The Marlborough Express Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1891. PICTON WHARFAGE ACCOMMODA TION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXVII, Issue 111, 23 May 1891, Page 2

The Marlborough Express Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1891. PICTON WHARFAGE ACCOMMODA TION.

The day has passed when the consideration of local matters aroused some petty jealousy, or caused ill-feeling among some particular section of the community — at least we hope it has. Time was m Blenheim when to mention the port of Picton as that through which the greater portion of the trade of Matlborough must pas 3 would have been such rank heresy, that if the stake and faggot were not resorted to there was at any rate social and political ostracism to fall back on. To-day we all acknowledge that Picton is and must be our port, and no one thinks any the worse of those who dare to express the opinion. There is however a drawback to Picton. The harbour i 3 one of the safest, and best m the Colony. It can be entered at any time by the largest steamers that visit the Colony, but there is not a sufficiency of wharfage accommodation to allow them to take a cargo m the shortest possible space of time. This is a defect that has to be remedied, and it is to this that the Picton Borough has lately been directing their attention. As m the course of a few days there will be something done m Blenheim m a similar direction, with a view to securing joint action between the two boroughs, we may be allowed to give the gist of what took place at the Picton Borough Council's last meeting. Cr Falconer seems to have -had most to say, but, if the Mayor was right, he was a long way out m his figures. He said "he had taken the trouble to compile some figures regarding the railway returns, and found that the haulage showed, for the year ending March last, approximately, 15,000 tons. In Wellington the wharfage was 2s 6d per ton, m Lyttelton 2s 6d, and Picton 2a, with labor Is. The amount accruing from wharfage on the basis of haulage returns would be near £2250 a : year, at 3s per ton. He considered that an expenditure of £10,000 would give the accommodation required, which at five per cent would mean £500 a year ; and the sum asked for would be reasonable considering that the receipts from wharfage amounted to £2000. This was not inclusive of the sum accruing from sailing ships and steamers as wharf dues. He also pointed out that the returns would show a considerable increase as time went on, and Government would soon be recouped for the sum sp.ent m additional wharfage accommodation. If however, the Government or the Railway Commissioners would not give them what was requisite, the Council might ask them to permit of a Harbour Board being formed, as m other part 3 of the Colony, and thus hand over a ! l control of wharfage affairs to that body. They might bo asked to hand over' the foreshore, and revenue could be derived from that source. If they conld | not get what they wanted one way, they ! should try another. He advooated that a requisition should be sent for signature to the Blenheim Borough Coancil, the leading merchants of that town, the Union S.S. Company, N.Z. Loan and Mercantile | Agency, and the various Road Boards, to cooperate with them, and placed id the hands of the member for the district, m order that the latter should have something to go upon m asking the Government to place a sum on the Estimates next session for the work." It will be seen from this that Cr Falconer's contentions are based entirely on the wharfage being 3s a ton. The Mayor, however, pointed out that the through rate from Blenheim was only 4s Gd, and it was fallacious to suppose that 3s of that sum accrued as wharfage. The amount really charged was, he said, nearer 6d. Mr A. J?. Seymour said he had looked into the question some years ago, and as far as he could recollect the revenue was then about £700 a year. It was evident from the discussion, that there was no clear idea of how much the wharfage came to, and consequently nothing definite to work upon m ' putting the matter before the public. Ulti mately Cr Falconer moved the following resolution : — " That the Council request the co-operation of the Blenheim Borough Council, the merchants, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, the Union Company, and the various Road Boards, to unite with them m using every endeavour to procure more wharf accommodation at Picton, to meet the growing requirements of the shipping trade." This was not seconded, but the following series of resolutions proposed by the Mayor was accepted : — " That letters ba written to the Blenheim Borough Council, the Picton, Spiing Creek, Omaka, Awatere, and Pelorus Road -Boards, asking them to urge the Government and also the Railway Commissioners to extend the wharfage accommodation sufficiently to allow ooean steamern to be berthed. That a petition be sent from this Council to the Railway Commisoioners and the Minister of Public Works, urging the necessity of carrying out the work That a petition be left at the offices of each local body for signature by the general public, subject to the approval of each local body. That Councillor A. P. Seymour and the Mayor be asked to draw up the petition." We are not sure that much good will come out of this resolution, and we are somewhat astonished that the Mayor did not adopt Cr Seymour's suggestion to include the members for the district. This looks somewhat like an intentional slight, and we hope the Mayor of Blenheim will not fall into the same error. He should invite the merchants of toe place, representatives of the U.S.S. Coy., Nelson Bros, and other loading townspeople, and with them place the whole matter before Messrs Mills and Buick, the members for the district. This is a matter on which direct representation m Wellington is of more consequence than a bushel of resolutions and letters from road boards, and small local bodies. To that meeting the Mayor of Picton, and representatives of that borough, both municipal and commercial can be invited. When the members are placed m possession of the facts and figures, cost, revenue, &c, they can go. to work, and see what they can get. It seems to us that a Harbour Board is necessary, but proper data should be laid before the members to show what likelihood there is of the body being self-supporting, and able to pay interest. It would also be well to instruct the members to try and get an endowment to assist the Board. These endowments have been granted to other Harbour Boards, and we see no reason why Mai'lbojrougU should not be „ similarly treated, ' ■;...:.