HARBOR IMPROVEMENT SCHEME.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1918, Page 6

HARBOR IMPROVEMENT SCHEME.

UN#nMOUaStJIEPOBT AT'DOUGLAS.

There was an attendance of about >IOO at the meeting which was h?ld at the conclusion of the Douglas sale yesterday, in order to discuss the proposals submitted by the New Plymouth Harbor Board for the development of the harborMessrs Newton King (ehairman)_and J. M'Cluggage (member of the iiarbor Board) were .present. Mr. E. Walter, chairman of ttfe Stratford County Council, was voted to the chair, and, in introducing the membcraof the board, stated that 10 years ago, when the Harbor Board came before them for a loan, they had promised to do certain things, and this promise they had fulfilled. They could, therefore, come before the ratepayers with confide 1 . in submitting fresh proposals to the 1 he was satisfied that it would be tie best interests of Taranaki if the scheme was carried through. Mr. King then explained the proposals at length, as at previous meetings, pointing out that if the loan were not carried, the board would have to strike a small rate on the old loan, in order to permit if funds being available therefrom to run the dredge throughout the your, partly on improvement work and .partly on the ordinary maintenance worl«. The •revenue from the harbor at present was just £12 : 000 per annum, and, but for the loan, would have been greater. He emphasised the point that the .whole responsibility of carrying out the scheme rested with the people of the No. 3 area, as, unless they decided to come in, the Bill would fall, even if the other two areas gave unanimous vote' in favor, ile detailed the advantages to be derived from the port in direct exports and imports, showing that on SO,OOO cases of benzine, alone there had been a saving of iCUOO. This was an item which tne greatly-increased use of milking machines, motor-cars and motor-waggons, would enormously; increase. Manures aiso wouid :ue required in very large quantities, lie pointed out that, as so many of the smaller class of Home liners visiting the port had been submarined, it was. absolutely necessary to prepare the port to accommodate boats of 11,000 tons, which the shipping companies were building for the New Zealand trade. Tne companies recognised that they must cater for the various ports on the New Zealand coast, as owing to its configuration they could not centralise. Two of the shipping companies had already sent their ships to New Plymouth to load meat, and the third company—the Cunard Line —was sending a ship early next month, to lift from -30,000 *o 35,000 carcases-

The strongest opponents in South Taranaki, in advocating the claims of Patea, had not raited one point against the present scheme; in fact, they all said that it was a fine conception, the details of which he then explained. Mr. M'Cluggage said that when the advocates of the last loan addressed the ratepayers they were considered very optimistic when they said that there would be no rate, or that, if there were, it would be so small as not to be worth collecting. Their optimism, however, had been justified by results. If they supported the present scheme, he considered there would be no rate, and that within three or four year 3 regular ships would be coming here, which would if: to the interests of every man, woman, and child in Taranaki. The opponents of-the scheme staked their all on the question that the payment of the coastal freight would not be taken off, but he considered the shipping companies would not pay this freight one moment longer than they wanted to. The members of the Harbor Board, six of wliom rcprcsentcd the third area, after careful consideration, had agreed that the scheme was the best in the whola, interest,? of Taranaki. He also touched on'the splendid endowments of the harbor and i-s excellent prospects in connection with the development of the ironsand industry, the oilfields, and the great trade likely to accrue when the line was completed from Stratford to the Main Trunkline. In conclusion, he urged them all to support the scheme at the poll. Tn reply to Mr. Sowerby, the chairman stated that it was estimated that the edditior.al SOOft of the breakwateer, the wall to Moturoa, some reclamation on the foreshore, also the provision of 1200 ft extra berthage, could be provided at an expenditure of £150,000 Mr. Andrews spoke strongly in sup. port of the scheme. $ Mr. P. W. Court said that there was a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed in this pilrt of the No. 3 area at attitude taken up by the leading opponents ot the scheme in South Taranaki .'n posing as voicing public opinion. He stated emphatically that it certainly did not apply to the majority of the proirressives. He noticed that when Mr 1 owdrell gave some figures that were controverted regarding freights, he remarked that he was not an em-ye'opoe-dia. Well, the speaker considered that the statements should not have been made unless the author was certain of '.heir correctness. He felt that he wa» voicing the sentiments of every fanner in saying that Mr. King and the other members of the Harbor Board had been symbolical of progress in Taranaki for the past '2j /ears, and all felt satisfied in following their leadership, rather than that of the men who advocated Patea, though he was quite open to conviction if they could show that they were working purely in the .public interest of Taranaki. He asked the chairman if the leading opponents had a mandate from the people to act as they did. The chairman said a Vigilance Committee was appointed at a meeting held in Hawera—outside the rating district—and attended by, he believed, 17 people. Mr. Court: Not a public meeting. Mr. A. Needham then moved—"That this meeting of ratepayers in the Douglas district, after hearing the addresses of the chairman and members of the New Plymouth Harbor Board on the proposals for the improvement of the port, is heartily in accord with same, and is satisfied that the scheme is in the best interests of the ratepayers of No " area, and urges all to vote solidly al th» poll iu favor thereof,"

This was seconded by Mr. J. Stewart and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks was accorded ttie chair.

It moving a vote of thanks to the menVwrg of the Harbor Board, tlie chairman stated that they had done good work in the past and de-served the thanks of tbe whole district for bringing down this practical scheme.