ADMINISTRATION OF PORT

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1930, Page 13

ADMINISTRATION OF PORT

HARBOUR BOARD’S SILENCE DISCUSSION BY BUSINESS MEN. FULLER INFORMATION DESIRED. COMMENT ON HARBOUR FINANCE. The port of New Plymouth and. its financial position were subjects of fairly lengthy comment by the president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce (Mr. J. McLeod) in moving the adoption of the report at the annual meeting of members of the Chamber last night. In discussing the financial position of the harbour board Mr. McLeod said that the business men of New Plymouth were vitally interested in the means the board employed to obtain revenue, and in his opinion the board would be wise if it took the public much more fully into its confidence than it had in the recent past. “There is,” said Mr. McLeod, “a responsibility on every member of the Chamber to take an intelligent interest in the affairs of the harbour board, and particularly in its development policy. AH of you are conversant with the remarkable direct overseas trade development that followed the making available of the port to deep-sea shipping, but the fact that so little is heard of the more recent figures leads one to wonder whether the position is thoroughly appreciated. The fact remains, however, that the previous expansion of business at the port has received a check, and the finances of the board have been correspondingly affected. “Ordinarily the board has as certain and definite sources of revenue only its port and shipping dues' and endowment and land revenue, the latter being not an increasing quantity. Other possible sources of revenue are increased dues, a tax on trade passing over the wharves (harbour improvement rate charge) and a rate over the district. The position is not at all obscure. The interest charges on the harbour board loans when the breakwater was completed, and the permanent administrative costs, amounted to an annual sum that the board’s revenue from shipping charges, endowments and land revenue was little more than sufficient to meet. Additional revenue was then sought, and a tax on goods passing inwards oyer the wharves was imposed. Even with this new revenue it is understood the revenue is : till insufficient to meet the growing annual charges, and more income has to be found. Suggestions that shipping dues be increased are being considered, and it has also been suggested in some quarters that the improvement rate tax on imports be fur-, ther increased.

“While it may be that ships’ dues in New Plymouth are at present not unreasonable, and may be increased without affecting the friendly relations with the overseas shipping companies on whose policy the prosperity of the port is largely dependent, it is to be hoped that the board will veto any proposal to increase - the tax on cargo. There is a distinct divergence of opinion as to the harbour improvement tax being a wise one, and whether it io not even now, operating prejudicially to the interests of the port. If that is so, and if it can be ohoWn that any appreciable volume of cargo is being handled through two adjacent ports on the score of economy, to the detriment of New Plymouth, the sooner the whole position is reviewed the bejtter. “It has probably to be admitted that no alternative method of securing the necessary revenue exists excepting by the imposition of a harbour rate over tho rating district, and is not difficult to appreciate the anxiety of board members to ward that off as long as possible. If, however, there should be any serious opposition .from shipping companies to an increase of dues; if the tax on imvard cargo is leading to the diversion of portion of our trade through other ports; and if the activity of the railways’' commercial department induces transhipments of Wellington overseas cargo by rail to Taranaki instead of by boat; then it obviously becomes a question of considering which method of taxation will in the long run be the cheaper —increased dues and decreasing shipping patronage, or a cheap shipping port and a harbour rate. “The position is perfectly secure, but in my opinion the board will be wise if it decides to take the people much more fully into its confidence than has recently been its attitude.”

Mn 8. E. Shaw eaid that with Mr. McLeod he felt the public did not know all it was entitled to know about the position of the harbour board.