HARBOR RATE EXTINCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 51, 19 February 1908, Page 4

HARBOR RATE EXTINCTION.

THE NEW UU.N PROPOSALS. RATEPAYERS' MEETINGS TO BE HELD. The New I'lynioutli Harbor Board yesterday iliscu-e.t the .u.m propo-al-, submitted by Mi. .New ton king, who had previously submitted them to several of thb niembe, - for discussion and amendment. The object ..i the loan iva< to pay oil the balance oi the existing loan and to app!\ the remainder of the money to tie- ,omj,i,ti..u of the luirlwr works art designed b> Mr. F. \V. Marchant, the lioar.l", engineer. Mr. King, in introducing the Hill, explained that the Hill asked power t ■> borrow .UOO.ooo. but lie did not i-o'i-teuiplate that it would l«e necessary to liorrow more than tiVi.nou lor a con sideraMe wiinUr ..f years. The maximum rate of intcicst »a- lixc.l at liv per cent., nut it w,i- not pr..p0,e.l to borrow pcruian iitl... at thi- rate, lint it would be uecessan to pai such a rate temporarily lor accommodation at the lank for pawug olf the old loan, lie considered tuat tins n.t, practically a

•Harbor Rate t.Miuetiou Hill." lie proposed to pledge lor the p.iuucnL of interest £4500 of land fund, C 4500 from port earning-, and CJouo from endowments, being .CU.'i'Ni in all. Th-.' amount of interest payable on the new loan oi KZj»f!>*) at I per cent would be iIO.WI only. Thus the amount of interest was cov.-re.i. and the Hoard would .>ee that this Hili meant the extinction of the rate a- well as securing

the completion or the harbor, making it [Hji-sible to admit the ocean steamer-. and consequently reduce the cost of importation. •THE NEW PIAMOLTH HAKBOK BOARD EMI\IWERIN(i AUT,

1D08." An Act to enable the New Plymouth Board to borrow taw.OOO.

The preamble to the Bill sets out that the New Plymouth Harbor Board in 18J3, under the provision of "The New Plymouth Harbor Hoard Ordinance 1870, Amendment Act, 1877," borrowed £2110,01)0, and it is estimated that when the time lor re-pauneut arrives (in Jt».V,l!toH) the sum' of £135.000 with the accumulated sinking fund set aside in respect thereofi will be required to pay oil the same. Clause i w the iuie.piel.uion clause, defining the harbor district as meaning the area defined by the second schedule to the New Plymouth Harbor Board Ordinance, 1875, Amendment Act, 1877. with the exception of the town of Opunake, all lands within the Waitara Harbor District as detiued by the schedule to "The Waitara Jlarlior Distiit a'ld Empowering Act. I'.mi7,'* and till lands within the Mokar. Harbor District as lej lined by the first schedule to "The Mokau llarlior Hoard Act. Hum." llau-c 4 proviie- that "The Lo.-il i Elections Act, 11*14, si, a |l apply to j every poll taken under this Act. ' Clauw -i provides; "it -hail be lawful 1 for tin Hoard to borrow from time '0 time -uch sum or -u:iis of money as th: I IV-unl -hall deem lit. at a rate of in-

tere-t nut exceeding lid- |ht cent, Imt >o ; h.it th.' int.il of the amounts .0

lior.-icd ioc- in: e.v.<e.l in the aggregate V.:»hi.ihni: and the Hoard may Imrr.n-. -iii-li Mini «r »iiiii« of money *" afore-.'!-' f'.r -u--h jieriod or periods ait in.". I Muk lit. and \\:.iy renew or again !. .low am .-rail •■;' -itch slim or sum- •■; ; ■<•!! -v a- iin-y fdl due f,> r „n •], furt!:-■: i <-:\v period or periods as the Hoard may think fit" In the 1,,'N1 i-laii-e are ,« f..ith the purpose* fur vviii.ii tin- loan -hall he expended, a- 1..11..W-: the old loan: it) f„i "li:irl«ir work-." - within die meaning of the Harliors Aet. and fur the purchase, erection, and con struetion nf tugs, crane*, sheds, and improvenieiit of th.- harbor; i:(| for illpayment of preliminary expense- of the first year's interest.

