MR DASLER EXPLAINS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10629, 5 December 1910, Page 4

MR DASLER EXPLAINS.

: :":fe.:.:,- ;:■ To the Editor. Sir —I received a letter, but the writer forgot to sign his name, wanting to know whv I supported the Harbor Board Loan BUI. Allow me to reply in vour columns that I have not changed my opinion on the original 1a il 'lil/r the harbor. I never was against the whole Bill as far as the 18/9 loan was concerned, but I objected to the Board having power to borrow bnva rate of 7-12 d in the £, the whole toVgo, to the general account without a proper .provision for a. sinking fund. It is':tr:ue the Board intended to make provision-; so did the Board in former days, bat owing to- circumstances over which they-bad- no control, notwithstanding having a surplus rate of about £do,UUU, thev went £65,000 behind in the sinking fund, and what has happened before may happen again. I have not the hopeful mind Mr Milligan has when he told us. at Tokarahi that the rate.will OBireduced to 16-4Sths of a penny. It may be shown while the present £6UUU ifcoa band, but if the Board intends ffibedmngan area of 30 acres that will nafifTast.long, and after that all dredging has to be done inside find outside out of revenue.. Then there is the repairing of the ■ breakwater. A sum of r dß33.;Qoi)-has already been spent out ot £4O:00.0i and a break may occur at any ' tinte andthe £7OOO spent. Then all future-repairs will also have to be provldedJout of revenue. Nor is it likely that the revenue will increase: the want of" wool sales> the depth of water, and distance to deep-water ports are against ins, and there will always be a-great deal of frozen mutton and-fat stock railed,-to-other ports, besides time ;is too valuable for the large vessels to visit :tlie-smaller., port. Then again we . canhotl help.Jbut see j what, the' future will "be "in a few years'. Our main lines and some r of -the . branch lines i will be riua.byj'electricity, which means cheaper -> which will go ... against*"^*"small port like Gamaru. "'. most .likely tak<b all the , port open in the „wja& asj£ed,jby a few ratepayers to give ejadence} be"f Qre the Private .Bills Commtttee;/, riot" to oppose the Bill as a w3iqle,^l)ut : to .protest r'agaihst our rate Feihg*pu.t ;to, other purposes' than, the 167 m. "£>rV there; was .danger, that the Jrehple rs£ ; ( ih£ .rate 'might havfe to be ': u^ed. *|teri paying' interest "on; useless .Ivbfk;an„:'th>,'Ji.arbor.--';:Aiid 1 'am- glad to jsay* ■ CbninutteeVhaye made it plear''ihat,whatever money is borrowed abore^w^t.is.needed has to be put to >and Whatever rate is' Jevied'waltgo fiVasaine way•:therefore I of Bill, for the • ratep'ayersMrfersafeguarded; that they willonly hav£tb ;pay the interest and prinr cfpal no may happen, arid if Iheißoard'can get the loan at the price telL-aSj.-oftf" fate will not ber4ncreased,Vahd-.tlui.t-is what I have' been contending" forT-ihe whole of the time.—-I-aiii.\eic.v " <~" r : y \ LOUIS DASLER.