BETTERMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 254, 20 July 1908, Page 8

BETTERMENT.

EVANS BAY RECLAMATION. • HARBOUR EMPOWERING BILL. A member of TnE Dominion staff has been making some inquiries as'to tho position regarding, the objections to tho Harbour Empowering. Bill now before Parliament, and has-obtained the following information and views regarding the Bill and ' the proposed : works at Evans .Bay.' Tho principal objections are to Clause 16 or the. bqtterment clause,: and the principal, points of this clause are: —• • ; 1. Betterment refers not only to. reclamation ,but also '.to any works carricd out by the Board 1 . .. . " 2. The, Bbard-is to receive the whole of any 1 betterment croatcd. , 3. Tho principal is to bo applied not only to this 'Act,'but. to any , other Act, 1 in' existence, or that, may be passed in the future. 4.- There is' no time limit whatever as to when reclamations or- works are to be completed. : -■ 1 . • • 5. Compensation awarded against a landowner would-be a first charge on his land, ranking in. priority even to then existing registered .encumbrances. ■ _■ The wliolo question of betterment in this instance, says our informant, opens up some interesting.;points, for when its application is made to works which term would mean almost entirely wharves, which are remunerative; in their use, then its application might very easily result in- the Harbour Board's operations, in a district where betterment had beeir applied, showing a handsome profit at. the expense of tho district. The'first part of the reclamation and .works proposed to be carried out, it is understood, would ;be • a harrow strip -of; reclamation in the .vicinity-.of the Miramar wharf and tho erection of a double-docked / wharf, which would givo provision for tlio handling of tho large .quantities of coal and, other/commodities to -be' used in the'industry of the Wellington Gas Company, and timber factories, etc., in" the vicinity. , If one allows £20,000 for the wharf,, and,-say,'' £10,000 to £20,000. for reclamation, etc., one has an expenditure of, say- £40,000 .for the' first part of the scheme.- In view, of, the largo and-more or less kiiown quantities of coal, coke, pipes, etc., which the Gas Company alone would require; to-liandlo; it seoins quite certain that this first expenditure would pay , from thestart?" with',- of course; an increasing revenue a.?: time? goes on. '. Further reclamations and wharves ; would presumably ,ho't : be undertaken \ciitil tllo .likely demand warranted such action'.:-•• .' . t . ..Taking. the first part of-the scheme, an expenditure of,, say, £40,000; it would probably,' :bo' found that' it would- be, easier to prove, .betterment in connection with this' than in connection with subsequent portions of .the'complete scheme. And ,as tlio clauso. in tho Tiill is now drafted, there seems noreastm. Why' Harbour Board, should not claim; and' possibly, obtain, from landowners in the, vicinity the wliolo amonnt of their expenditure, an extraordinary position, for..the board- would be obtaining a substantial revenue in . connection with works that had cost them nothing. , ' , . Generally,- tho objections to the betterment clause, are due rriostly to the feeling; that tho' lands in, the vicinity of the proposed works would, .be ; placed, upoli the passing of tho Act, .under very' serious financial disabilities.' There'; is ; too "much uncertainty, It" is felt thai financiers- would not-lend money upon lands.with such an embargo upon them as the .!Act;, as now drafted, ; proposes. : There, ge'ems considerable misunderstanding in the minds of the public as to tho proposals regarding this Evans Bay scheme, somo ,people; seem,'to' thiiik that the Harbour Board propose-to reclaim suddenly some Hundreds. of ; acres of land. ..Common sense surely suggests no such suicidal policy, but it does suggest; the provision of shipping facilities at Evans ■ Bay for ordinary industry; and' tho gradual provision , of' suitablo sites for those industries which require to bo located close to tho shipping berthago. - , Theso' sites would only be provided as the demand warranted, the. whole - scheme of reclamation' would tako many years to carry out. Evans Bay, Tvith its one; thousand (1000) acres of absolutely level land surrounding its'eastern and southern shores, not. counting the area . of, any lands .which 'may be . reclaimed, and its four or fivo miles of suitable foreshore, abutting on a depth of .water of 30ft.. within a : short stone's throw of high ,;water mark' .and . quickly shelving to a, depth' of ,'up \to ! 58ft;, is far too good a natural harbour-'- to 'bo left undeveloped. If Port Nicholson is.to.be developed into a progressive'and industrial port, it is to bo'hoped that ; the ' differences between the Wellington Harbour Board and tho various objectors to its Bill; may be .settled-'satisfactorily at ran' early date, • arid that the Bill may receive speedy confirmation by the Legislature. .