Timaru Harbour District.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 161, 11 June 1901, Page 3

Timaru Harbour District.

INCLUSION OF WAIMATE BOROUGH.

There was a fair attendance of ratepayers last evening in the Oddfellows’ Hall to discuss the inclusion of Waimate Borough in the Timaru Harbour district. Dr Barclay was voted to the chair. Mr John Manchester, the hrst speaker, said as Mayor of the town the Borough Council instructed him to call this meeting to discuss the whole ’question. He sketched the history of the barhour from the first* when a grant i

f (of £100,500 wusgiven by Gnverni rnenfc, As this, with the h irbour ) earnings,- was supposed to be l’ ample for construction and rnain- - tenance, Waimate county went in, . but the borough, as a non-pro- ) dncing body, had stood out with- ) out protest. Two £IOO,OOO loans ) and then a third were raised, and I it would take all this money to : complete the work. It was said I we did not contribute to Oaraaru, : but what had we fo do with either except as it served our purpose, : for nine-tents of our imports : came from Dunedin via Oamaru. In any case, the Timaru people entered into liabilities, and they • should pay them. Tire chief ■ arguments on the Board were that it was unjust that Waimate should be exempt. The boot was 1 on the other foot. But without pressure or sanction from Waimate town Timaru took the burden on themselves. They had had neither voice nor vote on the raising of tho loans, and they had no right to be saddled with these rates. No Parliament would entertain the forcing of such a situation on any borough. They said we derived benefits, but we paid all the fees they asked. _ Again, Waimate people had little faith in the works at present in hand. At last meeting of the ■ Board the chairman admitted 'that the recent slorm had done jGBOdd worth of damage, hut neither of the Tinmen reporters noted I his. One of the loans was within mens a ruble distance of maluiuty, and to force Waimate in was a monstrous idea. Their norlhern friends moled watching; once they wished to exchange their Old Mati's Home for Waimate Hospital, and then lo help throw stones into tho South Pacific, but Waimate was not having any. Now it was ‘ bare knuckles,’ and Timaru would leave no stone unturned to force them in, while they must use every endeavour to keep out. In reply to Mr Graham the speaker said there had been no attempt to provide a ranking fund. The matter was then op-m for discussion. Air Chun cut proposed —“That* in view of the action taken by sue Timaru Harbour Hoard to have the Borough of Vv'aimate included in the Harbour Board district, this meeting of Borough ratepayers strongly protests on the following grounds: Because when (lie boundai ies of I lie harbour district were first fixed it nought to be excluded mid was so excluded by Parliament. {'■') Because of the heavy liabilities incurred by the raising of three loans of £1(VA(!H0 each, in which the vatepaye-s of Waimalo have had neither voice nor paid. (H) Because in the opinion of this 1 meeting tine prospects of making ami maintaining a good harbour, at Timaru, seeing that up to the ; present nearly half a million pounds has been spent, including tho works in hand, ami with very unsatisfactory resnhs. (’) Because Waimate draws mod of its imports from the Dunedin market, ami can get them cheaper via Oamaru than via Timaru, and cheaper than from bytHton or Christ church via Timaru This - meeting therefore respectfully requests the Waimate Borough Council to lake the most vigorous and decisive action in resisting ( . such Tin unjust proposal.” Mr G. 11. Graham seconded the mol ion, and after mover and J

seconder hud spoken at length, it wus put ami carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to Mr Manchester and the chairman closed the proceedings.