HARBOR PROPOSALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1918, Page 7

HARBOR PROPOSALS.

PUBLIC MEETING AT ELTHAM.

At a meeting at the town hall, El tilJim, on Mondtiy evening, details of the New Plymouth harbor proposals were placed before ratepayers. I'liere was a meagre attendance and the chair was occupied by Mr. G. W. Tayler, in the unavoidable ajbsence of the Mayor (Mr. T. B. Crump). Tho chairman, in the course of his opening remafks, said that ten years ago similar meetings had been held throughout Taranaki, when proposals were made to raise a loan for the improvement of the harfoor, and pledges were made ?>y the board to the effect that the rates would not toe increased, with the result that the loan was sanctioned, and tho iboard had kept its pledges. (Applause. ) Quite recently ocean liners had been successfully berthed at New Plymouth, and if they could be bCTthed under existing conditions, it was obvious that if the present proposals were carried out the regular calling of ocean liners at New (Plymouth would be assured.

Air. (New-ton King, chairman *yf the hoard, said an opportunity was now afforded the third area to come into the (scheme. If they voted against it, then the proposed ftill would <bs lost. The differential rat ins; would remain as before, namely, in Xo. 1 area. %d in No. ?. ami 1 /, J in No 3. The voting was-' the same as county voting, the maximum number of votes (being three, which applied to counties and b'oroughs. It was quite true that if the proposed loan was not carried there would be a small rate struck next August. This statement was not intended ?ia a threat, nor should it, be looked upon as such. In the pa*st the working profit had (been £BOOO, of which £7tioo was used in the payment of interest on existing loans. He pointed out that the saving of charges on slag, superphosphates, and other manures was from IGs to ]7s (!d per ton. benzine Js fid" per ease or more. (Speaking of exp'orts, he said thnJt in the past the 'shipping companies bad kept all iluvir promises, and if the board .provided another 800 ft. of berthage they would send the largest of their (boats and take away the whole of thp produce of Taranaki. At the present time an old arrangement was in existence bv which the shipping companies paid nil coastal freight on dairy produce, which amounted to'a very large sum. The Wbak'atane took away 20,000 boxes of butter, which meant a. saving to that steamer alone of Itlsmust, therefore, be obvious to all that as soon a suitable harlhor was provided at NW Plymouth for the berthin? of the largest ocean liners the companies would continue to pay coastal fj-ei<rht on dairy firo'liw within "0 miles of a port at New Plvmouth. The Government bad recognised nfTicinllv tlint Xew Plvmouth would ji, the future be the port for export in Tarflna'ki, and had agreed to construct the coast railway in connection with that scheme. Tartan.rki, with its rich countrv, should lie possessed of a port worthy of the district.

At the conclusion of his remarks the apnnker was warm I r applauded. Mr. Wilkinson. MP.. said that about fen year* ago meetings were held i n filtham to consider proposals by the Harbor Board. At that tyn* there was a harbor rate which cnu=ed a liftle excitement and evorvhody was interested because their pockets were affected. but aft°r a ffood contest the tlien proposals of fie '.loard were accented and the work proceeded with. The scheme then under consideration was believed to be it rifther "risky enterprise; and that the money would he thrown into the sea." That had not been the case, and the works carried out had been so successful that. Home liners had been able to coma into the port. After years of svstematic dredging the board had provided a depth of water of 33ft. at low tide, and for ten years not one penny had been raised by rates from the third area or any of the other areas. The hoard had conserved tyie interests of the ratepavers in a most' satisfactory manner. Large shipments of benzine had ■bepn landed at New Plymouth, and had I it not been for those shipments Taranaki would have been drv as far as benzine was concerned. The province was woTth the best port that could be provided, and New Plymouth was the only port, on the west coast of the island 1 .that could take a TTome liner. Tt had been said in Eltham that the port of New Plymouth was of no use to southern Taranaki, but he wanted to explode that idea.; tlie port was absolutely necessary to F.ltliam and surrounding districts, for all the goods required must eventually come through the port of New Plymouth, with all due respect to Patea. Speaking of freights, he pointed out that it cost only lfls Sd to rail the butter and cheese from Patea, to New Plymouth, as against 27s (id lier ton from Patea to Wellington. The KaU'pokonui factory could send its stuff to New Plymouth for lis Rd per ton, as against 20s f 2d per ton to Wellington via Patea, and when the railway war. completed to Manaia, the cost to' Kaupokonui would be less than that. Tie appealed to the district to support the scheme, and was suro the ratepayers would vote for tho proposals when they were placed before them. The consulting engineer to the board, Mr. Blair Mason, by the aid of a large map, gave a most explicit explanation of the board's scheme. Mr. T. W. Owen a3lced how far the £300,000 would go towards completing the harbor as shown on the plan. Mr. Newton King replied that the sum would be sufficient to complete the work to a point that would make the harbor safe for liners to come in regularly. The completed plan was adopted

so that any section o£ work taken in hand would, always form part of the whole.

Jlr. Blair Mason said it would not cost £300,000 to make it practicable for liners to enter the harbor, but when they began to come regularly the board would then require other port facilities to meet the conditions that would follow increasing trade, the sa.me as had been done at Wellington and vVuckland. Captain Waller, harbormaster, New Plymouth, in the course of brief remarks, said that Nature had done more for New Plymouth harbor than for any other part of New Zealand. There was no other port in New Zealand that was so free from dangers. In his opinion the port of New Plymouth would excel even Mr. Blair Mason's most sanguine expectations. He felt quite sure that even in the roughest of weather there would be no difficulty in berthing the largest steamers at New Plymouth. Other speakers: were Messrs J. B.JVlarx, A. C. Pease, I). L. A. Astbury and P. W, Owen, whose remarks were on similar lines of those already reported in The News in connection with a similarmeeting held at Hawera recently.'.

Mr. ,T. Campbell said he was confident., that the ratepayers would support the scheme, and in his opinion the arguments used against it were largely the result of vested interests. He moved: "That this meeting of ratepayers in the third area of the harbor district, having heard the proposals for the improvement of the port of Mew Plymouth fully explained, are prepared to give the proposal their full support, and further, they are of opinion that the port of New Plymouth is the only one on the west coast capable of providing the requisite facilities for dealing with the overseas import.3 and exports of the province." Seconded by Mr. B. Dive.

Mr. Astbury moved as an amendment: "That this meeting of New Plymoutli Harbor Board ratepayers is determined to abide by the compact entered into with the New Plymouth Harbor Board ten years ago and sat out in clause 10 of the New Plymouth Harbor Board Empowering Bill of 1908, that 'if any further loan is required by the board beyond the amount authorised to be raised under the provisions of this Act the area described in the fourth schedule thereto shall be exempted from any liability in regards of such further loan.'" The voting resulted: For the amendment, 10; against, 12. The motion was then declared carried.

MEETING AT RIVERLEA. (By Telegraph.—Special to News.) Kaponga, Last Night. There was a small attendance at the Riverlea meeting, at which Mr W. O'Neill presided. The meeting was addressed by Messrs. N. King, C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., C. McG'uinncss and D. Hughes. The speakers were listened to with great interest, and at the conclusion Mr. M. Voullaire moved: "That this meeting should stand by the board in its proposal, and that the ratepayers give it their hearty support." This was seconded by Mr. John Malone. Mr. Astbury moved an amendment, seconded by Mr. Marx, the same as at the Eltham meeting. The voting being equal, the motion was carried on the casting vote of the chairman.