FELICITATIONS.

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

FELICITATIONS.

THE XBW PLYMOUTH HARBOR HMIWEMXU BILL. Sonic of the members of the Ilarbor Board st.ired yesterday when there filed into the Board room about fifty gentle* merit representing commercial, financial ■trading, rind institutions. When they had occupied practically the whole of the spare lloor space, Mr. U. Cock, who had been selected as spokesman in the absence of his Worship the Mayor, said tho deputation represented the residents of New Plymouth and they had come to congratulate the Hoard upon the carrying of the New Plymouth Harbor Hoard kmpowering Hill. Mr. Cor-k said that as one 01 the sinking fund cmnmissiimers he must personally compliment the Hoard, and he felt sure that when the Hoard approached the settlers for power to raise the loan for harbor extension the proposals would be weil ; received, ami the money authori«vd. He thought that the Hoard had worked' well in the interest* not only of New Plymouth but of the whole of Taranaki. lie had for very many years been eu- | gaged in export trade, ami had paid in , freight lUs a ton more than lie hoped I would be iiecessiiiry ill future. MY. T. S. Weston followed, j iheartily in the remarks concerning the ; amount of trouble which had been lake*] by the Hoard, particularly Messrs. j t'onnett and King. That the passing of the Hill would be of immense value l to the whole of the province went without paying. The benefit would not be confined to the town. Any advantage to the merchant and trader by reduced im- 1 port freight charges meant a corresponding increase to farmers aud con* sumers goneraly. Mr Weston referred ; eiilogistieallv to the stand taken by Sir Joseph Ward, Speaking with person;,l j knowledge of Parliamentary life, he said he knew that to got a Bill through the House without the influence of the powers that be was impossible. As well try to put one's head through a brick Willi. He was not unmindful of the good work done by the members in charge of the Hill. There had great agitation and difference of opinion as to the advisableness of completing the harbor, but to his mind the fact 1 that the work had begun was incontrovertible argument that it must be completed. lie trusted that the members of the Hoard would lose 110 time to socure the loan, so that those ratepayer* who were approaching old age ghoul 1, before pacing from this sphere, see the fruition of the 'efforts of the gentlemen who had been mentioned.

I The chairman said that the presence of the deputation, and tlio appreciative remarks oi the. speakers, wore very gratifying to the members of the Hoard. Me could scarcely give expression now to his own fiding upon receipt of the intimation from the Jlon. T. Kelly that the Hill had .passed. /Mr. (Vmnolt said that for .'W years past lie had been working on harbor matters, starting then in the Provincial Council Later on, other friends eam« in, and they had been working together all along. • For 25 years he had occupied n sent on the Board, and they would recognise that it must he gratifying to him to iind 't'hat there was at last some hope of getting the harbor completed. The battle, thougli, was not won yet, although thoro had beeu a big fight. When the day of the poll came the ratepayers, lie hoped, would not take it for grantedthat the poll would be carried easily. Kach ratepayer should carry out his duty by recording his vote. They had to get a three-fifths majority, which was a big thing, but they would get it if ull I pulled together. I