HARBOR MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 151, 17 June 1908, Page 3

HARBOR MATTERS.

11l a later to tile Hawera Star, Jlr. Marx say ?: _-Mr. Jlaxwell's contention ?k„ ' S t , liat liabilit > f«tor ■« Bill, and that the amount of rati alone is worth mn-.hleri.i-'. The ~,,, posed xm,im liability with an alle'-e. amailer rate is, Mr. Maxwell preferuMe to tlie liability in redemption of pre-.iit loan with an al legedl larger rate; tin, notwithstandin; the fact that the money in ion j to be partly spent to "secure bertliafr for large steamer* of the Atlienic ton r.age, which Jlr. .Maxwell with hi- four teen years' harlwr experience tells ,i will never l>e required, and he furthe State* that the .stability of the break water Mill, in his opinion, lie iniperille. if the intended deep dr<dgin» i, c.irrie out. How ia the name of common-sen*' can Mr. Maxwell under the liriiim stances say the double liability doe not matter! Jlr. Maxwell »t.iii-." that advise providing for a -inking turn under the present loan redemption; In also alleges that the old bail redemptioi will be followed by an everlastiii' COXIO annual rate. The fact, are tlia' under the present Art the ISoard ha the power to set aside one per cent for sinking fund liesides bavin" tin revenue received from Crown lan. (estimated at £41*50 for present vear earmarked for poviding loan intereand sinking fund, but for no other pur pose. We will consequently have, no the everlasting tlilHH) annual rate. I.u a rate of CtitHH) minus Cit,;, II p| u , | j l( , cent, for sinking fund, giving approxi raatelt a maximum rate of one-eleventl of a i»enny, or, on from cio to c:!(i p t . acre valuation, a maximum of tl pe hundred acres, 'there is a proved weak ness in the present act which stops a competing the Board to set aside th one per cent, for sinking fund." "Farthing liato - ' writes as follow, t

the Eltham Argus:—"Mr. .Marx at his

meetings made the statement that over half-a-niillion had lieen spent ou the breakwater, and followed it up by remarking that that sum hail been thrown into the *ea. One ol the Xew I'lvmouth papers charged Mr. .Marx with the matter, and he endeavored to explain in a letter to the Daily News that he meant that the amount was made up of land revenue and rutes, and in turn complains of being misreported. 1 was present and heard the statement, and it was distinctly that that sum had already lieen spent on the breakwatci, and that it had been thrown into the

sea. The statement wan not qualified

in any way so as to give any other impression, and I am assured bv oilier-!

who were present that it aas generally understood that that antount had lieen spent. Mr. Marx, when chirged with misrepresentation, replied to the New Plymouth paper, but failed to take any steps to rectify in this district the erroneous conclusions resulting, from his statement* The least- he could have done, if lie desired the rat'-pavcrs to judge tile position liv facts instead oi the opposite, was t» write to nil the papers circulating ill the district whrrthe misstatement was made. I have looked in vain tor any such refutation by him. The statement in itself is not of very great importance, though misleading, compared to many others, hut Mr. Marx's failure to rectify the matter after it had lieen brought to his notice indicates very olearly what sort of (piide he is for the ratepayers to follow."

A meeting of the Riverlea branch of the XewJCealand Farmers' Union was held in ffle Riverlea Hall on 11th .Tune

to consider the provisions of the Opn

nake Harlmr Bill (reports the Star). The chairman. Mr. Voullaire. explained the object of the Bill and the lmindaries of the district. The meeting was very decided in its opposition to this measnre. Mr. Voullaire moved. That this meeting of ratepayers in the Eltham County alTerted by tin- provisions of the Opunake ITarlHir Bill object strongly to being included in the rating area for the proposed harbor.—Carried nnaniniously. The secretary was instructed to forward a copy of above resolution to the Eltlmm County Council, and Mr. Richardson was appointed to wait on the Council and hear their views on the subject. The secretary was also instructed to write to the Waimate Road Board for the same purpose. A correspondent writes to the Wellin'i ton Times:—'"Yon report Mr Marx c saving that "the whole of the produce from South Taranaki was sent through tic ports of Patea and Waitara." This W not *O. During the past season four dairy factories in South Taranaki have (hipped the whole of their produce through Xew Plymouth, and two others a portion of their output. Further, during the first five months of this voir

900 bead of cattle, and 11 i_IMK> sheep >m\ ■■ been shipped nt New Plymouth, nearly

the whole of them from the southern

part of the province. During the past fortnight 2-17 cattle and "i>B sheep have been shipped at Xew Plymouth from ll.i-

vera, Manutahi, Elthain, Momahaki, and Kai Iwi. Dealing with imports, it is a faet that supplies for .South Taranaki largely come through New Plymouth. Of 300 tons of cargo—grain, merchandise, flonr, etc.—landed at the break-

water in three recent trips by the Corm

Ha, fully ;170 tons \v;i- railed tu Jlawera

and aliotit half that quantity to Eitliaei. besides smaller quantities to other South Taranaki stations. Thus it will Is- seen

that the southern portions of the district are served very largely by the breakwater.