The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1927. HARBOUR BOARD FINANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1927, Page 6

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1927. HARBOUR BOARD FINANCE.

Though increased charges fo.’ public services are never, very palatable, those proposed by the New Plymouth Harbour Board have been devised to press as lightly and as equitably as possible upon the community the harbour is serving so well. Additional revenue must be found. Essential development of the port can only be accomplished by the expenditure of loan monies, and progress by this means has been endorsed by the ratepayers when loan proposals have been placed before them. It is equally obvious that money must be found for the payment of interest on loans and sinking fund. The additional amount required is £14,000, and the board proposes to raise this by increasing steamer dues by £3000; raising the rate upon imports from one shilling to half-a-crown per ton, which is estimated to produce £9000; and striking a new -rate of one shilling a ton on exports, which is calculated to bring in £2OOO. The alternative to these charges would be to strike a rate over all the districts in which the board has rating powers. As the chairman of the board (Mr. C. E. Bellringer, M.P.) pointed out, there are four harbour board districts in Taranaki besides that of New Plymouth, consequently the incidence of a harbour rate for New Plymouth might prove inequitable, and would certainly be cumbersome. The board has therefore definitely decided against striking a rate, and in this will have the approval of the province generally. As to the proposals themselves, they seem to be de-

signed to ensure that all those who directly reap the benefit which the port confers upon Taranaki shall do their part in paying for the services rendered. The board has been wise in making the increase in steamer dues as light as possible. So far, excellent relations have existed between the port authorities and the various shipping companies. The Harbour Board has done its best to meet the wishes of shipowners, and the latter have shown their appreciation of this attitude by sending more and larger vessels to the port. If shipowners are satisfied that the increased expenditure is to mean safer and more economic working of their vessels they probably will accept with a good grace the small increase in dues it is proposed to make. The increase in the rate upon imports from 1/- to 2/6 per ton is fairly heavy. At the same time it must be remembered that the saving on cargo imported by direct overseas steamers is not less than 25/- a ton as compared with that transhipped at Wellington or Auckland and brought here in coastal vessels. Indeed, if to the extra freight is added the damage caused to cargo by each fresh handling it receives in transit, the gain on direct imports is a great deal more than 25/-. It will be seen, therefore, that a rate of 2/6 per ton will still leave importers in a vastly better position than if they had to rely upon transhipment of all their goods, while the increase in price of commodities to cover the additional rate will be so small as to be practically unfelt by the general consumer. The new rate of V- Per ton on exports may be justified upon the same grounds. Anyone who has had experience of shipping dairy produce and meat, the principal exports from Taranaki, knows the tremendous advantage it is to handle such cargo as little as possible. Apart from the cost of handling the condition of a cargo shipped direct is t.lways better than that subject to transhipment. As Mr. Bellringer pointed out, the value of dairy produce is very high, ranging from £l7O a ton for butter to £75 a ton for cheese. To ask such exports to bear a charge of 1/- a ton is certainly not to unduly penalise them, a fact ■which exporters will understand and appreciate. There is this important point also. The increases proposed are not permanent. They are to apply only while development is proceeding more rapidly than the trade of the port is increasing. The. conditions surrounding the establishment of a main port make such a rate of development essential. In time, however, equipment will be completed, and, with the increase in trade that there is every justification for anticipating, it should be possible for all costs to be borne by ordinary revenue. During the past few years & steady increase in the port’s operations has been recorded. With the opening of the Stratford-Main Trunk railway is certain to come a big increase in the volume of trade of the port. In the meantime the more the port is utilised by exporters and importers throughout Tarana' the cheaper will be the costs of working it, and the sooner it will be possible to remove the increases in charges which are the only alternative to striking a harbour rate.