THE TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1044, 16 December 1882, Page 3

THE TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

At the meeting of the Harbor Board last Tuesday, the resolution adverse to borrowing £IOO,OOO passed at the Geraldine meeting was forwarded by the Chairman, Mr E. Sherratt. Mr Postlethwaite wished to explain his action in connection with the meeting. He denied having organised an opposition to the proposal ; the only persons to whom he spoke on the subject being Messrs Coltman and Sherratt. When in May lant he asked whether any provision had been made far a reserve fund, Mr Studholme told him the shipping charges were to be raised. This assurance made him waive his objections. The Board after the disasters of May Uth, which were caused by encouraging too largo ships to come here, fell back on the old charges, and this they had no right to do. He objected to borrowing £IOO,OOO, aud said the reports laid before the public of the Board's position ware not fair ones. They had 20ft of water now, and that wag enough for the next twenty years. (No, no.) He denied having uttered one word offensive to Messrs Atcher and Moody at Geraldine, or that he had organised any opposition to the loan. He had done nothing but what he felt to be his duty. Mr Archer said Mr Postlethwaite and others were hard on himself. Mr Postlethwaite had stated that the matter had not been advertised, by which he implied that that had been done purposely. All meetimgs had been advertised three

times. Mr Coltman had said the meeting would not he dictated to by members of the Harbor Board. There was no attempt nmde at dictating. They had acted nuder advice from the Board's solicitor. Mr Postlothwaite iodised him of having neglected to fulfil his promise of laying the financial statement of the Board on the table.

Mr Postlethwaite said a great many things had been left out, and other matters put into the report ia the paper which rere not correct. He questioned whether the matter had been properly advertised.

Mr Moody said he had never before received such a reception as he had receive dat Geraldine. If not organised it was a very fair impromptu attempt, and it was strange how pat all the questions came. Mr Post'ethwaite said that only two harbors were necessary for the South Island, which explained hii opposition to the loan. Mr Moody referred to Mr Postlethwaite's Parliamentary conduct, and accused him of being the cause of the opposition in Geraldine.

Mr R. A. Barker suggested that as an impression had gone abroad that the Board's accounts had been ' cooked' the matter shouid be explained, or it would do a lot of harm. Mr Evans denied that 20ft of water would be sufficient for present requirements, and agreed with Mr Barker in saying that the statement re * cooking ' accounts should b* explained. Mr Turbull thought Mr Postlethwaite, if he felt opposed to the loan, ought to have resigned. It was bad taste of him to act as he had done. The thanks of the Board were dwe to Messrs Archer and Moody for attending the Geraldine meeting, and he moved a resolution to that effect.

Same further discussion was stopped by Mr Sutter stating that members of the Board were intited to a public meeting that evening at 3 p.m. The Cbiiirman read the following if atement which he mid hud been ear-fully prepared for circulation :

"In order to remo-re misconceptions from the minds of ratepayers in South Canterbury as to the intention of the Timaru Harbor Board, in regard to the rating power which it has been entrusted with, it has been considered desirable to explain that the Board has neither the desire nor the intention to ayail itself of this mode of raising reyenuc. From the most careful consideration of the subjeot the Board has come to the conclusion that no necessity exists at present, nor is it likely to occur in the future, that reeourse will be had to meeting rercnue from any other source than the usual charges upon goods shipper! and landed. " A few figures connected with the business of the port may serre to allay apprehension on the subject of rating property. " (1) The tonnage of the district, now amounts to a rery considerable figure. Comparison of statistics of the last seren years leads the Board to expect that, with a fair aTerage crop this season, the total trade of the port (imports and eipirt,«) will exceed 100,000 tons for year ending 3lst December. 1883.

"(2) That the profit on the business—baaed on the slightly increased rate recommended on sth May last, which are ready bo be put in f orCf .—•jrin giy e the Board an income of £IO,OOO gross.

"(3) That the expenditure cannot during next year, rtach anything like that figure, because only £IOOO Trill be required to meet the interest on the part of the loan expended during that year. "(4) That, at the present rate of construction, the whole of the loan cannot be spent within the next four years, so that the full annual oharge for interest and sinking fund will not require to be borne in its entirety from the Board's rerenue uutil the end of that time.

' (5) That it may bo fairly ,*peuttid that '.he increase of producing p .wer in the district will he ?o considerable during the next four years as to enable the Board —from the increase in tonnage (hipped—to r- duce tincharges on shipping considerably, " (6) That the extinction of the debt will be met by investing £IOOO annually for thirty years; at the end of that time the fund, -with compound interest, "will have reached £98,000.

"(7) That the Harbor Worts (which now promise, eyen in their present incomplete state, to be of great assistance in advancing shipping direct to London) haye been a free gift to the people of South Canterbury ; the grants to the Board,with accumulated interest, having paid for the Breakwater, wharf appliances, and plant as they now stand, at a cost of £130,000. It must be borne in mind that the succoscful investment of this sum, free of interest, is an endowment of a mott substantial kind. The severe testing of the tea-resisting qualities of the Breakwater gives assurance that the plan of eonstruuiien has been thoroughly proved, and the past funds of the Board invested with the most fatisfactory results. "(8) The Harbor Board believes that the district of South Canterbury, from its great extent and capacity for ptofitab'e production is entitled to consider itself worthy of a harbor, giving outlet to its varied produce direct to any port in the world. " The Board trusts that every ratepayer in the district will support the propoeal on which the future producing and commercial importance of South Canterbury depends; that the time is not far distant when steam communication direct with England will be mcoeeifullj established from the port of Timaru.

" The future conduct of Harbor Board business will be the reiulb of the country lettler's own action, as the new Board to be elected in February, 1883, will coniist of eight members returned by Country districts, and three from the town of Timaru; go that questions concerning the administration of affairs will practically be in the hands of repre»entatiTes returned by and directly responsible to the country ratepayers.

" FULTJERT AItCHKK, " Chairman Timarn Harbor Board."

On the motion of Mr Eians, seconded by Mr Barker, the statement as read was approved and ordered to be printed and circulated a« -widely as possible.