RIVAL HARBOR SCHEMES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 133, 27 May 1908, Page 3

RIVAL HARBOR SCHEMES.

liAlloTL t'AYim.s m;\\' pi.YAloL' Til. A CHALLENGE DEiiATE. Th" I'.ahotu ll,ill \v;i> tilled \e»lerdav i<l'ti'iuoou - probably a hundred ; ,„4 fitly Krre prc.-enl -at the meeting con veiled by Air. Newton King in conjunction with .Me.,,iv. A. It. .Moore, of Uinmike and Mr. A. AleKeown, of l'ihiun;',. ! All. Al l.cnniig, eliairman of the J> moat touiity Council, wa, voted f„ tl" ch.ur. lhe purpose of the meet in., and cireunistanees leading up (u the j uJ'lU'Uing Of it were briefly explained

;v ill-. King, lie Si ,id that '.it the last lioai t'V llarbot lioa d J essrs. Moore and .MeKeown had aicuded ill support of an Opunake harbor K heme. .Mr. .Moore had claimed tn.it the deputation attended as the mouthpiece of the people of liahotu Where, he said, there was a block vote ilgaiM, the „\,.w Plymouth Harbor ]sil|. ■Mr King had challenged the statement, and alter the meeting stated that V was prepared to take the platform with the Opunake harbor delegates at Ea--110,11 .l'" 1 g»ve the I'ahotu ratepavors a

chance of settling which of theiii wa.s right, .Mr. Moore or himself. -Mr. A. .AleKeown was the iir.st speaker, and he referred to the courteous reception of the deputation at the Harbor Hoard meeting. 'J lie members of the Board themselves, however, admitted that they were in a fight coiner, even Mr. King saying he was jainbed. A,: to the loan proposal,, he saidjhe ratepayers would have no objection lo paying their just debts. Their land had been liable f ur this New l'lvmouth liarl>or rate when they took it up. and thev had paid it against their will.

Cries of "Xo. - ' Arr. AleKeown: Then 1 hope it will remain for ever. Continuing, he said the harbor rate was l-32nd part of a penny levied over the whole of the harbor rating area. Hut because Waitara. was likely to vote against the Hill, their the Ilarboi; lio.nrd said to WaiWell fake the load oil' you and put it oil the people down this coast.'' Waitara didn't ask it, as was shown I In- the first clause in the Waitara Act I I which saddled them with their share of I