In olaiiH' T the Board pledges a- -•■ curing the land revenue, the rents, pro tits and dues ; ,t the |*irt. and upon titrate aiwrward- meuliorie.l.

Clau-e S priividi-r for tnti-pnye.-' meeting- and a poll ..! raw-payer- h"fore rawing tin- loan, and ilau-e !• -iipu kites that the date- ol the meeing- shall be adurti-c.l.

t'lau-c 11 pru-.id— 1.". tin- loiiipilatiuii of tin- iyl! of the liinn.r di-:rict. every ratepayer to I- .•utill-.-l to exeivi-c ~n< vote and no mow. (.'hiu.see Yl and |.'{ ale only machinery clause-.

Clitu— 14 provides f"ii- an absolute majority at tin- poll, ami iLiu-<-- 13 an-.l Iti relate to liK- advcrti-ing of the re -ull of llir p»D. s;i„nl,l tlin proposil be rejected tin- Hoard may. within 12 month* of the Ua/cttv notice of the result of the pull, order another |ki|l. In Ihe event of 1 1«» proposal being carried, dtu* IT prolines lor the striking ol a special rate. Clause 18: The special rate to lie levied under the smtliority of this Art -hail not exceed "id in the C upon tho capital value of ail rateable propepsin the area described in the first schedule hereto, ami -hall not exceed \i,i\ in the C upon the capital value of all rateable property in the area described in the second schedule hereto, and shall not exceed '/id in the t upon the capital value of all rateable property in the area de-criliej in the third schedule hereto; and all rales levied by the Hoard shall be levied in the like' proportions, that is to -ay: Twice as high a rate .lull be levied within that portion of the district described in the -econd schedule hereto as tliat within tint portion of the district described in the third schedule hereto, and three tiru-s a? high a rate thail be levied within that portion of the district described in the third schedule. Clause l!l: The amount of the rate to l>e levied by the Hoard in each yeir shall not exceed such amount as is required to provide for the payment of the annual charges on the amount borrowed under the authority of this Act after taking into account the amount annually receivable by the Hoard an mentioned in section 111 of "The Xcvr Plymouth Harbor Ordinance 1875. Amendment Act. 1877." the net animal revenue of all land endowments owned by tin- Hoard, and to the extent of C-JijO" per anumn. the net annual revenue of the board flow "harbor due..' as defined by "The Harbors Act. IS7S" (other than rates), levied under the authoritv of thi- Act.

in clause i!U it i- provided: ill that the Board shall in each year cause an estimate of expenditure and revenue to be made and upon such estimate determine the deficiency of such revenue to meet *ucli expenditure: i2) that the Board may direct the levy in each year of such part of the said -pecial ratas shall be deemed sulricieut to provide such deti'-iency: and CO that the Board may adopt -ome convenient fraction of a penny notwithstanding that the sum produced thereby may exceed such deficiency. fin.-- >{ give- the lt.iar.l power t" make difTeienti.il lurlmr charges in

rci-poct ni good- produce I m- nianiitae tured iijwu land- mit-ide the liarljtr district uud in if-jn', t ■•! e;o.ids -tapped on Wliali hi |»-r-uu- i outside the lurWr di-lri. i. in exec-s .if

the mail'- in r.v|«-<-t -n similar ;;uods it produced ..r manufacture I within the iiurlmr ■ii-«irii-t or shipped on Wluli 01 |ii>r-oii- n-sjili'iit within the liarliO! ili-tri'-t.

