RIVAL HARBOR PROPOSALS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 124, 16 May 1908, Page 6

RIVAL HARBOR PROPOSALS

liii: LATKST OITXAKK -• I.':M-ll.i) UiIL. DKI'I'TATIOX TO XKW PIA'AIOI'TH' BOARD. XEW l'l OIOUTH LOAN BILL NOT TO BE ALTERED. J(OAUI) (JUAXTS EXEMPTION AFTER £IOO,OOO loan. ALL SOl/TIIEKX DISTKICT SIMILARLY TREATED.

At yesterday's meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board, a deputation I'loin the Opunnkc district, consisting of ilr. A. .McKcown mid Mr. A. If. Moore, waited on the Board respecting tile proposals recently put forward by them at meetings in tile Opimake district. Mr. Mclieown, introduced by -Mr. King. -said it had been resolved unani- | iiinuMv at a Kaholu meeting Hint a deputation wait on the Hoard and request that the town district of Opimake, which was already exempted from the Bill, be extended so (hat a ratio;; area of something like .Ci,OOO,OUO be allow cd to Opima-ke to improve the port of their district. lie said the people ul the eoast had been all looking forward to I dud to be relieved from liie present rate. They had opposed payment of the rate since ISSIi, in which year a fund hatl been raised lo light agaiast tue collectors. He would lo; ive Mr. M<K»ie

to explain their wants more fully. Mr. Moore said ho wished to impress on the Board that they were present directly at the request of a meeting which had boon-held at llahotu, and they had been directed to attempt to come to an

arrangement with the New Plymoutn Harbor Board by conciliation. Failing conciliation, however, they must light. Proceeding, he said it was a puzzle to the people of liis district why lite town of Opunake was excluded from the provisions of the proposed Hill. On the i/jd rate, the revenue from Opunake would only be £8 10s a year. It therefore could not be that the exemption of the town of Opunake from the Bill was with the object of allowing them anllicieut to carry on the works at Opunake harbor; for it was ridiculous, ne thought, personally, that there would have beeu more support in his district for the Xc\v Plymouth Bill than was generally supposed, had Mr. King's original proposal to give £IO,OOO to Opunake lor the development of it n little port been agreed to by the Board, lie was sorry the proposal had not been aiVorded a chance of receiving the approval of the Opunake district, ile claimed that his district had shown great patience in its dealings with >2ew Plymouth. Would it be asking too much to ask the Board to give the same amount of patience in going on with their harbor works, instead of plunging the district into a perpetual rating liability. lie urged that the Opunake district could not have been included in the rating district because of the necessity for its security, especially as they had been told that no rate would be collected. Why, then, was it necessary to hold them in the district? Person-

ally he hoped the two boards might work together in harmony. The struggle. however, was only just beginning. The New Plymouth Bill had been advertised, but it was not yet before the House, and something might yet be done to solve the position. Mr. Marx asked the deputation what sort of support they had in their district.

Mr. Moore said undoubtedly they had the majority of ratepayers in their district behind them.

hi answer to Mr. llughes, Mr,. 'MeKeown said the Board could take it from him that if nothing were done for Opunake, every farmer between Rahotu and the Waingougoro would oppose the New Plymouth Bill.

Mr. Thomson asketf if the deputation could place before the Board a rough map of the proposed Opunake district. Mr. McKeown said they had 110 map, but the Board could calculate a district for itself, mid he submitted the following conundrum:—"lf it took the whole of the provincial district to make a deep-sea harbor at New Plymouth, how much less would it need to make a little harbor at Opunake tt) accommodate vessels smaller than the Vitiou Com-

pany's?" Further (jurationed by Mr. King to »j\v # thc Hoard something definite regarding the deputation's requirements, Mr. Moore said they proposed a district larger than that proposed in the Opunake Harbor Bill of last year.

ill'. King: How much larger? Mr. Moore said approximately I hey wanted a district bounded on the noilh by the northern boundary of the Kgmont County, and on the south by the Kapuni river. As Kaponga was apparently hostile to the Opunake proposal, he thought the former had better be deleted, and the eastern boundary be the Kaupokonui river, at the boundary of the Kaponga town district. Kc estimated tliat district would approximately give a £2,000,000 valuation. The deputation then withdrew.

