NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VXII, Issue 7155, 21 March 1901, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, — Several letters having lately appeared in the Star on New Plymouth Harbour Board matters, and, being somewhat behind the scenes, I would like, with your kind permission, ' to make a few remarks on the subject generally, hoping thereby to awake the settlers within the rating area to a sense of the gravity of the situation at the present juncture. The board, as at present constituted, consists of nine members. The district is divided into six ridings, each of which returns one member, and pays harbour rates as under :— Hawera riding, J61307 8s ; Taranaki East, £1071 10s; Taranaki North, £1156 0s 9d ; Taranaki South, £474 13s lid ; Clifton, £408 15s 3d ; New Plymouth, £573 15s BJ. These are official figures of rates paid last year. On the retirement of Colonel Davies from the board, Mr N. King opposed Mr Horrocks for the vacant seat, and was duly elected. Mr King can I command more votes, and is perhaps the most popular man in the province, for which reason he was induced by the New Plymouth people to contest the election. No better man than Mr King, > sound in judgment, just and honorable, : could be on any board, but, being human, he ia bound to be influenced by his large interests in New Plymouth. In fact, all the New Plymouth people think it the hub of the universe, and whatever benefits it must of necessity benefit the whole district. Mr Surton resides in Clifton, and is a Government nominee, but his interests must be in New Plymouth, as he persistently votes with the town members. Messrs Cliff and Ward are New Plymouth men, and also Government nominees. It will be therefore seen that New Plymouth has practically five members, and therefore a majority on the board where any matter vital to the interests of the town is concerned. At our last meeting a resolution was proposed by Mr Hignefct, That Messrß McGuire and S.ymes be asked to represent to the Cabinet the unfair constitution of the board at present, and urge upon them at the next period of nomination, which takes place in some six weeks, that the southern end of the district should have at. least one Government nominee. The motion was I lost, or rather talked out, as Mr Halfe was obliged to leave by the 4 pm. truin. In the discussion on the matter it was asked what fault there was to find wilh the Government nominees, and also what right the board had to dictate to the Government as to whom they should appoint. In speaking to the resolution, 1 pointed out that there was no bint of fault in the matter, as every member of the board performed bis duty according to his ability; that we did not for a moment wish to dictate to the Government whom they should appoint, but to urge that the representation should be territorially fair, and that a small majority of ratepayers should not be in a position to place an everlasting burden upon the great majority of ratepayers. I pointed out that we had at ! present taxation without representation, the very thing which was the causa of the present Boer war, and, to go further back, lost England the great American colonies. Moreover, I said that I f<-ls certain thore was a' scheme afoot to eonvei't the present loan, borrowing £300,000, buying up the present bonrla, and leaving some £140,000 to play with. The spending of this sum would give New Plymouth a groat filip. but as far as the port is concerned would be a positive injury, as it would make it more expensive to work, and the harbor rates would have to be increased. In any case, the great ocean-going boats would not lie there. And if one or two in the .year did call and deliver goods the port would lose the present grand coastal service, as there would not be left freight enough to employ them. The ocean boats at present prefer paying the freight on dairy produce to Wellington rather than call at New Plymouth to take it in. I will next notice Mr Standish's scheme for raising the money, in which he tells us that after ten years no rate will bo required, the land" fund being sufficient to meet all liabilities (we were told the same thing by Sir Harry Atkinson when the present loan was raised) ; but we are all aware that the land fund is a gradually diminishing quantity, and that if settlement goes on as at present in ten years there will be no land fund, save a fourth of the rents arising from leased lands. The clear statement of the case is ; We will have to pay the full 3d rate on the increased value of our properties for all time, without a hope of ever getting quit of it. I once told the board, when speaking to 3 resoluv (Continued on page i.)