HARBOR SCHEME MEETINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1918, Page 3

HARBOR SCHEME MEETINGS.

SOME STATEMENTS WITHDRAWN.

MANGATOKL The meeting held at Mangatoki was well attended. The chair was occupied by Mr. E. Gilford, who, in opening the meeting, said that the scheme for the improvement of the New Plymouth harbor' was one that interested the whole of the people of Taranaki, and, after hearing the addresses by the various members of the board present, those present would be in a position to judge its merits.

Mr. Newton King spoke at considerable | length on similar lines to those at other meetings. He said there appeared to be some misconception about raising a loan of £300,000. Some people had the idea that the board intended to raise that amount in one sum right away. That was quite wrong, and would be a very foolish thing to do. The money would be taken up in sums of £25,000 or thereabouts, as required. Instancing the savings ■which would be effected on importations, the speaker said that benzine, basic slag, superphosphates and other manures, alone represented a savinging of £67,000 per annum. Then, also, i there would be a big saving on salt, which was so largely used in dairy factories. The New Plymouth Harbor Board had raised its last loan on much more advantageous terms than had Auckland, owing to the fact that they had given a better security, tlirough the rating power. Mr. Astbury had made certain statements at the Riverlea meeting in connection with the saving on railage which the Mangatoki Dairy Company had effected, but he (Mr. Astbury) met

him that- evening, and admitted that Jic had made a mistake. Ho (Mr. King) "was sorry he had met liim, as he had prepared some figures with which to flatten Mr. Astbury out. (Laughter). However, hj& was quite prepared to accept Mr. Astbury's explanation that he had spoken under a misapprehension.

NO RATE STRUCK YET!, During the course of his address Mr. Wilkinson said that the board was desirous of providing a harbor capable of berthing the largest boats that will visit the port during the next twenty-five years. It had been said by the opponents of the scheme that ten years ago members of the board liad gone round and said tiiat the harbor would be a self-contained one. Who said so? He had searched the records of the board, and had failed to trace any such statement. He (the speaker), in the manifesto published by him, certainly did not say anything of the kind. Replying to a.ll interjection, the speaker said that the Patea Harbor Board had struck its rate in the first year that it raised its loan, and New Plymouth had not done so yet. Mr. Corrigan might know something about it. (Laughter.)

THE SAVING BY DIRECT SHIPPING. Mr. Maxwell, the next speaker, said j that, having been a member o« the board for twenty-five years he would claim to have had considerable experience of the work carried out by the board, and in connection with the present proposals he had no hesitation whatever in recommending ratepayers in the third area to give the matter their sincere consideration and support. It was essential for farmers to get their fertilisers a(v the lowest possible price, and it was only by direct shipping ,that that could be done. To float the proposed loan on | the most advantageous terms meant that the board must have backing, which , meant rating power. He would not say I positively that no rate would be struck, but he certainly did not anticipate it. The extreme liability of the third area would be id, and he did not think that, even if it was found necessary to strike a rate, it would amount to anything like that amount; in fact, it might be so small as to be hardly worth collecting. Conditions during the last ten years had changed so much in shipping matters that the board felt quite justified in again coming before the ratepayers and asking them to sanction another loan Ocean liners had already visited the port, but they wanted regular calls to take away their produce. Mainbevs cf the board were in a position to state definitely that the shipping companies were not going to continue paying the coastal freight as at present. Mr. Corrigan: Give us the source of your information.

Mr. Maxwell: No; I repeat that we do know it, but I am not going to give you the source from which, we got the information.

EXTENT OP HARBOR DEVELOPMENT.

Mr. Marx: Does the hoard think that at the end of, say, seven years it will find it necessary to come hack and- ask the ratepayers for another loan.

The chairman:,We are just starting to extend oiir harbor, and we cannot foresee its. development. It might prove very rapid. /

Mr. Marx: You will come again, all right.

The chairman: We might, and we feel quite sure you will be pleased to see us. (Laughter.) Mr. Marx: There is a scheme placed before us that will cost several millions. The chairman: We are only asking for £300,000 to complete a harbor that will accommodate ocean liners. Mr. Marx knows perfectly well that there is no finality to the extension and improvement of harbors.

Mr. J. R. C'orrigan said that lie was present that evening, not as*a member of the Patea Harbor Board, but as a ratepayer in the third area, ar.d did not intend to talk Patea as against New Plymouth. The speaker then asked for some information in connection with the plan which was supplied by Mr. (Blair Mason, engineer.

Mr. Corrigan, continuing, said that it appeared to him that the board had been busy dredging the harbor, and now it was gding to get to work and fill it in again. (Laughter.) Mr. Maxwell: There is a small piece that would have to be filled in for the purpose of building a wharf. Mr. Corrigan: That's what I say; you are going to fill up the harbor where you have been dredging. Mr. Maxwell: You cannot construct a wharf on the land, can you? He had never heard of such a thing being done, but perhaps Mr. Corrigan had. (Laughter.) ,

"AHEAD OP THE TIMES." ■ Mr. Corrigan, continuing, said that he thought the board was quite right in bringing down such a splendid working plan; indeed, it was an admirable one. Still, it was obvious to all that the board had spent all its money, and now was going to ask the ratepayers to pledge their lands to enable the board to borrow some More. He considered that the scheme waa fifty to a hundred years ahead of the time.:. They might get some people to support the scheme, but they certainly would not get him, to do so.

Mr. Wilkinson: We have heard tfcN story over and over again about the hoard being fifty years ahead of' the times, but if it was, then Mr. Corrigan was fifty years behind. (Laughter.) Mr. W. Carter moved: "That, having heard the proposals of the New Plymouth Harbor Board, we are in accord with the scheme, and will support the policy outlined."

Seconded by Mr. T. Perry. Mr. Astbuiy mo\ed an amendment similar to that moved at other meetings, which was seconded by Mr. J. R. Corrigan.

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared carried by JO to I). ' At the termination of the "meeting the members of the board were entertained at supper, provided by the'ladies of the district— a thoughtful courtesy which was heartily appreciated.