Mr, Maxwell said it was only fair to stale what lie knew regarding the deputation's request. He had attended the meeting at Rahotu referred to by the deputation, but took no part in the discussion. There was only a very small meeting, six or seven Tjavfng been brought up from further down the coast. There were one or two Maoris, two or three Rjihotu ratepayers, and *oinc non-ratepayers. That meeting carried a resolution thanking Mr Moore for his address, supporting his proposals, and asking that an effort be made to get an Opnnake district with a valuation of two millions sterling, on the grounds that as the New Plymouth Hoard had voluntarily left Waitarn, out. of the Bill, tliey could voluntarily leave Opunake out. Of course, the latter argument was based on misconception, as Wnitara had not been left out voluntarily: the Hoard could not have included Waitara even if it wished.. Proceeding, lie said the object of last year's Opunake Bill iras for a small district with a valuation of somewhere about, a million, being exempted from

further liability to "Xew Plymouth. Tie had hoped tlmt that Bill would have got through. As a matter of fact, tin Opunake Bill had been largely defeated by the opposition of these very two

gentlemen, who now came forward with another Opunake Bill to fight the Sew Plymouth Bill. They proposed an opposition Rill which had split the 'opposition against the New Plymouth-Bill in-

to two sections. The Opunake Harbor Bill of last year, which was a, reasonable one, was opposed by one which had not a ghost of a chance of becoming law. lie held that these gentlemen did not represent the views of the Opunake district.

Mr. King said he also had been as- [ mired that there were only two or three I Kahotu ratepayers at the meeting, lie was preitv sine in his own mind that Ka ln.itit was pretty strongly in support of the V'\vPlvinouth Bill. The Board was now faced with the position that if the Bill were sefliously altered it should be withdrawn. •Mr. Hughes said Mr King must admit that .Sir Joseph Ward's policy was to support the little harbors. .Mr. King: 1. also, wish to encourage thein.

.Mr. Coimett said the Board was in a tijrlit position. They liac] pledged tliemI selves that the Bill -would be withdrawn if materially altered. If it were altereii now, it would have to be advertised nil over and it would only lead In eoiilusioji. If everything were not in order at the opening of the session, the Bill would have no chance. The Heard could not, jr,, Ijaek 011 what liad already lieeii njneed upon. He doubt, ed very much whether they were going in meet with that opposition which the deputation talked of.

Mv. Thomson thought it better In ;:i\«' up tlu' Bill altogether, and raise ,: "i. v fl'<' U.'W.OOO to redeem the old I'mu. As tht 1 Opimake Bill was dropped JM its second reading last session. he believed it would In-taken up al thai this session, and so he ahead of the New Plymouth Hill, wliieii consequently would ' havi' to he withdrawn. Mr. Price slid it was only a child's r i,!lll ' talking (( f making alterations in the Hill at that stage. He would support "no change.' 1 ■Mi". 1 line quite agreed with the chairman: ituusa s tun late now to make alterations ili* wft!> of the same ojiinils with Mr. Kill" that r yu - , mike should have heen assisted, but r( i should not be otten that Mr Kind's j proposal to give opunake;£lo,l)oi} was | npjirwri liy Hie southern members. Had I I '"' 'rv U left to the New Ply- ! mouth members, Opimake would have | ir°t assistance. I

Mr. Price proposed—"That the Poard cannot see ii> way to make miv alteration in the.

llr. Ward seconded, holding thai it was Iflo l;tU> to re-open the matter. Mr.. Marx said lie would give notice <.f motion to move "that the request of Opium lie lie considered at next meeting "I' tlie JSom-u." 'I he Dill could not be altered without notice.

After some discussion, the chairman ruled that the. i|uestion could be discussed at once.

.Mr Marx, speaking to the motion, said lie was decidedly opposed to it. Four members of tlje Hoard had voted for the Bill who were quite in harmony ivith it. Another member had voted to put a tax on olhcr people which he and the people

of the district he represented avoided lueiuselvcs. Mr. Maxwell was also in a peculiar position, as it was open to question whether his ratepayers were not opposed to the Bill, which* he supported. Mr. Maxwell dissented.

Continuing, Mr. Marx said lie thought the Board should support a niod''sl .scheme for Opunake, although he admitted a section of the people of Opunake district, were at present defeating tlnir own object. by urging so large a.i i.v emption. Regarding his own view 11 tlie New Plymouth Hill he icitecai n that lie intended to call Jiis ratepa\era together Hint put the position fairly i

fore them. lie was prepared to abide by their decision. Tlie opposition to t>» ' Bill was now too late, and those op posed to it would have to eonline th .. opposition to it in Parliament. li in* ratepayers expressed themselves in fay-

or ol the Mill, lie would not oppose tt. To his mind the big blemish on the Bill was allowing Waitara to escape their liability for the old loan. lie hop., wiien hy held j|j s nieetiiig-, that some oj the members of the Board would be pre-, Sent, in conclusion, he said he would support a modified proposal for Opu* mike, but not the indefinitely big district asked lor by the deputamm. Jlr. King asked jMr, Marx what his idea was oi a district for Opunake. .Mr. .Marx said he could not ; .'w, .laxwell, who was more conversant with the district, conid better irive an oni line, °