the present Xew Plymouth harbor loan He thought the rating liability could vorv well be reduced by part' of the Bonrd' fi boasted revenue, thus lightening the settlers' burden. Tie remarked that the Board declined to ''let Opunake out, with its £8 10s valuation, but it let Waitara out with £9ooo.'' He couldn't, understand that. He objected i to the present Hill as a means of perpetuating the mortgage on the lands of liis district, and also because it would prevent the construction of a harbor at Opunake. lint be wanted a district exempted from rates so as to leave the iand free for the Opnnako people to pledge it for a harbor loan. The Hoard had n (tinned the principle bv exempting a small area., but they wanted ti.flOO.llOli value exempted, for In- considered that, although sucked foi the Inst thirty years. Opunake .still hail j enough energy left to get (lie barter it | it was wanted. lf t . declined to accept the assurance that under the new borrowing scheme there would be no rate levied, lie had never known money rained upon any area by loan without the rate being collected. Another objection was that this Hill gave 110 linality. Mr. King had stated that he would have 110 hesitation in going to the people for another loan when thi« wao expended if the expenditure was nut enough to give a harbor for deep-sea vissels. 11c contended that., excluding Opunake and Waitara, the New Plymouth harbor district was strong enough to bear the new loan without including those places, for it was richer than the whole area wa rt at the time of r.ii>ing the previous loan of" ,CiiOU,t)oo. It had been said that be had opposed the previous Opunake IJarhur Bill, llis answer was that but for hiiu tho Hill would never liave seen tho light of day. 11l answer to Mr. Long. he said In- had oppoiied the passing of the Kgmont t'ouiitv Hill, but not because be considered it the thill end of the wedge to get an Opunake harbor rate 011 his pro|>erty. Mr. "Wilson, juu.. asked Mr. McKeown if he knew that the New Plymouth Jlarbor lloard could, under the new Hill, raise the "larill against people outsidi the harbor district. Mr. McKeown; You should be content to pay that charge to keep it open, because you use it. Mr. Xewton King said he could allord to pass over the personalities indulged in by Mr. McKeown. who hail liefore the, meeting assured him there would be no personalities. The exclusion fiT the Waitara district was evidently a sore point with Mr. McKeown. Iml lie assured the meeting that the New Plymouth Harbor Hoard had fought hard against the secession of the W aitara district. When that district seceded they found it best to leave it out of the proposals for the new loan. but. 01 course, did not relieve it of liability for the pre-"nt harbor rate. It had not lieen intended to let Waitara out, but that was done upon the advice of financiers and in the interests of. the port. After all. Waitara"s share of the interest was onlv £l.">B. and against that the Hill would give power to penalise outside districts, except ill respect of graded produce, lie had not said he would have 110 hesitation in going for a fresh loan, but that if he went be knew the people would support him. for the move would be made only 011 account _oi extraordinary progress of the port, fhe Board did not contemplate levying a second rate over this district, but liail undertaken at last meeting to do everything possible to secure the exemption of the Opunake district (as suggested In- the deputation) from any future loan-. Mr. McKeown had referred to the increased valuation of the distiict. \,m he had forgotten to mention that under the old loan there was a liability for a %d level rate, whilst only a farthin" rate was pledged in the new scheme. The Bill bail been discussed, well thought out, and altered, until now he considered it was as near a poifect one for the settlers as tliey could well have. lie had had to give in on several points in regard to his original Bill, and now the people were sateeuurded ill every way. Mr. King gave limires to prove that there was 110 probabililv of a rate being levied, and 'aid that Messrs. Moore and McKeown could have found it out for themselves from the figures they had. Biiellj, was proposed to pay the annual charges out of land fund, rent of endowments and surplus revenue, the balance (it •tuvi to be paid by a rate. He conti Ihhlv looked forward to a deep water harbor ami >lO rate. >o doubt the■ tat. [ had been obnoxious, but H was idle 10 6 av the New Plymouth harbor had been LVi'less Without it, where would their produce have gone? lie referred to fait that he had tried to have UO.M borrowed under Hus Bill for the Opunake harbor. When that harbor was eventually made. Opunake would look to New Plymouth us her poll. He was not decrying Oimnake. but was simply asking them to support this Bill as it stood. They could take his assurance that there would be no rate, and lie would not K' s.ucli all »>s as to give this as-maneo without iir.-t s.itt-lyiug hun- i sell. Were lie to conic down to liahotu to hold a -ale, having broken faith on this point, he would pi ob ibh hue ti get back 'iitickly to -New Plymouth, lie wa- not going to lose business in that wav. lie explained again that the Halbur Board was pledged 10 do its utmost to have the Opunake district exempted from anv New Plymouth borrowing proposals'after this .CinibOUO loan ' Mr. Moore denied having stated that llieto Was a Idoek vote agam-t New 1 Ivnioiillt at liahotu. But, judging bv the feelin" of his liahotu meeting, theic was a majority iu favor of Opunake. (Voices: liow many were at the mcetinu'.' How many liahotu ''at'-'payers?)

