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Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1918, Page 7

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take no risks, and required it for 365 davs.

To Mr. Corrigan: He had not estimated the <;ost of the completed seheme, because it was one of development as the port grew, and could, if necessary, bj modified. Mr. Murdoch said that with ocean boats during the year therj was a deficit of £SOOO, and he wished to know how many ocean boats would be required to meet the liability if ~ they expended £300,000. He considered that at present there was r>oo tons of produce available for shipment, aud did n>->t think that ve;sek .would waste a day coming to New Plymouth—a day loading "and a day going, to load the produce when it sould be loaded.in Wellington. Mr. Wilkinson had estimated the freight from New Plymouth the same as from Wellington The chairman said that the profits last year were £9OOO. Next year they would be' more. Tt was difficult to estimate owing to ; the congestion of shipping and the amount in store. Six boats bed 'been -in; apd'.t would take eight more to clear I the wo. Us. He estimated thi:t if the produce was shipped the- net prafks would be from £12,000 to £15,000. Ho pointed one Ibn*. the boats could leav<i and travel to Wellington by night and so be only two lights and a day bad-

Mr. Wilkinson said the freight all round the'eoast for the home liners was a level one.

In reply to a question, Mr.Powdrell stated that his company ctiarged-27's lOd per ton by their own steamer. ■■■ Mr. Wilkinson said the cost by rail to New Plymouth would be 21s 2d.

THE AVAILABLE PRODUCE. Mr. J. S. Connett pointed out that at present over 13,000 tons of dairy produce annually was shipped at Moturoa. Then there was 4000 tons at Smart Road, and, say, 7000 tons at Waitara, making 24,000 ttfns at the northern end. If boats were loaded at New Plymouth Patea would see it to their interests to ship from New Plymouth. The produce available for shipment was, therefore, ample for shipment, and the .possibilities of increase were tremendous.

ADVANTAGES OF PATEA. Mr. Powdrell said that Mr. Wilkinson had stated that the opposition came largely from the vested interests at Patea. What was meant by vested interests? The West Coast Refrigerating Company had between 1500 and 2000 farmer ] shareholders, and Patea Freezing Works had 700. Could they not endeavor to protect their interests without being called vested interests—which they were no more than New Plymouth? If it could be shown that they could ship Id cheaper through New Plymouth he would give his assurance that thur stuff might go through New Plymouth. He touched on the impossibility o£ railing meat any distance, owing to the expense entailed in re-hardening, pointing out that on that account they had to go in for a boat with a refrigerator - to send their meat to Wellington. 'While they had the freezing works' and their own boat free of debt they could afford to charge a very low freight, and the back cargo was sufficient to pay nearly all charges. Farmers had big interests to consider. If they sent the meat by boat to New Plymouth there would be no back cargo. He said that Kaupokonui had saved £1340 by railing to Patea as against New Ply: mouth., Mr. Wilkinson asserted that the payment of coastal freight by the shipping companies would be stopped. Nothing had been said by the shipping companies to iiie National Daily Association to that effect. Tiie refrigerating, company had put up the rate twice, and the shipping companies had never said anything about cancelling the agreement. In his opinion it would not be cancelled. That was only the assumption of the New Plymouth Harbor Board members. The wish was father to the thought, as nothing would drive our trade to New Plymouth more than the cancellation of that arrangement, It meant, as Mr. King had said, that it might be necessary to scrap the works at Patea. He wanted them as reasonable farmers to look at the profits that had been made. Half of the shareholders were out of the third area, but they could not take from one without affecting the other. The freezing works showed a profit of .£9OOO. The refrigerating company had given them rebates totalling £25,000, which the works and steamers had earned. The storage was the same as at Moturoa. Voice: Question! "It hems to me," he added, "that you (ire saying: "You have good land and we want your security,' and say in return that if you get a good harbor all will be well. If we get the boats, all will be as we hope it will." He would assure them that time-table boats would not. come without regular cargoes, and they would never send Patea meat to New Plymouth.

NOT AGAINST NEW PLYMOUTH. He was not again'st New Plymouth. He liked to see progress, and would like to see them with the best harbor in New Zealand. They not only wanted their land, but they wanted their produce, or, if not, they would have to wait three months for a boat. Tn order to enable dairy companies to finance there must be a fortnightly service. Patea had had a weekly one. It had been pointed out that it would cost 2s 2d cvtra to rail from Aur'oa to New Plymouth, but if that railway took as long as the rail to Toko no one need worry. Suppose they got their harbor, and there was not sufficient produce; was it not natural that they would try to get the payment' of the coastal freight done away with? It was only natural, as they were all human.

Mr. Maxwell: It may be, ■ natural to you, but not to an honorable man, All the members are honorable men, and no suggestion should be made of thai nature.

SHIPPING COMPANIES NOT PHILANTHROPISTS.

Mr. King said that it was only common sense to suppose that if the meat boats to Kew Plymouth were prepared to tstke in cheese and butter the ship-ping-companies were going to consent to pay the freight on the produce to Wellington to be loaded in the same boats. Shipping companies did not chuck money about, and the coastal freight was costing £2r>,ooo per annum. Possibly nothing had been said five years ago about stopping this, but the possibilities of New Plymouth were not known then.

Mr. Wilkinson repudiated the. statements imputing such base motives to the board.

Mr. ft. Turner, who had taken part in the discussion at times, made a remark' drawing from Mr. Wilkinson the reply: "This is a meeting of ratepayers, and you are guilty of what I call impertinence." Mr. Astbury said that the question was put to the members of the Harbor Board as to how they knew the coastal freight was to be taken off, and they said, ''We know," If any suspicion was niis?d the board members had thsniselvjj. to bUuie. He spoke in opposition to toe

scheme, remarking that he did'not believe in finding the money to scrap his own works.

Mr. Corrigan said that the Hawera Dairy Company were all shareholders at Moturoa, but they found it paid them to leave New Plymouth and go to Patea, even though they had to pay 3s (id per share premium.

THE RISK OF A RATE. After further discussion, Mr. Corrigan said that all would recollect that the Harbor Board told them ten years ago thp.t if they went in for a loan of £3QO,000 they would get the home liners to call. They had now spent the money, and were in the position that if they could not get more they would have to strike a rate, and it was obvious that if they Went in for this loan another rate would be required whea it was expended. > Mr. King: That is not bo. Wc:Will have attained our object. Mr. Corrigan said the scheme was all right, but the members of the board had been born 50 years too soon. The trade of the port did not -warrant it. He asked ratepayers not to forget tbaf. they were asked to pledge their land. They had got out of the, heavy rate that had burdened them not so much by the .nembers of the Harbor Board as by the development of Taranaki during the past twenty years, and he did not think that even the moat optimistic man would consider there would be the same in the next twenty years.. They had not been tbld what the revenue of the port would be,, and until that was done he would not back up the scheme. If they waited until the population was four or five times as large he would support it. He complimented members on the case they had made out, but considered that they should receive 5 a mandate from the ratepayers to shelve it until after the war as no one had any idea what the taxation would bo, and they would want to conserve everything possible. Mr. King: Then save iii the landed cost of your goods.

A RESOLUTION CARRIED. Mr. Corrigan then moved—"That it is the opinion of this meeting that the proposal put forward by the New Plymouth Harbor Board be shelved until after the war." Mr. Murdoch seconded.

Mr. T. Carman moved as an amendment, "That the ratepayers are in favor of the scheme being gone on with."

• Mr. C. E. McGuinness seconded. , The amendment was lost, and the re solution carried.