im £ 1265 Hawera 1,986,276 1653 Stratford 1,544,226 1827 TaraoaWN, 1,544,139 806 New Plymouth 858,562 765 Oliftm 504,663 627 Ta.ranaki S. 498,604

6940 | These figures show that New Plymouth does not oxorcise any undue power. To our mild tbe whole matter turns ( on the question of the ocean steamers. If the ratepayers believe a harbour can ;>e made for ocein steamers they will vote the money to do it. If, on the other hand, the harbour is to remain a coastal port, no power on earth will induce them to vote money to construct the extension proposed. Under these circumstances both the Board and the House should leave the question to be settled by the ratepayers.