Value of Foxton Port to Manawatu

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7297, 6 August 1930, Page 4

Value of Foxton Port to Manawatu

ADDRESS by- mb. m. e. PERREAU. < ‘ The port of Foxton is rightly the port of Palmerston North and district,’’ said Mr M. E. Perreau, Mayor of Foxton, when speaking to the Palmerston North Lunch Club yesterday. Although harsh Word were levelled at the Foxton Harbour Board by other contributing bodies, ho felt that it had had a beneficial effect. For the past 16 years the port, had had a hard,row.to lioe, principally duo to the antagonism and pessi-mistic-views of contributing local and rural bodies.. Palmerston North had been paying a sutii of £4OO with each levy, asked-of the various bodies. , The port was constituted in 1573 by tho early settlers who saw. tho need for a seaport for tho Manawatu and who believed Foxton would. be. on the direct commercial line- between Wellington and New Plymouth.. A wharf 170 feet- longwvus later constructed for the handling of railway material and in 1880 the Public Works Department again added to tho port. In 1876 a harbour board was constituted, hut it lator went out owing to the endowments—some £240 ,per year—being insufficient to enable it to carry on. The Railway Department then , took over and during 22 years it operated, had netted an estimated sum 0f,£25,000, but it neglected to put tho money into tho harbour nt'.d it was questionable whether what had been spent had been spent to advantage. Money should liavo been spent on improving the outlet to make it more efficient. In 1906 another board was formed, but, although it did good work, it mot with big difficulties, including that of foregoing the wharfage dues to tho Railway Department. In 10iG a commission was set up to'go into the difficulty and the board offered to purchase the' wharfage facilities at their face value. With the Railway Department estimating the properties at £38,000 tho board refused to g 6 ,on with tho deal and it was not until-a commission headed by the late Sir Robert Stout recommended that tho board control tho destinies , of the port that the deal was finalised. The board ‘ purchased the operating rights for £SOOO. It had been proposed to raise a loan, but opposition on the grounds that' the railway payments and incoming goods were maintaining the port halted this move. Such factors as doing aw-ay with the handling charges had helped to stop the efficient working of the port, this being to the detriment of the district. Again, the river silted up, but nature had really obviated tho necessity for a working dredge as the bar was not giving excessive trouble. He felt that only qualified engineers

should control tlic working of all ports, as individual settlers and raembors of boards wero not in a position to fully understand the various duties required of them. ’ • Continuing,. Mr Perreau said that it was possible that the port, would bo improved by the shifting of the wharves further down the river to Rush Hat, but as this had only been proposed the scheme was far from being sanctioned! However, such a move would not be warranted at the present time, with so much controversy centring round the port at present. Mr Perreau, in 'quoting the following figures to show the advantage to be gained by shipping into the Manawatu through the port, said there was a distinct- lessening in costs by shipping to Poston, but the Railway Department was fostering the port at Wanganui by allowing cartage concessions and providing a moro regular service:—The ordinary tariff rates per ton, from Poxton to Palmerston North, a distance or 2-t miles, were as follow: A goods 22s 56, B IDs 7d, C 17s 2d, D Ids Bd, E.' 5s Id. From Wanganui to Palmerston North, a distance of'o3 miles, the ordinary rates, which were in operation until two years ago 'were: A 52s sd, B 44s 4d, C" 37s Sd, D 28s lid, E 11s. Wanganui now enjoyed a preferential fiat rate of 10s per ton on A, B, C and D goods, and .11s on E goods. Tlio same conditions applied to Fcilding. The distance from Fox ton to Fcilding wrm 36 miles, and the ordinary rates were: A 33s 7d, B 28s, C 23s Sd, D IDs 6d, E 7s lOd. From Wanganui to Fcilding, a distance of 51 miles, the ordinary rates were A 44s 10d, B 38s 2d, C 32s Sd, 1> 24s 9d, E Ds 7d, but a flat preferential rate of 20s for A, B, ; C : a,nd D. goods and Ds 7d for E goods had been instituted.

He felt that one portion of the, Dominion should not be called upon to aid the funds of the department .by extra cartage when concessions were being granted another section of the community. It. was time-the people o! the district claimed the-advantages to be gained through regular shipping by Foxton. The board did not'want sympathy but co-ordination in order to im provo tho harbour to gain concessions for the people of the district, who 'were justly entitled to tho use' of 'this nearby waterway. He iclt that tin Foxton Harbour Board was! well constituted, all local bodies being represented by able men who-had tho requirements of the district at heart. The wharf presented an -inadequate transport structure but, although he realised that improvements were heeded, he could not see these taking place to any extent for some time to conic.Mr W. B. Cameron moved a vote of thanks to tho speaker, adding that the port was of valuo not only from a business point of view but also because of its advantages as a natural outlet, and seaside resort; '