The Daily News WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23rd, 1907. TARANAKI HARBOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81917, 23 January 1907, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23rd, 1907. TARANAKI HARBOUR.

I in- annual i.'pori of flic cliairman of ill' New I'iymoiilh Harbor Board, c .wring l'i" year end. d tjlst Decern her last, rev.a: ,' n mo-l satisfactory pi.ilinn and on.- .bat mii-l convince replies oi 1..- •;rowing inipiu-laiice of ii:.' j" n. ami h !p t i remove fhe few .".i-. ;:;. pieiu.i:. ■. of c-crlain of the e.in,ire mciii -'."'.., I hat the revenue is iu-ci-ising. a: d teal Ihe working ex p'ii-es .-n- i)"l ,!icrca-iiig, leav-ng very e..-l'i... .if improving the Imi'bor by brcakwiner oxtou-i<i,i. a:i,l additional v,,Y.irfav iiiv.Miiiiiodaiioii. The work iM.-.m.pi:..,-il duriie- Hie v.nr in tJiese lati-r eo.,i, r,c i,~ ha.- on.v to be rep.v.:.'l ■in-i'.; .he nox ei'di. or ten years I , v. , - .!:■ r.-i i-aliim ol ■ •'.: 'iar! ,e'i'. eo. elriie.ei! as far as pfiS--ihli' .ail of 11.- r.'VMin ' luo port. i; ■ r ■ ■■■: oi ■;,. B ,-,..-I'. ijongs diirins: ~;-.' |;'-i two years coiiiple.cly (lisai'.i.s :;ii ii-il'ct-m in that ,i.ration. I . . ;-i ~-■ ,v- Board, a ,i|-!., over two yen's ago. rea'ising that llie ,imc was huge I;, .a for k,iri. :r works decided on ,t -,i-iii,d giia'eu! ciyst ruction policy, ii.rire.'d not, ilie earnings of the perl. ■.'.::: t ■■■■ hiw h-"ti addeil to the !,t ■akw.i er al a .---I of j0..! on £lO,11111. or rti average of U4:! (is 10.1 p,-r font. 'l'tie splendid rc-u!ts accruing from l in- inldtlinual protrcl :on are so evident as (•> scarcely require reiter.eiiis. It i-i -uilicieiit to say that Hie p.-i'l can .no,v b" worked sil'cly and expeditiously in all weathers, 'ami that with every additional .-.'■■ lion of the mole completed, the

ai-.'ii of calm water is cKI-.-iuiert.' The iinlv wind and sea (inn now affects at iill'tla-.'.-.j.u1'0.-i "of the berths will be lore .long be also excluded, thn»t is # wheit the breakwater has reached a poiui directly ahead of the line of the. wharf. The proliLs accruing from the harbor'- operations, however, are notail expended on the breakwater. During priiclically the saute period as the breakwater extension has Ito-u unchr way, the sum ol .C5,5.i2 has been spent in wharf extensions, and a -plendid new berth has been provided. The wi-trf is ,o be widened for a fur Uier 17(1 feet, ami the erection of a trau-hipim lit shed is practically de eidi'd upon. These kitten works will be coniji: ted wiilun a vear or two. when the facih,.es. for handling cargo

and .-hipping generally should have been brought as thoroughly up to-dare as the liaile of the port will warrant. That completed, the amottiii; annually available for the work of extending Ihe breakwater, and dredcuig -for the Bear,! w.b in the near future have to undertake the work of deepening ihe harbor—will b ' very considerable, nl lowing the-.' works' to be pushed on at even a greater rale than is at pre -cut pil.t-e. Lookinc di.-passiouately lliroiigh :In- records of the pa-l live years, one cannot help being stiuek Willi th" va.-i amoiinl- of work accomplished and iniprovemeiiis clfceted. Wiih these records before its, we can not conceive how even ihe veriest pes simist can doubt tee ultimate success -within but a few year--of the Taranaki harbor.

liev. which with rcasonabl,' cooil l'oi» luiie. diull we sav. should be coiiip'et cl w«l in.-ide ten years. Bet those who in llr past -we refer particularly to our soul hern readers-have con -i-t-ntly disapproved tne harbor, and have paid their rates with a heavy grudg... pause for a moment to cons.drr wiiat tins means. If ih;. port wi.h the present -hipping can -how a clear prolit of C 7400 a year—as was lae resiili during the year just closed --.suiv'ry Willi only.tb,' natu,a ; i increased trade of the next- ten vcurs.und even

.'■bowing Unit shipping charges be re due-'d. as we iialicv.'thcy 'should be as M,„n a- warranted. ,he position should be e.piaby a--, good leu years "nence. when ihe whole of the big con si ruction works at present in progress -hall have been completed, and'that drain on the revenue ended. As a any one of winch will ea-e the legilimal" burdens al pre-enL imposed on the province by the harbor. 'To: inieiisi chares-, on the 0.2011.1100 loan (ihe principal as well as ihe iutere t of which will have been greatly re lined ere I iii'ii, ~te sinking fund' now Mailing _.L'07.:;.-)!) could be io a large extent removed from die harbor rates. and in tnis connection ii should lie pointed out thai the rate last year was further reduced from a Hid to 1 /;(i in the pound.

it might be—and we believe il will—that the direct deep st-a trade will bv that time have de\eloped to such ail extent as lo warrant greatly increased facilities to handle il." Or'should the facilities ih.-ii .-\is(iii« be reasonably siillicieiit, wi.h orilinary venewals and extensions, !..,■ all requirements, shipping charge- all round might be re diuced, a- tais .been done witili such splendid re-nUs at Tiniaru. No mat ler which course, or part of each, that might be followed, the province and incidentally the ratepayers, must reap the full 'lien.'lii. J ted need shipping charges" and direct loading, nie.tn cipn-ntfe-ut direct savings to'"the po.kds of the locai producers and consumers, and Ilia! is what we are strivin-,- Cult i- by taking such a broad, compre liensive view ol tin- position ti.at it is possible lo e-,"iiiiate. with an ap proximal,, cori-.-ctne-s. what He harbor will eientiially mean to this prothat the Board should not be hampered in it.- operations.

We do not regret that liie recently proposed loan did not have an opportunity being approved or rejected by ihe ralcpa.icrs. The temporai'v .--'t back serMal ilie good purpose o'i pulling Ihe Board ~„ its metal, and v.e have „., fear thai when the value "I the work now being accomplish -d has been realised bv Ihe ratepayers there will be any diliieultv j„ teh'wav of lloaiing a rea-„,ial.l„' loan to e.yV ••' Hie e letion o( i,„. „.„,-|. I i.'i't. At a later dale' we' .-hall 'leal more Inly win, (,„. ,„!,;..,„. u „. vising the figures of the nnnual staleineiit mi which we hay,, |,,,.e,| Ihe consider it auuo-i c.-eiitial in the in icivs.s of tne harbor and the rale payer- (hat Ihe M-ruecs of t-ire chair "ii". "f the Boaiif, Mr .1. 11. Commit, -In.old be retaimd. Hi- withdrawal be one -im-erelv lo l„- regreiled. and I we Irir.-i (hat -ticl, I ,res-i„-e m,gl,t b„ brought lo bear as will indue.' him ' In reeoll-iil -r hi- expressed illtelllion I of rrtiriiijj. I