The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, MAY 18, 1909. HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 119, 18 May 1909, Page 4

The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, MAY 18, 1909. HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

. — ♦ — The motion by Mr Brown, which was carried at the Harbour Board's last meeting upon the above subject,, was that a public meeting be held for the purpose of obtaining.' approval of a* loan for the purpose., As we have previously pointed out, it is necessary to be furnishecl with such details for presentation to a meeting of ratepayers as shall ensurei that a perfect knowledge of the proposals shall be • .im-. parted. At present even members of the Board appear to be very;hazy as to what is desired, or the best 1 way to set about it. They are somewhat in the position 6i "a blind man,; groping in a dark room for a black cat that isn't there." They have 'no'scheme, consequently the- do not -know what the necessary improvements wotald cost, or the amount of rate that should be levied to provide interest and sinking fund upon an unknown amount of

■capital. Yet-they propose to hold a J public meetings ■>*the r-date of which, like the proposals which- are to he submitted to the j ratepayers, is still enshrouded in, "mystery. 'i',' y We have en-' deavoured to, assist the Board in unravelling thijj.'itangle, feeling assured that unless 'the ratepayers are approached with .some business-like,1 workable scheme, failure to obtain consent to a loan is a certainty. It is no good putting forth any crude illconsidered plan, but one perfect in all its details should be explained m such a way that the simplest, mind can ■readily grasp the propositions. By way of elucidating the matter it will be necessary to recapitulate the substance of previous. articles upon this question. In the first- place the necessity for opening the river being admitted, the. Board has before it Captain Eckford's scheme, which it is proposed to adopt, and of which the Government Engineer has approved, with some alteration in detail. This scheme is estimated to cost £3000. Then the | Board is convinced of the necessity for river dredging, so that vessels may I come up to the town. This also will cost money, how much the Board does ! not say, probably .because it has no comparisons of similar work elsewhere by which it can frame an estimate. Certain it is, however, that a dredge must be hired, and wages must be paid while work proceeds. Then there is the admitted want1 -of a public wharf, at which vessels may discharge, the item of wharfage being an important feature in the Board's prospects of revenue. Here, again, money will be needed, either to build or purchase the necessary convenience. How much is not known, but for Caotain Eckford's scheme, and for dredging and wharf pi-ovision, it may be safely assumed that £§000 will not be too much, and this is the largest amount that the Board can borrow at any one time. This sum, at 5 per cent, interest, means an annual charge of £250, an amount;that would be largely provided by increases in revenue due to the works. In this connection it would be interesting to know what revenue the board is losing through the s.s. Blenheim being unable to enter the river, and having to make hei; trips from Picton. ; But to be on the safe side, let us assume that there ] would be no increased revenue, and that the whole of this annual charge would require to be met by a special j rate," which the Board is, by law, authorised to levy for the purpose. Then in that case—and this is an extreme view-—one-tenth of a penny Jn the pound, levied on the unimproVed value of properties in Blenheim and Omaka, .(which constitute the Board's .district) would provide it. Here is the scheme, a simple one, and easily enough comprehended, to place before the ratepayers. Under-Hhis scheme sthe largest property in'Omaka, would not, have to pay more that £20 per -annum, and the largest in Blenheim, 30s. Another ::ifialy;lJe.'^iaclei' is that a wellknown member of the Board, who some. time ago suggested an annual contribution-from residents towards, the cost of improvements, and who generbus-ly £10 himself, would only be; called-upon under this scheme for a '., rate of 30s! . As we said then, we repeat now^-why should he pay £10, while, many others escaped payment altogether, where by rating the district all concerned would bear' the burden], "which would, fall but lightly on each? / Then, of course, there is the consideration that a rate struck by le^al enactment provides a.1 security t<* the debenture-holder which chance contributions would utterly fail to ensure. . Foi' the payment of this rate*, there would be many com-1 pensatory advantages. Take the one item of coal :alone. This is now, owing to railage charges and cost of repeated handling, a very dear item to Blenheim residents, who would ajl benefit materially by cheap water, carriage^^whicM: would bring the cargoes right'to their doors. The Gasworks consume 80 tons per month. If the shipments be brought right up io the Ga^brks,' and there discharged, it is qtiite conceivable that Is 6d a ton'could be say cd. This saving in twelve months would amount to £72, while,the whole cost to Blenheim burgesses of the rate,' if collected, .would only be about £74 a year. Thus on one item of saving alone the Borough's proportion of the annual tax would: practically !be met. And^ there are ( other advantages which* a little thought will -, render apparent. ; On the whole it is abundantly clear that the small rat© suggested would be more than outset by the material benefits that would result from opening and deepening the river, and prov .viding adequate wharfage accommodation. '" .•■•■■.••- ' ■ ______ '■ :■ ■ '■