NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1310, 18 May 1886, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

To the Editor of the Star.

Sir, — Having only just returned from Wangaoui, I was unable .before this to notice Mr. Yorke's letter on the cost 6f the New Plymouth breakwater. I stated the expenditure on account of harbor works at New Plymouth to be not £360,000 as stated by Mr. Y. The point I have all along been trying to arrive at in the interest of ratepayers is what the harbor, works are costing the country. If Mr. Yorke will turn to the report of the first meeting at Manaia, be will see that Mr. 'King, in reply to my question, said, "He could not say how much bad been received from land fund, but interest and sinking fund, £14,000 a year bad been paid out of for six years, and that there was now in hand ,£37,0Q0." I tbink ariy one will find this will amount to £121,000. In referenoe to this fund I would ask Mr; Yorke wliat> object ihe has in only going back to the year 1881? Where did the board get tbe £10,000 from; -to buy debentures ?r, At Ma jqr Atkinson's meeting, at which ' Mr. Yorke denied tbe accuracy of my figures) I asked the Major what the board bad actually spent, when he calmly said, ?'-TJbe board bas bad £200,000 to spend ; there is about £16,000 not yet spent." Whioh are^e to believe — Major AfkinsoriW tbe Chairman of tbe Board ? I then asked tbe Major if the board had not received the following sums :-— Loan £200,000 Debentures taken ijp out of land fund ... l . 10,000 Six years interest and sinking fund, 1 also out of land fund 84,000 Deposited at Bank New Zealand to credit of interest and sinking fund account 37,000 Making a total of ... £331,000 And he agreed that the figures were substantially collect, bat' be eWected to my charging interest and sinking fund to tbe cost of the work. In thj&connectipn I notice tbaV bUb Mr. Ydrlfe and J&7. King state tbe interest an dunking fund to be £14,000 a year. I bare always understood that £700 a year was saved by the purchase of the debentures referred to above ; perhaps Mr. Yorke or some members of the) Board willekplain. Mr. Yorke complains that Mr. Milne, Mr, Finjpertjr and myidf bare: misreptesented tbe Board's position. Is ho prepared to assert that tbe amount of land and fund above referred to bas not been part of tbe expenditure on account of the break water P,, If jw? f why 1 Hau the Board used it? Everyone knows that without it the breakwater would have never been built. Then in referenpe to the £37,000, Mr. King tells us Tn'Tlj^ particularly long advertisement that bis appeared daily for the l last two mofffl& that' it is ! in tbe b«jd^of' the sinKijg fund commieaionerrf " 'We ate therefore

calculation tbat ajrratV of id^jiTjme £ will meet tbe caslfejujd he goes on to show tbat the raw would amount to 8s 4d on a farm of 100 acres of bush land valued at £2 an acre, and £1 13s 4d on a farm of^the same, size of open land vatueTiat "£o an acrei but -ratepayers will notioe-tbat tb^s is oaithe supposition that only 'i6o,ooo~is~borrowedf But the bill to bY introduced- Providea-for borrowing a su'in or^lW,oWj' M wliiolS will require at lewl^&in-fcba yato. Mien tbere^sTLeTat* ialefestßtc., on the £200,000 loan to which they are already liable, which will mean on the holdings above referred to a rate of £1 9f'2<rfina £5 16s 8d 1 would concludeVlsiH by quotinjjirouVa leader you published on 23rd October, 1885. When referring to the difficulty in working the breakwater owing to tbe eea washing. over sib* ! you/.-said :— " To remedy this, it is calmly- proposed to "spend £10,060 updh'a timW^wMf, although) wfrore jthej.m^Sey^ftp joom* is not as yet explained. . . At least £30,000 would -be; required for this perishable , work ft, R raspea|:at wMch even tbe most daring, self-constituted engineer might. fai»ly»tand"«jfhij£tC9^»l am, &c, E. G. Allswobth. Manaia, May 8. ~ -" !3t :