C!,iii-e- L*:i and .'4 are machinery c!au-es. - tlie levying am

recovering ..f rate-. ly ntii'ii Ilk' ral-iiii' hi any l.ian niider the authority of thi- Act. section IS of tht .\e>/ I'lviiioiitii H.irW Board

Ordinaire i- to I-' repealed: and the second schedule ol ; Inn ilrdinance slu]] lie amended in ,-v lnd.- all la ml within the r..w„ ~f iipnnake. the Waitara TlavImr District, and li.e M.-kan llarlmf Di-tri't. Then i.,|low tlie -ehcilulm. KIltM s< IIKDI W..

| AH til,!' aiei ill the "vVaiiau. I'ari : tutu, .in.l W'.iit.ira siiney di-trict- .on I t.>in i ■i-liii, the following lionndari.s: Comm-ii •'!■» at the month of the Waione..i!i.i ri-.i. thell-c .lli.llir tile .solltllI <• it; ■ .-m.lary ~f the Waitara liar li" r l''- ; ''' ' '" :hi' northern lioundary of ti.e Mi'ifM -.irvei. Di-riet. thence Hi-i: ! .ili.i,;. ij.,. imrihcrii liiuin.laiie- ■■ 'I,.- 11-iii.i... Ketnou! and Tape Surii . i)i-:ii :- ■,, ill,. Ta-m.in Sea. tWme ....rtli-.i-;.; . 1.. aim,- the -" I cna-t to t!i- point "l nnencrniciit. -K! fi\"|i -i HKlin.K. All 111..: are, ;., .I-,- ( a;,r. Kgm.ili. . Hiiii...!. ami \»aire -iirvev Di-lri.i-contained within the f..ti..«i,i- l.oiin darie-. I oiiiinem in- at !!,»> point whr-r- th.' -.nth v...-tth Wimdary "f tin- Waiiara l!ir!..r District meets tic imrtli-ni iimmj.iry ..f t - :e flui- ... Survey lli.tiiei. >h.-n.-.■ ainiia the ..aid south we-;erii li-niiid ivi of i he Waitara M»TlK>l Ui-tril t" llle westeiTl l)0lin-

dary of the Xgatimaiu Survey District. thence easterly ami southerly along the western boundary of the Xgatimaru Survey District, anil of the Oniona Survey District to llie Sontli-l£;i>teiii bounclury of the .Vw IMyjuouth Jlarlior rating area, thence south • westerly along the -aid boundary of the Xew Plymouth Harbor ruth:;: area to the \Viiiiiii;.nina river, thcii.-c a utterly along the southern boundary .o the Survey District to the boundary oi jl,. Kuupiikunui Suivey Dislriit :. iheiicr northerly and westerly along the eastern and northern boundaries of the Kaupoto.nui Siii'M'V U'-lnu to '.ho boundary of the Eginont .Nation il I'ark. thence along the northern bona diiry of the Egnionl National I'ark !o the southern lioundary of the tape. .-urvci District, ihence along the southern, western, anil northern boundaries of the fane Survey District and the northern liouudaries of the Eginout and lluiroa Survey District- to I lie ! point of commencement. 1 THIKD SCHKDI l.i:.

(a) All the area included in the npupunake, Ueo. and Kanpokoitui Survey Districts, ami those portions of the Wai" mate and llawera Suivey Districtwhich are situated within the Nee. I'lymoutli Harbor rating ar.a. but excluding thai portion of the Eginont .Na iioual I'ark which is situated within the before - mentioned llpuuake and Kiiitpokoiuii Suivey District-, (hi All that area in the Xgatiiiiaru. (iiiuiua. Mahoe. Kiri. l'oitalu. 11ea... and \Ynro Survey Districts contained within lie- I following lioun.ia lie-:—Commencing -l the point where the south-western Uuinilary of the Waitara Harbor Ditrict meets the western boundary of the Xgaliuiaru Survey District, thence generally in an easterly and northeasterly direction along tlv southe.'u and eastern boundaries of the said Waitara Harbor District to the southern boundary of the Mokau Harbor District, thence easterly along the said southern boundary of the Mokau Harbor District to the northern boundary of the New I'lymoutli Harbor rating area, thence south-easterly and southwesterly along the northern, eastern, and south-eat-tern boundaries of the said New I'lymoutli Harbor rating area to the western boundary of the Oniona Survey District, thence northerly along the western boundaries of the Oniona and Ngatimaru Survey District to the point of commencement. 1 [The report of the ensuing discussion I appears on page 2.]