THE HARBOR ELECTION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 284, 24 April 1911, Page 8

THE HARBOR ELECTION

—: —... - ■** MR. D. J. HUGHES'*ON THE PLATFORM. ,<f;, Mr. D. J. Hughes, who is contesting the Waimate West county scat on the New Plymouth Harbor Board with Mr. W. T. Wells, both candidates being members of the present Board, addressed the electors at Manaia the other evening, and in the course of his address saio he had little fear of the harbor rate ever being collected. The Board had at present a sum of £52,000 on fixed deposit with the Bank of New Zealand, which was needed for improving the breakwater. They had also on first land mortgage £O3OO which belonged to the sinking fund by which the loan was to be extinguished m 1039, but he. would point out that the Board had power under the last borrowing Bill to borrow up to £300,000 if they were allowed to do so. Coming to the works accomplished by the Board Mr. Hughes said that the dredge had cost them in EnVland £32,000. He had at first been rather prejudiced against the dredge, but his -views had undergone som* change. They had now a depth in the harbor over 360 ft. long by 150 ft. wide of 33ft.; over 180 ft. in length, of 28ft.; over 210 ft. in length, of 21ft.; and over 240 ft. in length, of lflft. The largest steamers coming to New Zealand ports at present draw from 30 to 33 feet of water, and in eighteen months or two years' time the harbor would be able to receive these ocean liners, which could then come in,,as often as there was fJS?_'WL ■££,. Dealing with the prospect! o? ihY haritfr. the speaker said that ffloii of the ptouuoV now went to Patea, the-Wilson being that the railage wag cheape* i« thai port than to' New Plymouth, but when the ocean liners were able to come to the latter port there would be this ad.vantage over Patea-there would be no c. too , tllere were special concessions made for , car g° e » of produce tit some ports, « d J"» did not see wlr;' New Plymouth \ 8ho » Id n °t gain these concessions when" * bl f; J° accommodate Jarge steamers. L e .. had once thought Pa tea the port of i «e district, but he hi' 4 changed his mil. , . Patea had <*tooi '■ still. It had hau lte da y and Bel-ved > its purpose, but was.\ now fadi "g away. As a director of a ft'" toT y he had recognised, this, and he ,i Vad °PP°sed any policy based on the s,\ D P 08 ' ltiw » that Patea was the' proper o; * tlet * or the district. He had opposed provision In the shape of coo.V u 8 stores at Manaia, for he recognised t.V' " ,e J r must and Would have a railway * ome day, and tiffs' would enable thew *? get their cheese right away to the po»"» at once. He teferrcd to the inadequacy of the accommodation at Wellington for cheese flrtd oilier produce, and to the necessity ttir erecting in the near future sheds 'at #etf Plymouth. Proceeding, he expressed its' belief' .that New Plymouth has a grti't' future bt" fore it, having in addition itf (fee larm'ing industry as its support tfftjit prosgects with its petroleum and He mentioned in connection witV the last-named" that £2OOO had been lodged wth tfie Boar' 4 by one firm as a guarantee that it WciJ'ld erect buildings trf that value. He thought the future hacf a roseate hue. Dealing' with railage charges, Mr. Hughes compared' the Lvt-telton-Christchurch charges over" fl distance of nine miles with the New Ply-mouth-Breakwater charges over 2V4' miles New Plymouth was not able to W e / a « concessions as' Christchurch but he Supposed thati better terms' tipuld be obtained as t&e port increased in' size. Mr. Hughes in criticising his opponent said that he himself had attended since his election 48 meetings and missed nine. Mr ft 'ells, who had been appointed two yi - ftTS later, had attended 22 and missed "• Yet they were told that an absent "™ w ■ I S? k l fter thc Board ' B fafort. ts better than he (Mr. Hughes) could'