NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 138, 2 June 1908, Page 3

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR BILL.

iMr. Marx | U . M a meeliu 0 „ t|]( , jIl.vmoutb Harbor Dili „ Manaia 01 Saturday evening, when about twenn ratepayers attended. Mr. T. A. Bridge, chairman u f the W annate Itoad JU.ict, took the chair, and introduced the speaker, who opened hi. address by giving a brief outline „, (he present position „f the" llarl.o. jtJoards loan which mature, next .Mav. ami the rea>, ott he was holding tiles'.. meetings. He then came down to the J proposed Bill, and put the position vcrv I fairly before the ratepayers according to his way of looking at it. The full particulars of the earmarked revenue J I from Lind fund endowments and net

r j profits were fully explained, and j„ , j doing „o .Mr. .Mar.x very fairly gave Mr .Maxwell credit for being chiefly responsible for the sateguarus of the ratepayer- existing in the Bill. n oH ,. vl . r he expressed himself as objecting to the Bill oo the following grounds : -Firt Wa itara an(l J *»£ ami i rOl H 'V f,,r, " er """ri'mtion; ami «eeondly, because he thought the l»l«lrty should also have I™, amJed npwi the zone or dilleiential ba-is the same « the rate. He showed that though the rate paid here was one-third that paid in Xew Plymouth, yet because Of the nualiiy of the land the amount ! « 3 s more than at lir>t appeared He held there was a risk of the revenue the

.oard exacted from 1 In- endowment* l-and Mind, and net profits not realism., what was estimated, ami |„. therein-" wanted his liability le.-cned. He then said he would be plea-cd to an-wer anc i|iiestiens,Jmt before doing so said .MiMaxwell, who was opposing ],;,„. ," va , thei> by Ins invitation, and he would

like 111 111 t,i a I*o addre,s tin- mwtin.i after the questions were completed. * Mr. Hughes, member of the Board 1 flnked leave to say a ■<>«- words. 1| ; . opened by saying that although he was a (ioverninent appointee, yet he considered himself a country member only, as there were two other (.overnuient nominees who were practically representing Xew Plymouth. He expressed hims«lf as dead against the Hill. n i seeing that the Board lia.l pledged every" thing they could for the interest, he thought they would in a very ,liort time lie returning lo raise another loan for harbor improvements. Lie regretted -Mr. Maxwell was not helping thou, and considered the ratepayers of the district should rise as one man against the Hill. Mr. Maxwell, being then called upon, said he took it as a very great favor lieing allowed to *peak at Mr. Marx's meeting, seeing he differed absolutelv with him tin this natter, lie showed how Mr. t . Mcl.i'.iii and himself had fought with .Mr. Mar\ against previous Bills because they considered tliev were unjust to the district, ami hmv (hev had forced the New Plymouth memlKTs, much against their wish, to give the ward (he advantages he claimed this Hill gave t,. them. Mr. .M, |...an said he

iia.i gon.. nio-t eareiiilly into the ,|ucstion. and they had brought forward tlrs . Rill, which he considered was the bet . tiling they could get and was better . llian Ihev had ever expected. The chief advantage,, ,ver.-:-Kirsi : |„ the old Kill this district was liable to be rated up to 7',d: in the new Kill the liability was limited to '/id. Second: Iu the old Rill the only fund earmarked for interest was fhe bind Fund, while in the new Hill there was tile revenue from (he Land Fund, the harlwr endowments, and CJjIKI of the net earnings: or a sum of over tII.IHHI socially set aside to be u*eil liefore any rate could be struck. Third: The fact that we were now working under a diirerenti.il rate took away the Old injustice of having to pay the same as those around the port.' He pointed out that if the tloO.IHII) necessary to pay otr the balance of the loan was only raised, this portion of the loan area would continue to pay the same proportion of interest a, now. and that would amount to til.lll. whilst under the new Kill the amount needed from here would not exceed C4IHI. Further, there will not likely be any rate for three year*, because there will he an income from unexpended money of the new loan, and he finished by saying he lielieved he was acting in the be.f interests of the whole district by advising ' them to vote lor the Hill and loan. Mr. Hughes asked Mr. Maxwell why. a* a fanner, did he want to double his mortgage. Mr. Maxwell s.ihl the rale ua„ the mortgage, and under the new Hill it was halved, not doubled. Mr. Marx asked: J)o you think it | , necessary to borrow tl.in.iHNl for im- I provement«!

Mr. Maxwell said lie thought with their pa-t experieii-e the Hoard could economically -,„.„,! that -nm in making ii a good coastal, not an ocean, port.

The chairman then called for resolti tioii-. and Mr. Hair moved. That we do all in our |»iwer to prevent the Rill going through.

Seconded by Mr. Meldon. There war. an amendment. That a- the ratepayers have full protection in (he three-fifths majoritv ncccs«arv to cam tli,. Hill, it lie allowed to go to the poll. Moved l.y Mr. Ijimhrick and seconded by Mr. Law.

This was defeated, and Hi- resolution was carried by 1.1 to 3.

A committee wa- set up to opp.-e I he Bill.

The chairman then moved. Thai the ratepayers are opposed to any further extension of the Opunakc harbor area. —Carried.—Star.