Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6146, 19 August 1891, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

GISBOKNE, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1891. HARBCiR~ib A RD LI A BILITIES. The Taranaki pcoplo were sanguine that the Parliamentary Committee to whioh their harbor affairs had been submitted would bring up a favorable report. By a telegram from our Wellington correspondent it will bo seen that the hope is likely to be realized, as ifc is believed that the Committee will recommend that the Government take over the liability for the L 200,000 loan. The rate of interest nowcharged is six per cent., bub the bondholders have agreed fco take in exchange colonal four per cent, inscribed stock. This would reduce tbo total annual liability from L 12,000 to LBOOO per annum. The land fund contribution amounts to between L2OOO and. L3OOO. wKiolj, if .vatainnd by tho colony, WOUkl further reduce fcho net yearly charge on the general ratepayer to between LSOOO and LGOI'D. As for fche wharf revenue, all that would probably be required for current working expenses. The Committee, judging by the information fco hand, have nob recommended that the Government tako over tho harbor. The Taranaki peoplo probably prefer thab itshould remaiu under local control. Tho colony owns the railways, and, taking a narrow view of the case, the interests of the Treasury would perhaps be best served by closing the port altogether. Thafc is an aspect of tho case doubtless not overlooked by the Taranaki people. If • there were no railways or other small ports in the neighborhood, fche Government could readily recoup the deficiency by tiio imposition of sufficiently high wharf dues. In faot, that was tho plan which Sir Harry Atkinson recommended the Board to take as a panacea for financial difficulties, but that body very prudently refused to adopt the then Premier's advice. The Board was afraid thafc a high tariff would drive away trade from fche port, and it must bo admitted thafc there was good reason for that view. The Timaru and Oamaru Harbor Boards are both confronted with a similar difficulty in regard to raising large revenues from the shipping. The Oamaru Mail states that goods from Dunedin to Oamaru aro carried afc an enormous loss to the Railway Department. In Gisborne, the case is different in reference to the imposition of wharf dues, but thafc is a subject on which we will have something to say on a future occasion. Notwithstanding the immediate gain which might accrue to tho Government from a reversion to the old state of shipping affairs at Taranaki, when all cargo had to be lightered ab a heavy expense, there is littlo fear thafc the people of that district will, without making a big effort, allow the harbor to be closed from sand accumulation or any other cause. Tho New Plymouth breakwater has had an immense influence in developing the resources of the West Coast of fchis island. Without ifc, the numerous body of small settlers would have been unable to get their produco to a profitable market. Looking afc tho matter broadly, the colony would lose by the destruction of the present shipping facilities at New Plymouth. If the Government take over the liability for the loan on the terms stated, the settlers of the Taranaki district will bo in a much better position to deal vvith the sand difficulty. There is not muoh likelihood of the House adopting the recommendations of the Committee. Adverse influences are strong. Artificial harbors are derided more through selfish motives than through laok of faith in their success. Of course, a good deal will depend on the attitude the Government takes up on tho report of fche Committee. There will not be tho slightest chance of fche recommendation being given effect to unless Ministers back it up. Mr Ballance has frequently expressed himself exceedingly doubtful aboub the House granting relief of any kind to the Harbor Boards. The disclosure the other day thafc fcho Oamaru Board had made dofaulfc in the payment of interest on sixlythroe thousand pounds, borrowed from fcho Posb Oifice Savings Bank will nofc help matters. That was a bad piece of business, seeing thatthe default could have been avertod by the imposition of a comparatively small rate. Even should Parliament reject the Committee's recommendation in reference to tho Taranaki loan, the mere fact of such a report having been made is a stop in advanoe as bringing nearer fche day when Parliament shall grant relief to tho embarrassed Harbor Boards. The total liabilities of these bodiei' amount to aboufc three millions sterling, and on the whole, the value of the assets probably equals the liabilities. Wellipg.

