The Daily News. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12. NAPIER HARBOUR WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 16, 12 February 1909, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12. NAPIER HARBOUR WORKS.

it is uot surprising that the defeat of the Napier Harbor Hoard loan proposals caused much disappointment among a large section of the Uawke's Hay public. The loan question was lought out on the principle of town versus country, and the country won. In some respects the light was similar to that preceding the promotion of the Xew Plymouth

Harbor Hill. It is necessary to esplain that so far the Napier Harbor Board has raised i' 500,000 in loaas. hi the livst instance a loan of JJ7j,OUO was obtained to form piers or training walls at the outlet of the Ahuriri river, and a small dock for lighters within, in the eighties a loan of £300,000 was obtained,

:'iit of which the tirsc loau was repaid, leaving .122.5,000 for the construction of a concrete breakwater. The loan fund ran out in IS02; £200,000 more was

raised, and this was all spent two am n half years ago, since- when the break water has been sluwty extended out a surplus revenues. After spending half

million ol loan money, and a considerable sum out of revenue, Napier dors not vet possess a harbor capable of accommodating Hoinc-gokig vessels, 'these

have -still to lie at anchor in Hie roadstead and 1») loaded and discbarscd bv means of lighters; while the lightcr-drafi coasting steamers ran lie at a wharf under tin- shelter of the mole. | .Mr. I'. \V. Marchanl was consulted by I I In- I'mard. and lie estimated Unit the breakwater i-outcl be carried out lo the point selected by engineering and nautical authorities as suitable for the termination of thc-work, for about £185,000. The Harbor Board wanted authority to borrow £200,000, because there, are other works to be carried out. in the lengthening of the interior wharf and removal of some rocks from the bottom, and ordinary dredging has to bo

provided for. All parties agree that Ihe breakwater must be completed; the difference is mainly over the question of whether tile l«nn should or should not be secured bv a rate. The harbor rate in llawko's Hay differs from the old New Plymouth harbor rate, in that whatever the rate may lie over the country districts, it is made twice as much over the borough of Xapicr. The country ratepayers object very strongly to the rate, and declare that they have been "bled'' ever since, the first big loan

was raised and-have never had any ■benefit in return, since (lie old method of lightering their produce has still to bo continued. They therefore object to any increase of the rate burden. The chairman of the Hoard argu.'d before the poll that the rate was necessary as a security to the money lender, failing which the Board could not ex-, pect to raise the money on equally favorable terms. In reply' to this, Air. Jull (leader of the country party) pointed to the large loan indebtedness of the four chief ports, and the easy terms of their loans, though they have no rating power. Then Air. Brown (the chairman of the Board) asserted that the rate would not be collected; and more than this, that the completion of the breakwater, by enabling the big

steamers to be berthed, would, with a slight incrcaso in wharfage charges, produce so much more revenue that the present rate would be reduced by half next year, and in succeeding years be done away with .altogether. 'This assertion was vigorously assailed as impossible of realisation.' With the rejection

of tin- loan proposals. Napier will be obliged to complete the harbor out of revenue. This means slower progress than would be the rase were the works completed out of loan money, and represents a considerable loss in revenue to the port. Had not I lie New Plynioulh loan proposals been carried, we would Imve had to do Hie panic, but happily lire ratepayers followed what was a sound, businesslike, and progressive policy.