WAITARA HARBOR BILL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9418, 17 August 1907, Page 5

WAITARA HARBOR BILL.

DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. SUPPORTED VY THE PREMIER. (Tarauaki HeralgJ.) WELLINGTON, August 15. In moving the second reading of the Witiitara Harbor Bill in the House this evening Mr W. T. Jennings (Egmont) said the reasons for 'the intToduc4ion of the measure were that foT nearly thirty years the Waitara, people had been paying dues for the New Plymouth haTbor. Now they asked .that they should be protected from a further loan proposal in connection' with the New Plymouth Board. The Bill simply desired .to benefit those people who were served by .the port from which a greater export of meat and dairy produce took place than from any other port in the colony. The development of "Waitara would not be affected by .the development of the New Plymouth harbor, and the future prospects of the port were most satisfactory. Mr H. Okey (Taranaki) opposed the Bill. If it passed, he said, it would take away nearly a million pounds' worth of rateable property from the New Plymouth Harbor Board district. In the past competent engineers had reported in favor of New Plymouth as the harbor on the T::vanaki coast, and he pointed out that when the New Plymouth ' Board was constituted it was given an area sufficient 'to enable it to raise funds to carry out the development works which weTe .necessary for the port. Next year it was proposed by the New Plymouth Board to bring in a bill empower- i ing the Board to complete the development AvoTks which were originally designed; but, if this Bill went through, the rateable value of the district would j be reduced by about a million pounds ami thus defeat the original intentions of the Act which constituted the New Ply- ! mouth HaTbor Board. The Wartaia BUI had been drawn up Avithout .reference to the people interested. He was sure he could 1 get thousands of people to petition against it. It meant, if passed, that ratepayers would have their rates increased. There was also a, proposal to. form a harbor district at Opunake, tlrus farther curtailing the aTea, of the district; and to that extent it was proposed to- still further restrict the operations of the New Plymouth Harbor Board. At present the surplus revenue of the New Plymouth Board — about £6000 — was being spent in extending the breakwater. The Waitara ratepayers' had nothing to fear from the proposals of the Board' so far as the rate wac concerned. He maintained that the Waitara reserve ought to go towards the upkeep of the Waitara bridge. The sole object of ths present measure was to prevent any further borrowing' for the New Plymouth breakwater. The House ought to know what was wrong with t!he leases granted by the Waitara Harbor Boardl before amy validation, took place. He tvrgetl that tlhe passage of this Bill would be an injustice to the New Plymouth district, which was of a decidedly progressive charaetea\ Mr Major, speaking for Hawera, urged that New Plymouth's borrowing powers would not be too greatly curtailed by the exclusion of the Clifton County , as compaTect with the borrowing powers it owned whesi it was at first constituted in 1886. At present Waitara, which was a Teaily responsible port, was out-voted in Harbor Boaxd matters. He urged that a Royal Commissiooi should be appointed to consider- whether further mon.ey6 should be spent on the New Plymouth horbor. A good dleal of money spent on the New Plymouth harbor had been misspent, and 'he wanted to know why the Waitara people should have to pay for giving New Plymouth a, harbor Wihicli would be of no advantage to Waitara. Southern Taranaki did not want to. be burdened, amd asked that a Royal Commission should be set up to fully enquire into the matteT before fthe Honse proceeded to legislate upon it. Mr Byrnes, representing Paitea, opened outAy stating t'hait a reference to ancient history would show up the New Plymouth Boardi in such black colors that tQiey wotfd blush to hear of it. However, they had a tougher enemy at Patea than at Waitaia, and if Waitara had been as tough as Patea and Hawea'a, it would never have been included in tiiie New Plymouth rating area. He reminded Mr Okey that the Waitara sections of the bill were for the maintenance of the harbor there as well as for the bridge. He wondered at the audacity of those who proposed to put new burdens on those people to add to the prosperity of New Plymouth.. The port of New Plymouth was too dear to be used by the people south of Stratford. Waitara, port did all that the Waitam people wanted. Up to a. little while ago Waitara had sent more than half the frozen beef semt from New Zealand. The holding ground' a-fc Wqltiana was 'the best that could be obtained. The expenditure of further sums of money on the New Plymouth haxbor would not increase the output, and lie felt sine, that the House would not inflict any further injustice en & place which bad 'already been unjustly treated to a great extent. in a. personal explanation, Mr Okey said it was estimated that it would take £140,000 to complete th-i New Plymouth breakwater woorJse. Mr Massey, Leader of the Opposition, regarded the Bill as one of great importance, as it affected the whole Taranaki district, which for years had 1 had the ambition of having a deep sea harboT. That was only possible by the rose of loan money. This in turn necessitated a large rating area. He believed it would be very much easier to construct a harbor at New Plymouth than at Timaru. He agreed witlh the proposal that the Bill should be referred to a Royal Commission to obtain the definite opiniom of the people of the district. Mr Graham, Chaiwnaai. of the Local BiUs Committee, eaid his committee had j heard a great deal of evidence, and hod come to the .conclusion that it was a fair Bi'l amd should be passed into law. The Premier said the House would require to consider the relative position of the parties interested. Looking at the question from the point of view of the development of the district, it waa apparent that some alteration of the I existing system would be required. New Plymouth was interested in the development of the district as a whole, and the New Plymouth Board had merely to see that the security of the original loan was not reduced in any way. In bis opinion tttiis Bill provided tihat? safeguard ; but, if it became (necessary to borrow a further sum of money, the district of "Waitara would be subject to be mequisitioned. Nature , had given that .pant of

the coaet the harbors of New Plymouth, I Patra, Waitara, and Opunake. It would | be unreasonable to prevent the development of those ports. He saw no ueces- I sity for settling up a Commission of enquiTy into the subjert of the Bill. In- , cidentally .he had a word to say in favor j of the public spirit displayed by the residents of a. distrkt in urging and. as- ■ sisting the development of the district by the formation of a harbor, and he paid >a compliment to the public enterprise which had brought the New Plymouth harbor to its present position. This subject should, he finally urged, be considered solely from the point of : view of the interests of the people of | the district as a whole. He would snipport the Bill, feeling that the New Plymouth Board's existing loan was fully assured. In replying, Mr Jennings said the Waitara ratepayers did not want to be relieved of existing loans, but they did want to be protected against further burdens. The second reading was carried on the voices.