THE OUTER HARBOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2042, 30 March 1907, Page 2

THE OUTER HARBOR.

CONFERENCE REGARDING bIR. REES’S SCHEME.

A conference of members of local bodies was hold on 'Thursday afternoon to take into consideration tho scheme propounded by Mr. W. L. Roes. There woro present: The County Chairman (Captain Tucker) in the chair, tho Mayor (Mr. J. Townloy), Messrs AY. Siovwriglit, D. Hepburn, AV. AVobb, J. AV. AVitty (Secretary Harbor Board), G. Mnt.thowsou, J. AV. AA'hinray, and A. F. Matthows.

As tlm mooting " proceeded Messrs J. A. Harding, C. Evans, D. Morico, and J. East attended.

Tho Chairman said they had seen Mr.'Roos’s sehomo in tlie papers, and ho would without further delay ask Mr. Rees to address them. Mr. Rees regretted there were so few present, and that many business men lmd not thought it worth while to give the short time necessary to attoiul tho meeting. However, as tlie press was well represented bo would address tho .public through them, blr. Rees- went oil to detail tho stops that had led up to that mooting. 110 had proposed that £250,000 be borrowed. That might liavo boon thought inadequate, but lie would show that it was not. Taking. Mr. March an t’s scheme, . that engineer had chosen AVaihirore stone as being the most suitable, because largo blocks of stone from 15 to 20 tons could be cut out there and brought down by a lino which Mr. Mareliant estimated at £35,000. He (Mr. Rees) proposed to take that from the harbor and allot it to tlie railway. Analysing blr. Marcliant’s estimates for tlie breakwater, lie showed how still water and absolute protection could be. obtained for £115,000 —that was for the breakwater alone. The Board lor the sum of £25,000 would receive £BO,OOO. For the next three years £IO,OOO to £12,000 could be spent without further borrowing. That would, say, bo £30,000, and with the £BO,OOO in band, which would build the reclamation, construct a portion of tho. breakwater, and give COO feet of wharves. The 027,000 in band, tho £BO,OOO and'tlie £IO,OOO a year would enable them to accommodate all the mail and passenger boats, in which tho public were specially interested. Tlie Board would bo so strong in three years, when the Tamvhareparae block leases fell in, that the Board could continue without any further borrowing at all. Referring to the tramway, he said’the rail could go to an angle from the County road, then on to Patutahi, and from thence to AVliarokopiie. Mr. Mareliant bad proposed a heavy railway. He (Mr. Rees) proposed a double line to a given point, and from tliero to throw out a light line". Tlio cost to Patutahi quarry lie set down at £50,000. If tho line be stopped at Mr. Sydney AVillianison’s at Ngatapa, where, there was a sudden rise and fall, the permanent line under Government regulations could be stopped and tlie settlers communicate 'from there by " rough lings. That would materially reduce tlie cost. He bad asked the Government to consider purchasing £30,000 worth of railway for opening up the Taliora and other portions of the district. Private lines being made would have to join in to get the benefit, not necessarily in money but in trade, enabling tlio timber that was now an encumbrance to be tapped and converted into a very valuable article of commerce.- He hail been told that tho timber in the Taliora was even better than that in tho Motu. His proposition went for the harbor, railway, and supply of stone. He only asked that the Borough should pay the first cost of the metal, and they would not do anything until a substantial company was assured, and of that bo had no doubt. On the stone he claimed that tho company which leased the railway could pay interest in tlie first three years, out of tlie stone alo m. Dealing with the timber, he Slid a company could bring down 50 million foot a year, and could out of that pay for the lino ten times over. The Borough and County Councils must have stone, and must go to Patutahi and AA’athirore for it. 'Taking Mr. Gibbon’s estimate of the cost of supplying AYailiirere stone, and even reducing that, they could supply the stone and as well make sufficient out of it to pay sinking fund and interest. The grade from Mr. day’s was all downwards, and it would not cost more than 4d a ton to bring Do stone down. He bad obtained ink iination through tlie permission >f Mr. Ronayne and with figures suppi ied by Mr. AA'ellsted, a train could bo brought down for one day at a cost of £3 Is. He went on to givo figures as to the weight that could be brought in by railways of different sizes, and again claimed that £130,OOO'WviuKl—l>o -oHllipiAuWMr— iMOi'n — tlieir harbor needs, A solvent, reputable company could be got to take this up. The expenses would he reduced by a minimum and the increase to -the maximum. There was no question of rates. It was simply a matter of obtaining the will of the people. This would give them the harbor which they must have, and open up all this district. He would ask that meeting to rccommond that each body have a public meeting called, so that they could have a private Bill prepared. That would not commit them to anything, but- would give them authority to proceed. A private Bill would not require the precedent plan of a harbor. The

merest sketch would do, showing that the people wanted the harbor, that no claim was likely to be made on the Government, and that if necessary tlie people were prepared to pay it. Backed up by these three important local bodies, there would be no trouble at all, and when they had the scheme in detail they ‘could calmly and critically consider it, He bad thought of going into the subject of sowage and connecting that with tho scheme.

