HAWERA.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1918, Page 3

HAWERA.

XETvV PLYMOUTH JIARBOB PEOPOSAIS.

(From Out Own Correspondent,)

A meeting was held in the Council Ohanvbcm on Saturday for the purpose of considering the loan proposals in connection with the New Plymouth Harbor. There were present: Messrs D- J. Hughes iWaiuiate), C- J. ISeleher (chairman Eltham County Oouneil),J. J. Meldon (chairman Manaia Town Board), M'Phillip (chairman Waimate West Comity Council), }l. Dunn (president Farmers' Union), also the following chairmen of dairy factory companies:—J. Marx (Mangatuki), W. D. Powdrell (Kaupokonuij, Farquhar (Awatr.na), Preston (Normality), and iMessn D. L. A. Astimry, Walsh, J, Stevenson, and A. C. Pease.

The chair was owupied by Mr. Mur doelu

In opening the meeting, the chairman said that he aud Mr. Pease had sent out seventeen notices inviting representatives to meet and consider the recent proposals for improving the New Plymouth harbor. The present meeting was the outcome of a meeting held at New Plymouth recently. He thought that it was desirable to explain the boundaries of the third area and the schedule in the Act governing same, which he did In his opinion, an important point was the position of the ratepayers in the third area as to whether it "was going to be a payable proposition- The intention of the Harbor Board was to provide a harbor suitable to berth the largest ocean-going steamers. It was the duty of the ratepayers to consider whether it would be wise to tax themselves further in the carrying out of the board's proposals- Ten years ago they wisely secured exemption from further taxation in respect of future loan proposals, and it was now a question as to whether they should abandon that position and join, in with other areas in the board's present proposals to borrow a further £300,000. It was quite possible that even more than that sum would be required to complete the improvements. What the total amount wouki be to complete the scheme the hoard was not prepared to estimate. It had been mentioned that meetings were to be held in various centres in the third area in support of the board's proposals. The meetiug held that day was for the purpose of enabling representative men to go thoroughly into the proposals and thus make themselces conversant with the position before attending those meetings.

Mr. Marx said that there was a distinct compact in the agreement arrived at ten years ago that they were to be exempted from taxation, liven if a majority voted in favor of the loan proposals, he could not see that the minority could be drawn into it. The chairman said that he would like to hear Mr. Hughes' views, as he was a member cf the board.

Mr. Hughes said that he bad not attended the meeting as a member of the Harbor Board, but as one out of six of the members representing the third area. When lie tackled a question, he went into it whole-heartedly. When first appointed lo the Harbor Board, he went on as a Government nominee, and at that time was somewhat prejudiced against dredging the harbor. However, he now looked at the providing ,bf a harbor, not from a parochial but from a national point of view. To endeavor to secure direct shipping to our shores was, he felt certain, the right thing to do. They must develop the coastal harbors in this country. By touching river harbors they were in trouble right away. He looked at the matter from a broad point of view. "When the war waa over there would be keen competition in shipping, and they must endeavor to secure a service of ocean-going liners to pay regular calls. For his own part, he would like to see the port called Taranaki Harbor, not New i?iymctith. He was convinced that ? J the proposals were put before the people in a business-like manner thsy would support them. He believed that the interest on the proposed loan would be met out of the extra revenue received by the increase of shipping. Supposing it was not quite met, it would only mean a very small rate, and that not for many years.

Mr. Marx said tlar. it must not be thought thai they were gathered together for the purpote of giving views in a purely antagonistic spirit, but what they desired wag to get a thorough grip of the question. The proposals of the engineer had revolutionised anything he (t'i3 speaker) hart ever 1 «ird of in har--bor matters.

Iff. ttughos: Sir. Blair Mason is looked upon as ;.ue Napoleon of engineers in regard to harbor construction works. Mr. Marx, cunt inning, r-aid that with regard io the last frg storm in New Plymouth, it had hem said that a considerable amount of sand-had been washed up into the harbor, also that some of the concrete blocks had been shifted.

Mr. Hughes: It ii <(uite possible that some sand had been washed up that could be expected—but no blocks had been shifted Mr Powdrell considered that one of the essential points th-;y had to consider was whether tlte proposed scheme would be a paying proposition. In the event of ocean liners paying regular visits to New Piyomuth, v.ould there bo sufficient back freight to warrant the service They all kn.nv that without it the companies would not maintain a regular service- It was from the dairy factories that the bulk of this back loading would have to come in the way of the exportation of their products. There was no doubt on one point. That was, that there would have to be a tremendous lot of produce forwarded to New Plymouth to warrant ocean liners making regular calls. He was not a man that was against progress; in fact, ne was the other way about-

Mr. l'oase said that a$ far as the port of Batea was concerned, it should be re membercd that South Tanuiaki interests were tied up in Patea. Their eargoes of butter and cheese had hecn handled It had also (o be remembered that £75,000 had been spent on that harbor. The shipping companies had always impressed upon them the necessity of concentrating their cargoes of produce by way of securing regular calls of steamers. The use of tramp vessels for the exportation of dadrv produce was nut of the question, as they hung about the various ports of «0' too lons.