th<- Now I'lymnulh liill, ]»• .id tint In.- wa* not tisiu'il with tln* r'xi.laiialM.u «.f Waitara\< ~xem ptioii a,i.l In- thought that if tlu- lio;<rd (oitld L'.'t alon;: witliout I In- Clifton district mid (Ipimake to»M. it could <l<> without I],,' propo-ed Opunake liarhor district. ■ ||,. I,dieted ill the dilVeivntial rating. Imt ilnni.ulit it tu lie |i""ilil«' for ill,. 1 'milid. out of revenue. to |«iy the inlcii M and charter. without rate. Nn pmm.m had Imm'h jriwn for th«* oxmnpI tin)! of Ojiunnkl 1 IOWJI fp»|» l>Ut In- would supply tin- n';l>o)l-i1 wa< Wc.ni>(> lintii Waiiara and c >|inna kc would record a -olid vole a,L r ain>t 11"' New Plymouth liarhor Jiill. With tln*-r excluded. New Plymouth could <-ariv tin' | day again-l tik> country ratepayers. I A voii-o: Well. what V ",(l of >'° u Imt ln-riii*: your head about it': I Mr. Moore Mihinilted that the hoimdarirti\ed I'or the dilVereiitial ratiii" aiv :l > | were unfair. and (putted ;md ■ urtaue ralf- to r-liow that tin- oiil-ide di-lrii't, with the cheapest rate, had In • i>.>y more 11► r iinport - than I hi- .lUtricl-

liciiivr tho poll. Mr. Kin/p. elcavlv >ho\v<'d th.it tin* l'oanl ''ouhl do | without u-j.imii.uiiu valu.i- i | tion, moro c-pc-ially n- th«» P»oi"V.l \ya«s | j in the splc-ii'lid iiosition nlrc;wly <>l in'in,u ■ ! ulilo to do harhor '•'•n-trn-iioii ( .iil ot rOVf-nuc. Having -o' lid ot W ai- : tai'ii. Ih« > \cw Plytpoulh pro|dt' -hould : lu' with al- - though they opposi'd t he Wailara l>ill. 1 It ua- though, that tin l nii'in-l»;-r for Waitara. linvinp; '•niircil cxt'inpI tiou from the* New Tlymontli liavhor l'ati', was not propaml to allow others to share the sweet things. Had lie voted

the proposals and been, true to the advocates of the Waitara Bill, and ii.ul tlic member tur tliU ward been true j"" 1 to hi-, culms, (here would ll! J vt " it majority against the Kill, winch provided lor a perpetual mort* o\er the district.

-Ml. Kiiiij waiiiily defended ilr. lliue I the member for (he \\'ai(ara ward, sayI !"*>' represented not oniv the' new Nailara harbor district, but a |* o all the li.uk country, such as Whan-u-IVVi"" 11111 HllTO ' tlie 'III. .Mr. lime was in close touch with us con-diluents. It extremely unlii'r to Cits! a-jieinioiis on a man who was nol jire.-enl to reply. lor years past, continued llr. -Moore, people hail I looking to l!)(l!) for relict Jroni the harbor rate. Jiven the -Nen- l'lviuinith Harbor Hoard's report hud foreshadowed it in 181)7, predicting that the land revenue would pay the

interest on the C 140,000 (o be borrowed after that date. In view of the fact that the Hoard had never contributed one penny towards the payment of interest—despite the suqiius in the harbor hinds for years past—were iliev justilied in blindly accepting the optimistic statement as to all (hat [he Hoard now proposed to do for the ratepayers' The speaker contended that the Kinking f lMll i proposals were inadequate. 11,. could see 110 necessity for

the loan of tllirt.OOO. believing thai by | l!)I:t "the Hoard could coinplele its work's ou( of revenue, and no rate would lie required after that. In fact, the Hoard Miould then have a net surplus revenue ol from Cinnu to 70(1(1 a year to pay into a genuine sinking fund to redeem th" Cl4o.iw:i loan. And when the loans were paid oil' the Hoard would have a uiee little nest-egg of 2.7 per cent, of land revenue and .surplus revenue for increasing port facilities.

