THE HARBOR BOARD ENDOWMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2065, 11 August 1885, Page 2

THE HARBOR BOARD ENDOWMENT.

[To the Editor,] Sir,—l notice in one of yourlatejssues that jt a meeting held at' Masterton on Tuesday, the 4thinst., two subjects were considered, viz., Ist, A proposal to open up i Crown Lands. 2nd, To protest against an endowment .being granted to the Wellington Harbor Board. I notice that a resolution was carried. "That this meeting protests against any portion of the land in the district being granted to the Wellington Harbor Board, as it is required for settlement." Now, Sir, I wish to discuss this latter resolution without any political bias, and I tvnat others will do the same. The •Wellington Harbor Board is in an exceptional position. One of the most important harbors of' New Zealand is without any endowment worthy of the name. Mr Travers in his statement to Sir Julius Voi(el stated that the value of the endowment it does possess is nil. Dunedin, Auokland, Lyttelton, Napier. Giaborne, Timarn, andOamaru all have considerable advantages in this respect. All these ports are receiving or will receive, considerable revenues from their landed endowments. Those that take the trouble to consider the future prospects of the colony, and can appreciate the peculiarly advantageous position New Zealand will occupy in the Southern seas when the Panama Canal is opened, can see that each district in .New Zealand will do its utmost to offer facilities to the steamship companies carrying the mails, &c., to make their harbor the port of arrival and departure. If other harbors in New Zealand, being more fortunate 111 the way of endowmer.ts and income than Wellington, can offer greater facilities than we can offer, such as graving docks, superior accommodation, etc., the trade -that Wellington, from its central position, should secure, will be lost. Such an advantage once lost will not be easily secured to us. Now, my proposals are these That the Wellington Harbour Board should get an endowment such as will place this harbor fairly on a par—as far as colonial assistance is concerned—with the other harbors of the colony. That, if endowments are granted tliey should bo subject to the provisions of the Act for dealing with the Waste Lands of the Crown, and should be sold by the Waste Land Board, with this exception, that if land should bo sold under the cash system, that 25 per cent of sums received should also be paid to the local 1 odies in addition toamounts paid underthcregulationsof the systems of leasehold and deferred payment. Under these circumstances no I district could possibly suffer either f financially or by retarded Vettloment, Whether the Legislature would grant such a diversion of a portion of the land fund, is entirely another question; but 1 cannot, under the circumstances, understand how any Wellington settler, from whatever part of the Provincial District he may hail, objecting to such assistance being granted. It appears to me that such a course is somewhat akin to the "dog in the manger" principle, If I were to be guilty of such shortsighted and selfiah actions, I could not expect my fellow members representing town constituencies, to give rap chat cordial assistance in financial questions that'the Wairarapa, with its unsatisfied wants, is certain to need, Wellington has enough jealousy to contend with without having to meet opposition from those that should be ready and willing to assist, especially when by .so assisting wo can help ourselves materially. Any increase in the trade of our port must he to the advantage of the country districts equally with the town, It should be. known that I, assisted by Mr Buchanan, by our local knowledge rescued from the grasp of the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company, the Pahiatua, 'Manftatainoke, and part of the- Bketahuna settlement. The land would have been absorbed without any restrictions. This being the case, I think ray friends of the Forty-Mile Bush Districts ought to believe that lam not likely to sacrifice their interests in the slightest degree. . I am, &c.,

George Beetjiam. • P.S.—MrMcCardle's land proposals are at present so crude that it is difficult to discuss them without full details: '"m,