Mr. Marx considered that cargoes of dairy Produce were even of more importance than those of frozen meat ns rejrards the necessity of its reaching its destination as quickly as possible. As regarded the promise of the shipping companies to make regular calls with oecan lines, he never knew a shipping eompany yet that would not make all tfjfiroEHSes, but the/ all had a wajr

of getting out of them. If the cargoes were net there to warrant iho calls, they would not be made.

Mr. Powdreil 'wiid it was a question whether, in faee of the existing agreement, the third area could be taken in. The chairman replied that it could not fcc done without an amendment to the. Act- The third area, was at present cxrmpted from the loan. Ten years ago the board tool; up a certain attitude,and .now they wanted to change it. It appeared to him that the shipping companies would have to bo shown a larger production of produce before they would send their liners so far and to make regular calls. So far, however, they had not been shown that the third area wai gßing to get any particular beucgt over the shipping facilities they already have.

Mr. Dunn said that ten years ago, Mr. -Marx, then a member of the New Plymouth Harbor Board, addressed meetings in various parts of Taranaki, for the purpose of obtaining support a csrtain loan, and, to some extent, the people were somewhat misled over it. Vie (the speaker) could not see what benefit was going to be gained by bavin/; ports all around the coast. It was quite certain that the shipping companies would want the assurance that there

would be a suflicient production of proluce before they would make regular calls at any port with their big liners, and even now they had not the assurance of a thoroughly protected harbor suitable for the berthing of large ocean liners.

Mr. M'Phillins said that they must take into consideration the fact that they had spent £150,000 on the Patea Harbor, ftho that it was going to cost the south lirea an extra 0s or 7s per ton freight to send their produce to New Plymouth- It .looked to him that the sum of £300,000 would hj/ spent on the New Plymouth i huiibor for tho completion of a very fmall portion of the entire scheme.

Mr. Marx said that, to say »he least of it, the present lima wa- a bad one to bring the scheme forward, as under existing conditions the cost of labor and material was verv high.

Mr. MThillip said that he was quite convinced l.liat lliey would yet be paying tha rate on the loan and would get no benefit from it. Tit? New Plymouth harbor was not in a direct line of call for shipping, and that would always go against it Mr. Hughes said that be could see that the proposal was going to meet with a certain amount of opposition, but, as far as criticism went, he welcomed it, as it was only by free criticism and discussion (hat the true position was going to he arrived at. If the people did not intend to support the proposal, then they would not, and the matter ended. The chairman saici that Mr. Hughes was quite wrong in saying that they opposed the scheme. All they wanted wag the assurance that they were not jioing to be liable for extra rating.

Mr. Meldon (Manaia) said that he could not see that the new harbor scheme was going to be of any benefit to their township, and he was against the payhe of any further rating. They had had enough trouble in the past to get the rate off, and they did not want to see it put on now. Mr. Asfcbury said it would be impossible to carry out the work under the conditions stilted by Mr. Hughes, and he could not see how any ratepayer in Jiouth Taranaki would support proposals of extra rating. That there would be >n amendment to the Act was certain. Mr. Belcher said that he did not attend as a representative of any company or local body, but simply as a ratepayer. He desired to make that explanation, as he was a director of a dairy company that was sending away t oNew Plymouth one-fifth of the dairy produce that went through Moturoa, and he was also connected with the South Taranaki Freezing Works. Whatever opinion he expressed at the meeting had in no way any connection with the opinions held r<y shareholders in the companies which he had referred to. He did not altotjeter disagree with the proposals of progress on the part of the New Plymouth Harbor Board; in fact, he only wished they were as -progressive as the Taranaki Meat Company.

On tbe motion of Mt. J. J. seconded by Mr. M'Fhillips, the following motion was put and carried:—"We, the members of the fourth schedule, form ourselves into a vigilance committee to safeguard the rights wc hold under clause 19 of the New Plymouth Harbor Board Empowering Act, 1903" (exempting the third area from further rating under that Act).

It was derided that the committee have power to add to their number. Mr. Belcher requested that he be left off the "comittoe, which wa.3 acceded to.

Messrs Murdoch, Pease, Powdrell, Astbury, and MTPhillip were appointed' as :ip executive committee.