ton and Lyttolton can show a balance on the right side, whilst Auckland and Dunedin cannot be much on the wrong side of the ledger. In Napier, harbor affairs have not yet reached a stage to permit one to arrive at any conclusion on the subject, but a wealthy and progressive district like Hjiwke's Bay should be well able to moot its local obligations. The conversion of all« Harbor Board loans into colonial stock would effect a saving of from L 40.000 to L 60.000 a year. That sum would more than pay the interest on the Oamaru, Timaru, Gisborne, and New Plymouth loans if converted into 3£- or 4 per cents. There is an impression that conversion would ultimately result in placing the wholo liability on the general taxpayer, but the chances are immensely in favor of the Legislature refusing to permit anything of the sorb. A great savins would be effected by the carrying out of si conversion scheme for all the harbor loans, at a trifling risk to the colony. What might be lost in one direction, would be recouped in another. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Hospital Trustees will bo held this eveuing at 7.30 at the Hospital. The Salvation Army programme for this evening is the " enrolment of recruits," followed by " a hot pie and ' jfleo feast." In the Native Land Court thia morning the sub-division of Moutere No. 1 block was completed. Nukutaurua block is now being gone on with. By a private cablegram received this morning we learn thai; Major Pitt, who went over to Australia for his health's sake, has now recovered, and was to have left Sydney last night for Auckland, via Melbourne Our Wellington correspondent telegraphed ' this afternoon :— U I Mm most creditably inj formed that the Government have decided to appoint Mr Perceval to succeed Sir F. D. Bell i as Agent-General." It has been decided by a number of residents who take a deep interest in the settlement of Native land to hold a public meeting in Gisborne on Monday next to obtain an expreasion of opinion on tho proposals now before Parliament. The taking of evidence in the civil actions, T. J. Stee'e v. Rainlose and Sterle v Christiansen, was finished thia morning. Mr Sainsbury, for the defence, addressed the jury before the adjournment. The afternoon was occupied by Mr Cooper's address andlHis Honor's remarks up to 4.15, when the jury retired to consider their verdict. A dance in aid of the Hospital funds will be held in Sorry's Hall, Makaraka, this evening, when ife is expected that a considerable number of town residents will be present. The moon is now afc the full, and a short drive in the country should be highly enjoyable. The object is a most worthy one, and the promoter has exerted himself to reuder the affair a great success. Mr S. Stevenson's brake will convey peop'e from town to Makaraka this evening, returning at the close of the ball. Persons are warned not to deposit rubbish, as at present, in the vicinity of the Grey street bridge, or they will be prosecuted by the Borough authorities. There is at present a festering heap of forty or fifty loads of decaying matter of all sorts, which in the approaching warm weather must be very detrimental to the public health, lyingquite close to the brdge, and which ifc will be necessary for tho custodians of the public health to remove. We arc informed that rubbish may be scattered (but, not deposited in a heap) at the nearest red flag to the Grey street bridge, as being scattered it is innocuous. The third concert; in connection with Holy Trinity Church was held in the Sunday schoolroom last evening and the committee are to be complimented on the excellent programme and for the manuer in which it was carried out. The room was crowded aud there was scarcely enough room to accommodate those present comfortably. The following programme was gone through, most of the singers having to respond to encores : — Banjo with pianoforte accompaniment by Mr Watson aud Mrs Williams; song, "Queen of tho Earth " by Mr C ; song, " I arise -f-rtmr xh-tmms- of -Thee," Mian Uolroyde ; song and chorus, " Knlcr of the Quern's Navee," from the opera " Pinafore ", by Mr Ward ; Bong, " Comin' thro' the Rye " by Miss Adair ; song, "They all love Jack " by Mr Woodward ; song, " Dark-eyed Gipsy," by Mrs Gold-Smith; duet, "I would that my love," by Mrs Sunderland and Miss Adair. The toy symphony was the next item on the programme, and being a novelty in our concerts the music was much admired. Mrs Sunderland conducted this itsm, and the way the several parts wore taken by the performers showed that she had spaied no pains in working them up to something approaching perfection. Mrs Kerr then followed with tho song "Dear Hcnrb." Selections from ''Mary Queen of Scots" were read by Mr Gold-Smith. Tho trio, " I Navigante " by Mrs SundcrJaud Messrs Dal - rymple and Ward was an excellent piccn of music, and the voices of the lady and gentlemen blended wei together. " The young Brigade " by Mr Mitchell was the next item Tho last item on the programme " Serenata " by Miss Holroyde, with violin obligate by Mr Davieti, wag certainly the prettiest piece of music of the evening The number was by no means easy, but Miss Ho'royde sang it to perfection, and was loudly applauded when she finished. In Wairarapa they have recently discovered a mineral water, which is said to bo an excellent specific for skin diseases. The trouble is, however, that no one there is afflicted with akin disease. The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association will hold a sports meeting in conjunction with the local Athletic Club and the Rugby Union in September in aid of the fund to Bend a New Zealand athletic team to England in 1892. The report of the Napier Cathedral congregation states that last year LI, 100 of tho liability upon the building was cleared off, leaving less than LlOOO remaining of a total expenditure to date of about L 12,000.