Mr. Hughe, said lie knocked about a deal and his opinion was that tl» opposition t( , Bill U[ b ™>pnse to the Hoard. 1-Je was in favor Of Op.M.ake getting a smaU (lisLl . it , t . wi' ,Vi n" ,? l ,c ' lsonill explanation, "i-lied to tell Mr. Marx that lie voted deociidiiig to his conscience, and lie w is J'ot e»'»ts to take instructiiins as to ion lie should vote Irom a junior meiu"■r ol the Jioard. Mr. Marx's msinua■O" 1 wl lu ' .Hine) should not v , ok ;' 1 !l »-' Mill. "Mr. Maxwell,' he sa.d "holds a letter from nie in which agreed with proposals which have sintu 'ecu,nc practically the Bill, written long before there was even anv mention j " excluding Waitara from the area.' C reiterate,l llliU ]l( , w . ls jn fnv()r o( the lull oi\ us merits.

Mr. Mar.\ expressed contrition, and tli<- incident ended. Mr. Maxwell emkirseil .Mr. life's Continuing, he said Mr, -Marx was ijnito wrong regarding his opiimm ol leehng in his (Air .Maxwell's) district. The deputation, lift as>ured the Hoard, represented only a few of the ratepayers. lie was stiil in favor of 1 la»t year's Opunake Hill, and intended ' asking the Board later on to assist Opunake in securing a reasonable district. It would -be infinitely better for Opunake to get its Bill passed on top of the New Plymouth Bill, because it would bo guaranteed a'gain*t a liability of more than %d rate and no collection, as against a maximum liability <ji' %<{ and lan actual collection of %d under the j present loan. Mr. Uughes: A double mortgage, though. -Mr. .Maxwell: Xo. The annual charge is what has to be considered, not the capital, provided that ultimately (tho land will not be called upon to pay the principle. -Mr. Marx; But will R not be called upon to do so? Mr. Maxwell: Xo ; it never could, under the provisions of the present Act or the proposed Bill, as the annual payment was limited absolutely. It was distinctly laid down in both "the old and the proposed new Bill that the liability was limited to the annual requirement by way of interest, and more could not be collected. At this stage Mr. King suggested that Mr. Maxwell's suggestion should be added to the motion, lie wa* sure all the member* of the Board wished to assist the Opunake harbor. the mover and seconder having agreed, the motion was altered to read: I'hat the Board cannot see its way to make any alteration in the Bill, but is prepared to assist Opunnke i u securing a reasonable district." Mr. Maxwell said lie liad intended all ft long to bring such a proposal along later on with this verv object, and he nad had no doubt that'the Board would dgroe lo it. The greatest objection raised to the proposed loan was that it provided no finality to raising loans. He wanted to guarantee the district against such a possibility. Mr. Hughes said ho iar as he could see it woul<[ be a ease of another rate, and another rate for ever. Mr. Thomson said such a resolution was just what lie had been expecting from Xcw Plymouth. It let them now *ee the unreliability of the New Plymouth members. The Bill, they were told, was going to be withdrawn if any alteration were made. Now they were going to alter the Bill to allow the exemption of Opunake. (Chorus of •".Noes"). He had expected this all along. Mr. Thomson wi,s interrupted and on it being explained to him that the New I Plymouth Bill was -'not" to be altered, but that the Board was only affirming that it had no objection to Opunake being exempted from anv further rating after the pacing of the .6300,000 Bill, he collapsed, explaining he had misunderstood. Discussion now ensued on the definition of "reasonable district" in the motion.

Mr. King: How about making it a million and a-ha'lf sterling limit? 'Mr. Marx: Make it a million. Mr. King: All right, I'm agreeable.

My. Hughes: "Where is my district coming in? What concession am I going to get?" lie said he. knew that as soon as the New Plymouth Bill got through the House, practically every tanner on the coast was going to join with Opnnake and Patea. They were afraid if they did not fcht'y would be made liable for millions aml millions, lie wanted to know what concession he was going to get. Mr. Maxwell said on reconsideration be did not think it was quite fair that the Board should exclude Opunake, and leave a district, which was further away from New 'Plymouth, still liable in the remote possibility of further loans ever lieing required. He referred to the Waimate Plains. "[To suggested that the motion should he extended to include the southern district. This was agreed to, and the motion further altered to read:—

•"That the Board cannot sec its way to make any ' alteration in the present Bill, but is prepared to assist the passage of any Opunake Harbor Bill through the House, the object of which is to exempt a district from the northern ' boundary of the Egmorit County southward to the Waingongoro river, from any further rate, beyond that provided by the Bill now being introduced by thi3 Board." The motion un lirinix nut, was earrieil I'.v (i to 3.

A division was enJled for, votes l M >- intf recorded: Ayes: Messrs Conne.tl, King, Mard. liine, Max well, and Price: Moos Messrs. Thomson, Marx, and Ifughes. Air. Marx said hj« opposed the molioii because lm cmld not support the first elause {luil it was too late to alter the Jiill.