THE HARBOR BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 228, 19 September 1908, Page 6

THE HARBOR BILL.

HOW IT PASSED. MK. THOMSON PLAYS A LONE HAND. There was a fairly brisk interim!'.' at the llarbor Hoard's meeting yesterday, arising out of the steps taken V> I ' secure the passage of the llarbor l>i!l. ] lieiorj taking the ordinary business, the chairman said that he d'esireil to congratulate the Hoard and the district upon the successful passage of the New Plymouth llarbor Bill through Parliament. The Bill had passed the Legisla live Council in practically the same state as it had loft the Lower House. There had been great dillieulty in getting the measure through. The Loc.J Bills Committee of the House had made amendments in the vital clauses of the Bill, but after a great deal of lighting and dillieulty these had been re-instated, though at one time there was fear that the alterations would have brought about the loss of the Bill. It was a most satisfactory feature that all the provisions asked for and stipulated by ill'. .Marx bad been included in the Bill. Tin.' thanks of the Board were due to Mr. 11. Okev, MJl\, for the amount j! energy he had put into the work, for he had not spared himself, and had worked night and day. The Hon. T. Kelly an.l Hon. 0. Samuel hail also done valuable service. Hut, in spite of all that they had done, and in spite oi all they could do, it would have been impossible for the Bill to have passed but for the assistance of Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Millar. The clauses would never have been re- instated but for them. These two Ministers, on the night before the Bill came before the committee of tile whole, met the Hons. Major, M.'sP., and Messrs. Marx, Maxwell, King, and the speaker, and tile whole matter was discussed and an agreement come to between those in charge of the New Plymouth and Opunake Harbor Bills. Trouble, however, arose when an Opunake deputation came next day, and insisted upon more area than had been agreed upon. Mr. Maxwell amplified the hitter remarks. The Local Bills Committee, he said, acting upon the evidence adducsd by representatives of the districts concerned (Opunake, Mew Plymouth, Waimate, Kaponga, Pungarelm, and Elthaui road) and the various petitions presented had fixed the boundaries of the Opunake harbor district, deducting that area out of the New Plymouth harbor rating district. Aji attempt by the Opunake promoters to extend their district at the expense of he New Plymouth district had been resisted strenuously by this Boards delegates. He was very . pleased to say that the Bill which pass- , ed into law was practically the same as had been submitted to the ratepayers' meetings, and it now remained for the Board to take the necessary poll. ill'. Marx s aid that what the Boa'd had .pledged itself to get had been secured. Ho mentioned that lie thought tlio Opunake people had received io 1 mole than fair consideration. When the arrangement with Mr. Major con- ' ccrning the boundaries had been made,

as on the Local Bills Committee's recommendations, he had returned home. The chairman: fortunately for the Bill, Mr. Maxwell and 1 stayed there a while. The Opunake deputation came along and struck for the increase «>l their area to give them a valuation oi ,C2UU,UOU. We opposed that, and they got about £3I3,UUU at the finish. 1 beg to move Mr. Thomson thought he should be given a chance to speak before any nulion was proposed. The chairman pointed out that the motion would not interfere at all with Mr. Thomson's liberty, it was simply

to thank the Premier and the Hon. Mr. I Millar, the Hons. T. Kelly and 0. ,Samuel, M.uC.'s, Messrs. H. Ukey, C. K. Major, \V. T. Jennings, anil \V. Syinc;,' and others wild had worked for and secured the passage of the Bill, l'articu--1 lar praise, he thought, should be accorded to Mr. Okey, who had charge of the Bill in tlie Lower House. Mr. Price seconded, and remarked that the delegates were deserving of -iH ' praise for the manner in which they ' had "kept pegging away." Mr. Hughes remarked that the colony's financial experts had included a sinking fund of one per cent, in the Bill, aaid lie was very pleased that that had been done, lie assured the Board that the substitution of the definite amount for the suppositional sinking I'nnd originally provided would secuc; them a good deal of support in South Taranaki. lie hoped that the Bill would do what the New Plymouth people hope'i from it, and that the rate would never be struck. But he would point out that the rating area had been reduced by the Opunake and Waitara Harbor Acts, and he was afraid that the. rate would have to be levied. He saw danger in differentiating between the people who bad supported the Bill in Parliament. 0u» member of the Opunake deputation had ? assured him that he and he alone was ' responsible for the passing of the New ' iPlyniouth .Bill, and he had sought to 1 create the impression that he was on the box .seat, and that everything was subservient to the Opunake Bill. He ' did not see why the credit should be heaped on Mr. Okey, when it iv-.is the ■ Premier alone whom they had to thank for putting the measure through. Mr. Thomson said the chairman had been congratulating the district u]io'i the passing of the Bill. Before long it would be proved, perhaps, that the Bill was not such a godsend after all. People ' had been going round the district preaching that the last harbor rate had been struck. That they had yet to prove. Kegardiny ''all these deputations to Wellington," there was a feeling that the Bill had been run from New Plymouth. .Members had been running ' down to Wellington without the sanction of the Board. The chairman and Messrs. King, -Marx, and Maxwell had all gone down. Mr. Maxwell might have gone quite, honestly, but wasn't it a fact that if the Bill passed part of Mr. Maxwell's district got out of the rating area. Perhaps he had had a doublebarrelled'gun to shoot one shot for New Plymouth and one for Opunake. lie complained that members had not been kept in touch with the progress of the Bill. Beading the Premier's speech, as reported in llansard, ho had seen that the value of the district liad been reduced l>y about a million and a-hali, and with .113000 to find each year for sinking fund, instead of the "imaginary" one, lie reckoned the Bill, instead of being a blessing to ratepayers, would be a curse. The chairman said lie had no wish to criticise Mr. Thomson's speech, but he ought to put him right on two or throe points. Sir Joseph Ward's reference to a million and a-h.ilf reduction referred to Opunake's demand they got only .115111,000. The second deputation that Mr. Thomson complained about was to secure the reinstatement of the plural voting provisions, which had been advocated by Mr. Thomson himself. . Mr. King referred to the excellent service rendered by the geutlcmen mentioned in the resolution, and said that only those who had been in the thick of the fight know the amount of detail work that had been attended to. He was sorry that Mr. Thomson had uttered '.lie insinuation against Mr. Maxwell. It was utterly uncalled for. Mr. Maxwell: I'd rather that you I would not refer to it.

Mr. King: Well., all I can say is that had it not been for Mr. Maxwell and Mr. Marx the Bill would not have been passed. Mr. Thomson reiterated that the delegates exceeded their power in journeying to Wellington a second time. "Mr. Marx pointed out that the Board had authorised the chairman to take "all stops necessary to secure the passage , of the Bill," and that journey had been absolutely essential. The. chairman said that that authority ■was given. 'Mr. Thomson dissenting at tin- time and denying at the August meeting that such authority had ever been given. Xothing unnecessary had heen done. The delegates had not gained anything, and had not enjoyed hanging about Wellington for eight days or so. The delegates had sacrificed their own convenience in the interests of the dis* tiict. ' Mr. Thomson denied the existence or nny surli authority. • Mr. Maxwell said it 'was useless to deny the Board's minutes. Tn his opinion, had the chairman omitted to do anything that was done, and the Bill had been lost, he would have been deserving of censure. Mr. Thomson: You might a-* well have taken me down. Mr. King: A cum' of "save me from mv friends!" Mr. Jline took the. opportunity of expressing his satisfaction I hat the Opunake people had secured the recognition of their claims. The motion was then put and carried.