Mr. Whinray: Leave it out. Mr. Rees: Yes, I have boon advised to do that. Continuing, he reverted to the subject of metal, end said let the .Harbor Board nay the £200,000, of which they would get £50,000 back and let the Borough and-County get the stone for nothing, leaving the Company to pay interest and sinking fund. In less than three years they could have one of the most commodious harbors in New Zealand, and it could be continued, the most expensive part, it must be remembered, being the last. He alluded to the progressive, steps being taken by the Napier people, and said they were perhaps taking example from what the people were doing here. The speaker said the advantages were very great, and the cost could be reduced to a certainty. He was certain he was within the mark in saying that £15,000 to £20,000 would be saved from the £200,000. Ho would be pleased to answer questions, and among the points' ho said he would be glad of giving information would bo that of opening up the road to Waikaremoana and making Gisborne the entrepots of that part of the district. He had, he said, confined himself to authorities in all that he had dealt with. Ho would like to have a hand in drawing up the Bill 'and seeing it through the House. The estimates were so liberal that ho was confident in saying that in no case would the actual expenditure come up to the estimates. He akked that the representatives of the local bodies report on the subject so that all the local bodies should join in calling a public meeting to consider the carrying on of the scheme. The Chairman said lie had no hesitation in saying that very great, advantages would accrue if the scheme could be carried out; it would atone blow make the place boom. It was not lor him (the Chairman)’ to say how it was to be done ; he did not suppose any of them would readily grasp the details without further consideration. Mr Rees had said that lie would be pleased to answer questions, and one that had struck him was as to how the work was to be done without expense to them. Was it ■ proposed, haying taken these powers, by Act of Parliament to look to financiers for the money?- He dared say they would not look in. vain, but ho would like information . on the point. ! Mr. Reos said that if a company ; were authorised he believed the whole sum for building the harbor and providing in railway and stone could be done without any charge. The matter must first lie done through the local bodies, as it was against the policy of the Government to delegate such works to private individuals. He claimed there would be no necessity to come on the rates for sixpence. He believed a company could make £IO,OOO out of the cartage of the timber alid in stone, besides the benefits they gave to the local bodies.

Mr. Whinray: There is a fortune in the timber alone. Mr Rees: All that is wanted would be the means of transit.

Mr. Whinray asked if the local bodies coukl not form into a kind of company to do the thing themselves. Mr. floes said he had thought of that, but public bodies could not well be allowed to take up buying and selling, but the local bodies might insist on a sharo of the benefits if the dividends went above a certain sum. They had for instance the gas companies restricted. Parliament, however, would uot give authority for.

the three loon! bodies to enter into mercantile transactions. Mr. Whin ray said that Mr. Rees s statomont was a lucid one. He referred to the valuable asset in timber,* and said if they could got this valuable asset brought t<y-market it would do more for them than giving them stone free. He suggested that a representative committee should be appointed to go into the details. They woro much indebted to Mr. Roos for the trouble lie had taken. Mr. Siovwright said they woro indebted to any citizen that wont to the trouble to provido so much information on any subject, and his sympathies wore a good deal with Mr. .ilcos in the matter. Ho would move, “That without committing itself to any specific schemes, either of woi'ks or finance, this meeting is of opinion it is desirable that all the local bodies should unite to have an empowering Bill carried through I arlianient -to enable the bodies to act together in carrying through any work approved by the community. The Chairman seconded the motion which ho warmly supported. He did not think that any Government bad sufficiently trusted people to help themselves. The tendency had been to strip them of all powers. Ail instance was the assessment roll handed out to them. Though they knew that to abound with errors they were still compelled lo accept it. The motion had his entire support. ... Mr. Matthews said that by adhering to horse power instead of going in for steam they had been losing a large sum . every year. Ho did not agree entirely with the scheme, hut hoped it would have the effect of getting something done! ..They met fjom time to time and their efforts were resullless, and he hoped that this would ensure their getting something done. Mr. Rees said that Mr. Sieywright’s motion meant local selfgovernment. He would prefer that a definite motion be passed, so that, the local bodies could proceed to call a meeting. Mr.' Sievwriglit agreed to eliminate the words, “without committing itself to any specific scheme either of works or finance,” and with that excision the motion was passed. Then, on the motion of Mr. Whinray, seconded by the Chairman, it was resolved, “That members of local bodies be a committee to further the foregoing proposal, and also Mr. Rees’s scheme, five members to form a quorum.” On the motion of the Chairman, a vote of thanks was convoyed to Mi 1 . Rees, who briefly replied, and then on the motion of Mr. Matthews a vote of thanks was accorded to the Chairman.

It was agreed that the committee meet at the County Council Chambers at 2.30 i3.m. on Thursday next.