WANGANUI HARBOR ENDOWMENT IN MANAWATU.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 41, 17 January 1879, Page 3

WANG A NUI HARBOR ENDOWMENT IN MANAWATU.

We publish below the correspondence' read at the Council meeting regarding the Wanganui Harbor Endowment. It will be :, seen that Mr Macarthur made the best d£.a ~ very weok case, in carrying out Mr Lou* don's resolution. The Government, however, decline to move in the matter. The following is the Chairman's letter, and the Government's reply thereto : — Fim.i>iNO, January sth. The Han the Colonial Treasurer, WeU lington. Sib, — 1 have tho honour to press upon * the attention of the Government a subject which has engnged tho serious consideration of the Manawatu. County Council for some time past, viz , the endowment of theWaiiganui Harbor Board with 25,000 acres of choice land situate within the Manawatu County ,by tho Wanganui Harbour Endowment Borrowing Act, 1877. It is, in the first place, obviously inequitable, that the harbour for a distant County should be endowed bo richly with^lanawatu land, while tho Port of Foxton, •within the Manawatu County itself, is totally neglected. I recng. niso, however, the unlikelihood of tho Wanganui Endowment being now recalled, and though we feel acutely that the 'Wanganui Harbour Board has profited largely in this matter of endowment with land which would more equitably belong to the natural port of this County, it ia to a ■econd injustice dope to us in connection with this endownraent, that I wish moro particularly to call the attention of tho Government. . I allude to the fact thai by the abovo - mentioned endowment, this County is deprived of the 20 per cent of land revenue, which would otherwiso have accrued to its funds from this block, had tho ordinary course of disposing of it by aalo been followed by the Government. Ab the Endowment Act was passed during the same session as tho Financial Arrangements Amendment Act granting 'he 20 per cent of land revenue to counties, and before that Act came into operation, it m:iy be held that this County can haye no legal claim on. the procef da of tho endowment; and so far as our strictly legal position is concerned, this view is perhaps correct ; but I appeal to that spHfc of equity which no doubt sways the Government in it* dealings' with the Counties, whether it is fair that the I ounty on which will f nil not only the burdon of making and maintaining tho roads within this endowment, but also of making and maintaining those giving access to it, and rendering it thereby saleable and fit for settlement, should be deprived of the amount, inadequate as in is, allotted to i* by the Financial Arrangements Act Amendment Act for those purposes, in favour of a Harbour Board in v separate district, many miles away.on which rests no responsibility whatever in the way of rondmnking. . Compared with their expenditure in the southern and opon part of thia County, little has been done in the past by the General or Provincial Governments in tho bush district containing the Wanganui Harbour Endowment, to the northward of tho Bailway Lino, where the expense of making und maintaining roads is far more ouf-rous than in the open ccufatry, nnd fo soon as this Endowment bUck is sold, I foresee that a heavy pressure will be put upon {ne^PbSniy Council by the buyers to rmake their roads, while the funds naturally applicable to that purpose will have gone into the coffers of another and alien body. A a difficulties will doubtless lie in the way ct repealing tho Wttnganni Harbor Endowment Act, I would suggest 89 a

menus of icmeclying tho crying wony done; to tins County by that Ac.', tli.-t iv« div.'-s to tho exti-ut oi' twenty \kv mw, vi 1 the value of the ciulowmeft't, bised n:/uii a j vaWitition of £2 per aeiv, th.o present ujjh B^-t ])V;no of the waste Imuls of .tho CruWJi, I thouH bo tulv.ii.coJ tOithis County by llu- , Go\ enimniit, who coiiltl ' aitei'tt-artis an-.ii.^c i that thj Wanjjaiiui Harbor lioatd slauJd rcitnp tho advaiico as the cuduwincui i* sol«l. In do:iling with tho hvcnly-per c i-ut oi laud revenue, t •cMunuwatii County Council endiavor as t">r as possible, to expand it on roads nffuctiug tho lauds from tiio sale of which the fund is derived, bo iliat »the Wanganui Haibor Board will not bo losers by such an arrangement ; rather tho reverse, as this land will realize much higher prices than if, through want of funds, it is neglected by the County in the mutter of roadmaking. I appeal, therefore, to the Government, to give this subject careful consideration, and feel sure that it will be seen that the position of this County with respect to the Wanganui Harbor Endowment is one inconsistent with the whole spirit of the Counties, Public Works, and financial Arrangements Acts, and that in a special case, special means of repairing the injustice already done to this County should be used. I have the honor, &c, D. 11. AIACAIITIIUIt, Chairman Manawatu Counly Council. Treasury, , Wellington, January 11, 1879. Sir,— l have tlw honor, by direction of the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the sth inst., referring to the Endowment of the Wanganui Harbor Board under "The Wanganui. Harbor Endowment and Borrowing Act, 1877," with 25,C00 acres of land situate within the County of Mauawatu, and suggesting, for reasons set torth in your letter, that the Government should j make an advance to tho County to the extent oi 20 per cent of tho value of the endowicenfc based upon a valuation of £2 per acre, the advance to be recouped by tho Wanganui Harbor Board as tho endowment lands are disposed of. , In reply, I am djrccled to inform you that the (Government have no power to deduct money from the proceeds of the Wangauui Harbor Endowment, and have no vote out of which to make an equivalent payment to the County Council. I have, &c, JAS. C. GrAVI.V, Secretary to the Treasury.