Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1914. SEA OUTLETS AND BROAD ACRES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 71, 25 March 1914, Page 6

Evening Po st. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1914. SEA OUTLETS AND BROAD ACRES

As a consistent advocate during the last two years of the improvement of the harbour facilities of AJkitio County, The Post is glad to learn that the Government is .going to spend £15.000 for that purpose. That is our interpretation of the report of the speech delivered by the Minister for Marine at Pongaroa; for though Mr. Fisher made a stipulation that the district should find £60,000 for a freezing works if the Government found £15,000 for a wharf, we take it that the latter work will not be delayed till the private capitalisation is complete. If the commencement of the wharf were made contingent on the subscription of the money for the freezing works, it would be putting the cart before the horse; because, as a matter of fact, the wharf does not depend on the works so much as the works depend upon the wharf. Nothing is clearer than that meat-freezing at Akitio is practicable only if there are harbour facilities for export; given the latter, and the capitalisation of the refrigerating works appears to be quite feasible. Since the Minister's offer of £15,000 is, therefore, an essential preliminary, the Government would appear to be, by his action, committed to the delivery of the goods, and advance delivery at that. In advocating a port for Akitio, we hardly dared to hope for so large a grant from the State funds; but, if the money is being spent in the best manner, we are satisfied that the providing of a sea outlet for this isolated, undeveloped, and potentially rich district of the neglected East Coast is justifiable, ,not only on local, but on general grounds. In considering whether the money is being spent in the best manner, one must bear in mind that there are three harbour schemes. Two are river-mouth propositions, the rivers being the Aohanga and the Akitio; the third centres in the Akitio Landing, which is on the coast southward of the mouth of the Akitio. Akitio river, having been condemned by most of the authorities, may be dropped from consideration. The Akitio Landing is owned by Mr. F. Armstrong, a large landowner, and has the backing of the large landed interests in the neighbourhood ;< also, it would appear from recent reports, the -support of the Waione and Titree farmers. Tradesmen and township interests in Pongaroa (chief town of Akitio County), and residents of the more closely settled country on that side favoured the improvement of the Aohanga river. To these Mr. Fisher, with his usual assurance, conveyed the information that " the Aohanga was absolutely hopeless." In another part of his speech the Mm« ister referred to the Aohanga scheme as "practically impossible," but "something might be done with it if enough money were available." No\v, the minor scheme recommended in 1910 by Mr. J. D. Louch (Public Works District Engineer) was estimated to cost £200, and the major scheme £6000, which are both trifles compared with the £15,000 now offered by the Minister. Mr. Louch reported tbat the minor scheme (blasting of rooks) wou'd admit scows and'launches to the Aohanga river, and would give " better shipping facilities for settlers generally than either of the present landings." Under the major scheme, Mr. Louch estimated that for £6000 the Aohanga could be opened to coastal steamers (Ripple class). The Minister now says that the Aohanga is "hopeless" or " practically impossible, ' and oilers a £15,000 wharf, by moans of which, lie states, the Ripple can load at AUitio Landing without the need ot siuf boats. But Mr. Louch's 1913 report, on the improvement of the Landing does not appear to hold out any hope for the Ripple class, because of the swell. One factor in the selection of Akitio Landing as the port for this part of the Eait Coast is that Mr. Armstrong offers

perty, in the Marine Department, pro- j vided that the Government money is spent there. We do not know what monetary value this concession repre- j sents, but everyone knows what an in- I crement the opening of a port must , confer, not only on Mr. Armstrong, but on all the other large landowners of the immediate hinterland. However, if the Akitio Landing offers the best port facilities for Akitio County, the fact that the land is part of a big estate should not stand in the way. It should, however, powprfully affect other branches of Government policy. In the Massey Government's first Budget a really Radical principle was enunciated, to the effect that land should be bought in advance of railway,?, to divert the betterment from private owners to the State. An East Coast harbour costing the Government £15,000 is just as much a public work as a railway, and the improved access it will confer means an increment in value to which the State has an equally good claim. Under the Government's own professed principles, therefore, some of these big East Coast estates should now be ripe for acquisition for purposes of closer settlement. According to a calculation made by this paper a year ago, Mr. Armstrong- then possessed nearly 25,000 acres of freehold, with a capital value of over £100,000, unimproved value £66,454. The last figure is the bare land value at a valuation made about five years ago. and improved access, plus the lapse of time, will certainly, give it a big lift. Mr. Armstrong is, of course, by no maanp the only big landowner, for the East Coast is the home of them. They are partly the cause, and partly the effect, of lack of access. Now that steps are being taken to terminate the isolation of the Coast, the almost .forgotten principle of the Government's Budget of 1912 should be invoked to keep pace with the new State-provided access, and to anticipate the upward advance of the unimproved value of land, which otherwise will eventually be loaded on to the future small settler.