NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 142, 24 August 1881, Page 4

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE STAB.

Sib, — In your last issue I notice an eff usion, signed " Wilson Milne," in which this remarkable passage occurs: — " This harbor scheme, even if successful, would not benefit us to any great extent. . . . It will be a considerable length of time before we have anything to export." Now, sir, I understand it will be four or five years before it could be proved successful, and if the Waimate Plains settlers have nothing to export by that time, may the Lord help them ; that's all I know. But I think it would not be just or reasonable to judge their industry by Mr. Milne's lazy measure. Ere the New Plymouth harbor could possibly be useful, we hope to see the freezing industry fully established, in

this district; we hope to have thousands of bales of wool and shiploads of grain exported, whilst Mr. Milne is merely dreaming of these things, and seeking some pliant bobkin to repi-esent us ; instead of the gallant Major. That Mr. Milne, -with his threats, is going to show this electorate a quif, I can plainly see. The old Hawera bands are so dull, you know; a little Waverley' |light will do them a power of good! Excuse my pointing out, however, that Mr. Milne's piteous •wail about the tax is childish ; he, with the rest of us, bought the land knowing his liability. Still, even according to the committee's report, it must be eight years before that can possibly be required, and we all know the- committee's report is one-sided and untruthful ; so much so, that Parliament has decided in favor of a full inquiry; whilst the great probability is that no tax can possibly be required. What a grand thing for this district, if the harbor should prove successful; we should then be able to export our frozen meat, our wool, our grain, without those terrific shipping and transhipping charges, so inevitable with river ports. If vessels of the Hawea class can be accommodated (and I take the Oommittee'B word for it), English barques will be able to lay alongside, and take the the produce from our trucks direct from Hawera and Normanby, and drop them on the London quays without any further knocking about. Farmers, don't be too eager to knock this harbor scheme on the head ; you may yet live to regret such agitation. There will be no other show of getting a mercantile hai'bcr within our vicinity for generations, and I dare prophesy that those who now decry this New Plymouth Harbor Scheme will, in future years, be ashamed of themselves. — I am, &c, Waimate.