SUGGESTED RECLAMATION OF EVANS BAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 116, 17 May 1907, Page 6

SUGGESTED RECLAMATION OF EVANS BAY.

MR LUKE'S SCHEME FOR PROMOTING INDUSTRIES. THE MAYOR'S VIEWS. "I don't think I can add very mucii to what lm already been Gaid," tho Mayor (the Hon. T. W. Hislop) lemarked this morniug, when pressed by a Post reporter to give his views on Mr. J. P. Luke's bchcniD for reclaiming Evans Bay with a view to greater industrial development in the city. "Can you tell me whether Wellington is to have a population of 250,000 or 100,000?'' he continued. "If the figure is to be a quaiter of a million, then the head of Evans Bay is going to be in exactly tho came position as Oriental Bay at th« present tims — too valuable for industrial purposes." This by way of a preliminary canter. Discarding the possibilities of the future, however, Mr- Hislop said he was in sympathy with the object of the enquiry suggested in Mr. Luke's notice of motion. "But," he 6aid, "we (shall havo to get information which is not available at present in order to determino whether the proposals will supply a euro for tho trouble which undoubtedly exists now iv procuring the ncosssary sites for carrying on our industries. "Whatever advantage the change of local taxation has had — whereby the tax is placed upon tho unimproved value — it undoubtedly has had a. vctj- detrimental effect on such industries as tho iron and timber tia-des. These industries, as a tulc, under tho old system of taxation, would not bo rated nearly so heavily as they are under the existing condition of things. I think experience has eho-nn that if you desire industries to bo carried on in tho community, it is necessary to afford them some kind of protection. The protection suggested by Mr. Luke of giving leases at a cheap rate- of interest, on condition that tho leas« bo granted can only be ij>ed for industrial purposes, would no doubt be a very effective bonus if the manufactures could always bo aseured of the advantage. "The lea&cs or licenses would havo to be, veiy strictly drawn in order to prevent that from' ari&injr which has arisen in the case of perpetuaL leases of like holdings in the past, viz., the original holder — ■and piohably those who succeeded him — is enabled from time to time to noil out at a premium. "The scheme," he further stated, "would almost suggest tho undertaking by the city- of such industries iu>elf, or at least tlic acquiring of the machinery and improvements necessary to ca-riy them on. The whole matter "requires very careful consideration by both lo.^al bodies."' Mr. Hislop's opinion on tho ' relative reclaiming rights of Harbour BoarJ and tily Council was brief and to the point. "I think tho Harbour Board ought to be a body constituted purely for tbe administration of shipping,'' lie ' faid, "whether it exists as a committee- of tho City Council — which I think it ought always to have been — or the independent body it no-.v is. T do nit believe in the board having tho right to odd to the city by reclamation except merely for tho purpose of paying for worfi necessary for carrying out such reclamations.