HARBOUR BOARD POLICY

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1930, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD POLICY

APPROVAL AT STRATFORD THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PORT. I MOTION OF SUPPORT PASSED.

That the policy of the New- 1 lymouth Harbour Board in gradually improving the port to cater for the needs, of . shipping without running the community into debt to provide more than is absolutely neces Xy for the efficient handling of ships meets with the approval of the governing ■body of the Stratford Borough was ilffis hated at the meeting of the council on Monday night when councillors exprcsse their appreciation of what the board was years ago, said the Mayor, Mr P. Thomson; authority was given, the Har hour Board to raise money to.proc with an extensive programme of works , which would involve a heavy outlay and I tl]p possibility of striking a rate to meet that outlay. Stratford, he said, was included in the area over which the board had power to strike the rate “Now the welfare of the New Plymouth harbour is of the utmost importance to Stratford and Central Taranaki and the deliberations of the board as m the Press are always read with o rc.h inte est by the people of Stratford, he said. While nobody desired the imposition of further rates it was necessary that the port should be up-to-date for the efficient re ception and despatch of large cargo.ships and he wished to assure the I card that it Si the backing of Stratford in the work it was doing to deepen the channel so that the manoeuvring ef vessels could be effected more expeditiously. Mr. Inomson moved in that direction and at rhe same time congratulated the Stratford repn.'sentative on the board, Mr. D J. Malone on the able way he hid carried out his duties In seconding the assurance the JVUyor desired conveyed to the board Mr. S. . Ward said that the board deserved every credit for the work that was being done. When the question of the loan was first discussed, he stated, there had been opposition to it in the southern part of the province. Yet without .striking that rate the board had effected a gradual improvement in the port to bring, it up to its present standard. There was no doubt that the board was working on the right lines. The board was passing through a difficult period as the financial situation was resulting in a falling off of imports and a consequent decrease in revenue,” said Mr. Malone. However, he believea the boards policy was based on sound lines. The board certainly had a large sum at its command if it cared to strike a rate but the board had decided that the time wss not opportune for extensive expenditure on. big works. Nevertheless nothing was being neglected -'and though it might be said in some quarmrs that the board was not progressive enough it considered that in view of the present depression it haa adopted the right policy. The board, of course, Mr. Malone continued gained its revenue from imports but in the past Taranaki firms had not been importing as much directly through New Plymouth as they might have done, chiefly because ships had been induced to make New Plymouth their last pdrt of call before leaving the Domuron. An endeavour .was being made, therefore, to combine certain business interests in Taranaki in an attempt to persuade the shipping, companies to make New Plymouth the second port of call for their ships. With that object in view it had been decided to dredge the fairway to its full width a work that would be completed about March. In any case he‘thought the board could look for ward to the future with confidence. The motion was carried unanimously.