Ifr. Wright pointed out that tlie Boanl could not have the revenue and spend it too. '.Mr. .Moore said there had never been any real surplus, for the Board had never met the interest charges out of

revenue. 'lll'. Jlel.achlan: 'llhcy've got a good surplus of breakwater a* compared with ten years ago. | .Mr. .Moore placed before the lneetiii" an assertion that the port of .New l>|y° month could handle four times its present trade with ease. Jl c showed that without the propo-ed Opunake harbor district the New Plymouth harbor district was valued at Uti, 128,341, yioldin;' C1.'.0!>4 l.js Hd upon a differential rati" or more than ever collected before Jle' doubted whether the Board's revenue would come up to the estimates, in view of the opening of the .Main Trunk Railway and consequent upon the loss of the passenger tax. -It was quite possible that .-CSOOO would have to be mane up by means ot a rate, He considered New Plymouth was endeavoring to keep its heel upon Opunake to prevent the development of that port, after it had assisted New Plymouth for 21 veaiK This loan proposal really meant sub-

nutting the district to another 0)0,000 loan after raising thj„ c:JUII,(!00. and ! the Hoard would lie able to borrow | t.lil!O.Ul)ti at the end ot" twentv veai's. with an iii.'iva>cd valuation. So'lljntnake would never get relief. The <.iij jeet of the Opunake Bill would lie to obtain relief from any further New Plymouth liability beyond the present loan; to take over the Wharf Company s property: and to obtain power to borrow C.30.11111) for wharf and harbor works for small coasters. The position had been forced upoil I hem. lie showed the savings in IreigM tn be effected by shipping through Opunake. lie didn'i think much of New Plymouth's idea of I'll lining a coastal service to and from Opunake.

A voice: It'* heller limn having the Muritai in New Plymouth for tortnight waiting to come hero. Mr. King said Mr, .Moore claimed that hi> figures w«t v /orreel. Il<- \\<»tilil • k ay that Mr, was cilhcr wilfully mMejtdin*: tiie meeling or he war> - ly ignorant. I'or lie had h;i<! Uh* corrr-t figure-;. lit- quoted tigorcs from 1 li«Ihiard's h-tali-lic-i .-howing that the revenue was .C'j.'Wl. giving a surplus oi .C-tKIII above the C-Jalll) proponed t«> be transferred to interest account. How could lliev want to raise €3IMK>. as stated by Mr. Moore, when they already had a .C3BOO surplus under that head after paying the amount fixed? Kndowment>. too. were increasing in value, and additional laud revenue would be derivable from 100.000 acres of land ju»t thrown open. There would be big tracl lS ot native; lands also 011 which land revenue \\%\n payable to the Hoard. Mr. Moore kne-v full well. too. that his statement concerning a loan of UIjOO.OOO was unreliablovand mi>h'ading. At the riMpieVt of the meeting. "Mr. Maxwell, repressing the ward, inouiitoil the platform, faceting a mixed reception. Tersely a lid clearly he pointed out the salient pSinl* of the Hill and showed the of it. It meant, in -djort. that in>t<a<l of ihe land being mortgaged for a lcv*l rate of y,d in the pound, with a rate to pay. under the new propo-aN the mortgage would be only a farthing rate.,and no rate levied. It was a purely busings affair. He was lirmly convinced thai the ratepayers could not b<» better treated than as pro. vided in the Xew I'lyuouth Jiiil. The Hill absolutely fixed the amount of rate leviable by the Hoard as the balance of interest remaining after the payment into the interest account of the specified sums of laud revenue. rent H of endowment*, and general revenue, H* had not the slighthest he-itution in saying the ratepayers would wake a mistake in opposing the Hill.

After further dw-u--iun. ft was deeided. ufmn the motion of the chairman and Mr. Lawn, and ny Jl'l to "That tliis meeting n in favor of the New Plymouth Ilarhor Mill as advertised."

The chairman declined to accept an amendment moved by Mr. T. V. Hughson. "That this meeting con>i<lers it would l»e advantageous {o the district ii harbor improvement* were carried out in Opunake bay. to en>ure tlie regular and safe despatch of goods by small coastal boats."

At the conclusion cheers were given for Mr. King, and the customary compliment accorded to the chairman.