HARBOR IMPROVEMENT AND THE OTAGO CENTRAL.

Evening Star, Volume 8505, Issue 8505, 2 May 1891, Page 1

HARBOR IMPROVEMENT AND THE OTAGO CENTRAL.

The proceedings at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on Thursday were more than usually interesting, several subjects having been discussed which ttu of grave moment to the community. Chief among these were the position of the Harbor Board and the desirability of pushing forward the construction of the Otago Central Railway. The Chamber, and, we may presume, the commercial and business men of the City who are directly or indirectly represented, have, apparently, at last thrown off the apathy in regard to the latter question which was chiefly responsible for the slow progress of the work; and we may now look forward to pressure being brought to bear on Ministers to induce provision being made for carrying it to completion. The whole amount required is not very considerable, whilst the expenditure would almost necessarily be spread over a period of years. In regard to the Harbor Board it is of course sufficiently evident that they cannot “ make bricks without straw ”; and that in order to fulfil their proper functions, among which the improvement of the harbor is the most important, ways and means require to be provided. Unfortunately the landed endowments are not productive of revenue to anything like the amount anticipated when the Board was constituted, and they have no other source of income except the harbor itself. Necessity has consequently compelled a high scale of dues, and a rate of 3s per ton is now proposed to be levied on the shipping of goods coastwise. In the consideration that the shipping trade is already heavily handicapped, the idea has been revived of distributing the burden of the Board’s expenditure over a wider surface by constituting the country, which for imports and exports depends upon the port of Otago, a district over which a harbor improvement rate may be levied. The Board tinder the law as it stands have no power to levy each a rate, so that special legislation would be in the first place necessary. The Chamber, at the instance of Mr Kempxhoknk, resolved that it was desirable, “in the interests of “ commerce and the general good of the pro- “ vince, that the harbor dues and charges “ should be as light as possible ; and that as “ the present revenue of the Harbor Board “is insufficient to effect this reform, a “rate should be imposed more general “in its character, and be extended cc over the boundaries for which tile “ Dunedin Harbor is the natural outlet; 41 and further, that prompt steps be taken to “ bring to the Dunedin wharves the largest “ stetmers coming to the port.” This resolution, it may be noted, contemplates not only the maintenance by the Board of the improvements so far effected, bnt the further deepeningVd the channels so as to enable the ocean steamers to come up to the City wharves. Commending, as we do, the resolution adopted, we regret that it was not supported by more forcible arguments, and did not draw forth a more general expression of opinion. Only the proposer, seconder, and' the chairman, in patting the question, appear to have spoken; and they all treated the subject in a somewhat superficial manner—apparently not realising that the proposal to levy a harbor rate is, at first sight, likely to provoke very serious opposition on the part of the ratepayers. It can easily be shown that the enabling the Board to still farther improve the port of Otago, so as to render it available right np to the City wharves for vessels of deep draught, most prove of direct material advantage to the community in town and country, and especially to the owners of property, the value of which would be enhanced. They should hardly, therefore, grudge the comparatively trifling rate which would be required to be imposed, for which they would most certainly receive a quid pro quo directly and indirectly. Since the Victoria Channel has been opened, and' intercolonial steamers and Home and foreign ships have been able to discharge and load at the City wharves, it has been calculated, and we have reason to believe that the calculation is fairly accurate, that the saving in the carriage and handling of goods has averaged £150,000 a year, which otherwise would have been expended in freight to and from Port Chalmers, and other charges consequent upon loading and unloading there. The fact of the matter is that imminent danger exists of trade being driven c way from the port of Otago if the Board are constrained to still further increase the dues ; but it is clear that they mas *, by some means or another, raise sufficient revenue to meet their obligations, pay the staff, maintain the channels open, and proceed with farther ‘improvements. The question very much resolves itself into this; Is the trade to be driven away by heavy dues, and “ the goose with the golden egg” thus killed, to the manifest injury of the City and provincial district ? or will the people consent in their own interests to the levy of what, over the large area fairly contributory, would be pecuniarily an insignificant rate ? The Hon. Mr Reynold suggested that a public meeting should be convened to consider and discuss the question now formally raised by the resolution of the Chamber; and we think the suggestion might with advantage be acted npon. The opportunity would thus be given for a full explanation of the position ; and we are convinced that thereupon a strong opinion in favor of the conne recommended would be elicited.

The Chamber spoke very decidedly In respect to the continuation of the Otago Central Railway, and set forth in their resolution excellent reasons for the line being immediately proceeded with. It is gratifying to note that the resolution was passed unanimously, although among the members present were several influential citizens who have hitherto thrown cold water on the scheme, and deprecated the expenditure as useless. Mr Reynolds admits that he has been opposed to it from the first; bnt now, we may presume, he sees his mistake, and is for, metaphorically, taking the Government by the throat and forcing the disgorgement of unexpended or diverted appropriations ! It is to be regretted, however, that the honorable gentleman should allow his political predilections to overcome his judgment, and induce him to commit himself to such rash statements as he made at the meeting. “Parliament bad allocated,” he is reported to have said, “ for the Otago “Central large sums which had been de- “ voted to works between Wellington and “ New Plymouth ; and he must say that Sir “ Harry Atkinson, who was the party “ guilty of that, qpght never to be forgiven “by anyone in the Province of Otago.” Mr Reynolds has to go back to 1882 for the allocations to which he refers, since when several Ministries have been in power; and be would be rather puzzled, we think, to bring home to Sir Harey the absurd charges he prefers. Whatever his reasons for his antagonism to Sir Harry, it is not judicious to “look a gift horse in the month,” and we must needs be thankful that even so late in the day Mr Reynolds, Mr Ritchie, Mr E, B. Cargill, and possibly others who were of the way of thinking, are now alive to the necessity of poshing forward the Otago Central through the plains of the interior. The Minister of Works, if he visits ns, should hi made to understand that in this part of Otago no political considerations will be allowed to stand in the way of having the construction continued forthwith, It is a work of great urgency in the interests of settlement, andoonseqnmtly of colonial as well as provincial and local Importance.)

THIRD EDITION. fPublished at 5 p.m.l