THE PORT OF FOXTON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 197, 14 May 1908, Page 4

THE PORT OF FOXTON.

DEPUTATION TO HON. W. HALL-JONES. NO FURTHER AHEAD. : The deputation of loading citizens of.Foxton, which;int6Sviftyod>;tho Hon. J..A. Millar, oil Tuesday,, laid their caso before tho Minister for Railways yesterday. • i,Mr. J. 3tevfiii^ ;^[J ß, introduced,the deputation, Snd* Briefly, outlined the facts as submitted to Mr,'Milfhr. What, the deputation desired was that the control of tho wharf bo handed over to the proposed Hai- ■ fiour Board, and tj(jat tho latter retain the dues and pilotSfep l^® < after paying hand; ling -and . other and -2J per cent, commission collection'.of the dues. After tho expenses of the wharf had been deducted from the revenuo, it appeared tliat there psisteji. a.-jbalanqe .to the credit of..the Railway Dcpilrimenl*df about* £2600.; This, money was derived from tho ships which used the pprtj. i and„jU!;h being tho. case the first considei'ailp'if isttouid be that the money/ pr .a reasonable' proportion; of it, should be expended in. i majsing.».J'bo river navigable. The present 'pb§iti6it*Jlaight continue ad in-' finitum. -. They desired to .be treated in . tho same way., t as_.jyanganiii and Patca, viz.: — To liavo; tfigireyonuoifrom the port after the deductions above stated had been made." ]l" this could_not..bo l 'd6no, would tho Minister : basis which would .."aVpocuniary equivalent? Perhaps tlie Government could see its . way !,to -.•solb'tiie.vHarbouri Board, when in existence, the, wharvo's on terms: of payment similar .to' the system. lofV'repayment, ,to local bodies when borrowing. monoy for 42 years. , .■'Mr. Hennessy (prnfeident of tho. Chamber of Commerce) submitted the figures; ho had given..,tc.l.'tljg J,, A. Millar, showing that in tho returns of tho Patck Harbour Board, _and on tho'revenuo last year from tho FoxtonTwliarf, a credit balance of £1650 would be, left. If rtjjfl". Railway Department do as requestedj' lie had no apprehension as to tho Harbour Board's finance.

i -The « Hon. W." "THall-Jonesj \in replying, agreed as to the' necessity of improving the port; and lio. oiilarged on'tho importance of tho harbour. .inView of tho completion, of tho ; 'Jilt'would be jnorc affected than .Wanganiii , or .Paiea, '. because . traffic would:'.'notv hare'.■?36'£ba, diverted as in: the 1 case of these ports, but' would continue on the direct-route south. Ho had pointed this out already to a- Wangamti deputation. -In .tho when the Main Trunk;, was , the. charges for carriage , (with, the acquisition of tho'AYellington and Mariawatu . .that shippers would prefe'r'' i th'o ''dirdiit rail\ya'y route to'. 1 sending to. say,: Wariganui.' cr Patea for transliiphie'nt up the Main Trunk. With Foxton this would not be so, becauso the route would bo^dircctly..north, 'and_ro grouiid_ would ha.vfe # |plbe , retraced. Foxton was .doing right'm deciding-to; improve' tho ,port but the question'was -who'.was .to" boar tho'cost.. Ho pointed out that the wharf «as built. as.-p'art-of"the railways;- Its con-' struction had cost £5000; and two or three years ago,£l6oo or'£l7oo had been spent on ■ improvements, . -Now tho deputation I asked that it bj3i- T hitndefeiver las'.'ani.oiidowrhent. Tho^'.'.railways'' weTß~ofllj'; a; trust 'hold'- for the people. . If the wharf were handed over the railway 'revenue 'would -suffer. '■ Ho showed that tho ;cost of running the. railways had incrcascd;>'in recent ' years in • every Department. I/iirgo increases had ; been made-in wagos. ' ..There was = not a. single instance; howevoiv jwhere' charges had been increased. He pointed out /that 'the surrounding •district of foxton would benefit, ■ and agreedwith iMr.iiMillir . regarding : a larg'or 'jatirig' area. , As jto tho othor proposal .to'.sell the-' 'wharves, ijlie did not, think this would' ;! 6o, -a... wise course. If the'port ,'w.ero'improved*'a yory largo increase ' in the shipping would ensue, people'would ,liavo , clipaper carriage of their 'floods., Ho ; would, lay tho.' deputa-; rtiqn's' representatidSs^hofore'' his cpllcagues;i and haveithe inattqyjjfitte iiito,/aiidjieo'>.wha,t ; could ;,be4'dono to.Ss'sist this, work, 'the. 'imr:' portaneo ;.of which.'SpV,.the .whole' of tho'.' dis-'' trict ho 'fully. roaliiM.'';;:-l-A . ; .v, ( Mr, Hennessy asked why could they not be treated like Patea and Wanganui? ;.Tho .Minister: .The. wharves .thero were, riot built; by the Railteay Departirient: . , ~, Mr. Heiinessy uriderstood' from' 'inquiries made at. those-placcs that tho Gov- , eminent -had built them.'.,'. .< ; i Tho.Minister: : so; but not' as part ; ~ the! ! v|pr.king ; railways., The wharves , i-i loxton ijro pait and parcel of the railway scliome. o i ■ ■ ;" ; ~,

,i : Mr. Hehnossy:_sTh'o> river, is part; and parcel of tliei birthright'* of thedistrict, and if th<f, Railway Department choos'o,- to build wharves ;t.hßro. : -aßd-blaim 'it as, part of the railway,. < I7"3s"'^nsfc"''. , S6e where the justice of lotting the present state of tilings continue for'all time. llt will be impossible to prescribe _a'district and striko.a rato because, that .portion is already, included: in the Wellington Harbour/ Board District. ; If it had 'not"been for tho'railway wharf, said the Minister, where, would : Foxton be now? Mr. Stevens '•saST'tliaV the gravel taken' from the river bed"ftSs, used ' by tho Railway Department to tho extent' of thousands yards; yet this: liad. not been credited to the wharf:; at.:: all.:;oiJtii'would . liavo cost at •least,3s. 6d.'a-yardt toi/suuDly'similar 'metalat seomod.,they woriSJo 'hear all about'tho expenditure and_ nothing;about the receipts.' Mr.''Hennessy' said /some . thousands of ■yards been.taken by tho yard.•> >.'• • had; overlooked - this" ;was : & '• can -bo 'treated' si' ..it 1%%.- :wh§fo3nnot : '.ManawativP ' it advantage denied Mariinv?.tu. .. ■ j ' one caiso the wharf was built as oart of ..tho railways, and in the. other it V . .Mr. FranklaiiU:/We would pay you tho tho.- cost ,»of construction, 'etc. rr.jj'OU* would log havo tho .gross 'revenue! VEKANDAIL Mr. Stevgn's also complained that no verandall provided:; it tho ,Foxton' railway st^jonv ;? inconvenience was suffered .on rainy days. : Tho Minister . 'promised to look into tho natter.-' , • • •