THE HARBOR BILLS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 213, 29 August 1908, Page 5

THE HARBOR BILLS.

NEW PLYMOUTH AND OPUNAKE.

The committal of tlie New Plymoiil.i Harbor Bill, which passed its second reading in the House of Represent atives on Thursday night, is set down c , for Thursday next, as is the committal Aof the Opunake Harbor Bill. The Bill . has been altered iu some particulars bv . the Local Bills Committee. The chr't ; j alterations are—The provision of a 1 ipi'r cent, sinking fund on the moneys borrowed; the alteration of the boim'-j-j aries to admit of an area for the Op'i-1 nuke harbor district; and the introduction of tlie one ratepayer one vote principle, as against plural voting. In re-1

gard lo the polling, the three-tlfths mn- ■ jority provision for carrying the loan lias not been disturbed. The other alterations are machinery ones. Tlie boundaries of the Opunake harbor district are altered as follows:—"All that area in the Taranaki land District, being portions of the Opunake, Oeo. and Kaupokonui Survey Districts, bounded towards the north generally by a line along the middle of the Manihi Road from the sea to the Main South Road; thence along tli& middle of the

r Main South Road to Ngariki Roai; r thence along tlie middle of Ngariki Road to the boundary of tlie Egniont National r I Park; thence towards the north-east jy the Egniont National Park to the northwestern comer of Section No. 10, 810/k J V, Kaupokonui Survey District; thcn'ie I towards the east generally by Sections Nos. 10, 11, and 12, said Block V, to Oeo Road; thence by a line along the middle of Oeo Road to Opunake Road; then.'e along the middle of Opunake Road to the boundary-line between the Opunake and Kaupokonui Survey Districts, thence by that boundary-line to the middle ot Slceet Road; thence by a line along the middle of Skeet Road to the middle M the Oeo River; thence along the middle of that river to the sea; and thence towards the south-west by tlie sea to tlie place of commencement." (The New Plymouth district is a-

"mended to admit of this area). The Board ia given power to borrow ' £30,000 instead of £50,000 at a rate of interest not exceeding 5 per cent. When the New Plymouth Bill came on for discussion in the House, Mr. Okoy referred to the unanimity of the districts in favor of the Bill, which wjis regarded as an imperative necessity. The Premier gave the Bill his hearty

support, saying that lie would do everything in his power to assist its passage. Ho went into the history of the New > Plymouth harbor, and mentioned that j wlvcn in London in 1895 lie assured , holders of the stock that it was bound ( i to appreciate in value, and this prediction had been realised. The financial proposals of the Bill, to his mind, were s satisfactory, whilst the differential rating proposal was equitable in every way. Both Mr. Jennings and Sir. Symes , supported the Bill, with which the districts they represented were in general agreement.