WAITARA HARBOUR LEAGUE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13991, 24 August 1909, Page 3

WAITARA HARBOUR LEAGUE.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS DISCUSSED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) There was a yood attendance sit the meeting on Fridat evening calk-d ior tiio purpose ot enrolling iiiciiibcib ot a Harbour League, and tor the, consideration of schemes whereby airangcim-nts may be made tor the re-orection ot the Waitara Bridge and harbour improvements. The chair was occupied by Mr. G. H. Stubbs (chairman of the Harbour Hoard) who stated the purpose oi th< meeting, including the formation ot a league, and said the duty of such league nould be to assist the board with its schemes for harbour improvement, and also go into the matter of finding practical means for providing the nioiu\ required for a new bridge. He stated that the. revenue from the bridge and river endowments was £4(HJ per annum, half for the bridgo and half tor harboui works. The board considered that as the bridge they took over cost not more than £3400, it should not bo expected to spend its revenue in providing :•. larger and more costly structure. A very necessary thing was to keep the entrance to the river open, and if the board is to do its duty in that direction it cannot do it and build a substantial bridge, with nothing less than a 20ft. roadway as well, unless it has the power to raise the necessary funds. The board was considering the advisability of promoting a Local Hill to be submitted to Parliament dm ing tincoming session, giving the- board i siting powers. As a Hill ot this soi t would affect the whole, district, tho lei^,ue could be ot valuable assistance to the board in deciding whether to pro\ i Je sufficient money for rebuilding tin bridge or go further and end- -ice a scheme for u»i.«-u. ».»ii-. •> ;• ■ H' : "• the business of the league would urstly, to agree as to what is a fan proportion for the board to bear on account of the bridge, then to decide upon the size and class> of bridge to be built, and how it is to bo paid for. The league could then go into the question of harbour improvement and interest itself in the matter of arousing the country and getting it to realise the urgent necessity of keeping the entrance to the river clear of sand. Mr. Brabant asked, seeing it was understood that there would bo no rate when the district was constituted, whether it would be fair to make a rate now. Tho chairman replied that his proposal did not indude the collection ot a Mr. Brabant: Why not hand over the bridge endowments to the Clifton County or Borough, then the Harbour - Board would not be troubled with the bridge? They would probably, not have been troubled in the first pfcee, only that there was no other local body to deal with the matter. The chairman replied that the town hoard of those days would have nothing to do with the bridge. They should have taken the sections when they were offered them. .. Mr. Jenkins: That was about a mulion years ago. * ' Mr. Brabant said he believed the Harbour Board was the only public body in existence in the district when the arrangement was made. , Mr. Rattenbnry also said the town board was not in existence when the sections wew> handed over to the Harbour Board. The Provincial Council considered the whofe matter and eventually the agreement was made with the Harbour Board. Mr. BeCkbessinger failed to see the utility of going into ancient history. The peojuVwsere called together to form a Harbour League, and they should decide, whether they were going. to do Mr. G.< V. Tate said he would like to hear the objects of the proposed league. / The chairman observed that he had already indicated that the first thing id io was to settle the liability of the Harbour Board in respect to the bridge ; the next thing was to say how the bridge was to be paid for, and the third object was to consider a scheme of Tiarbour improvement,, so that the harbour may be kept open during the dry months of, the year, or else a larger scheme. ' . . Mr. G. V. Tate spoke at some length on bridge and harbour matters. Ho believed the harbour was the first consideration, and did not think that a rate waa such a bogey as some noiil'J think, as it would be wo™ l - ... „ Mr. Klenner said he woi.ld like to know the amouni of : evenue tb« board had obtained from the endowments, and what amcunt had been spent ou the bridge. • Mr. "Rattenbury advocated the formation of a league, and said the first, thing to do was to separate the bridge from harbour works. Mr. Jenkins asked for what purpose v.erp the endowments given. The Chairman had the deeds produced, which showed that same were given for the maintenance of bridge and river banks. Mr. Jenkins said that was the point he was driving at all the time. The board should go on with ths bridge. Mr. Beckbesuniger stated that if th«» same class of structure as the old one Would do, there would be no difficulty, but it was- considered, that present-day icquirements ' demanded something superior. . ■■ , Mr. Chappell went into the matter [ of revenue dern ed from endown onts at some length, in the. course of » hich he stated that tho total amount received since the meeting of 'the bonrt. *a* between. £600fr and £7000. of which £8000 had been spent on the bridge, and the balance on harbour improvements., the money had been carefully and rightly used, and that being so, there was no stored-up capital held on account of the bridge. Mr. Klenncr said Mr. Chappell must have under-estimated the revenue. „ The Chairman observed ' that a fanaverage of revenue was £300 per year since the endowment was helq. After the chairman had reminded the meeting that mere repetition of ancient history was not getting fh»*m any further ahead, Mr. Beckbessingcr moved that the meeting should form itself into a league to carry out the proposals enumerated by the chain tan. This was' seconded by Mr. Kleiner and carried. . A long and somewhat animated discussion ensued on the matter of fixing the liability of the board re the bridge, during the coi-rse of which Mr. Jenkins wanted to know where the €430 per annum revemie from the endowment had gone. The Chairman said Mr. Jenkins onght to be fair, as ho knew quite well the board had sot been getting 'b,tt amount of ■ revenue at the time. Mr.' Jenkins: I want to know what has been received. The secretary read from a schedule showing that the sura of £6129, irrhimv» of a Government subsidy of .C24b 12s Id. had been, received from endowments xhtrin^the years 1880-1907, and Ihis had been equally divided between the bridge and the harbour. Mr. Jenkins thought the river should be kept open, but a bridge should be built that ivould be creditable to the t(wn.

Mr. Witaon : It's all very well to say. build a.bridge and keep the river open. How could they do that unless tinfinancial side of the question was i-on-pidered ?

The Chairman said if they went on the rough basi3 that the ho.ml wa< responsible for £2CO a year, it woiil.l l>» something to work on Mr. Klenner : let us get the leacue going, and then hold another meeting to go further into the question. Mr. Ogle naid it appeared that ;i first essential was a league of svmpatliy. He said the point was. l\w loard could build a bridge, I nt rot one that wo-ild run into €12.000 or £14,000. Mr. Rattenbnry suggested anpro»»ebing the public bodies to see what *hey could do.

.During the course of a lengthy discussion on ways and means, Mr. Chappell pointed out that unless the inhabitants came to the support of the board. they could not erect the very best bridge. If the hoard had to fall hack on its own resources the best that could be done was the re-erect lon of a sini'lar structure to the present one. Mr. Tate said he believed the farm-

ing community would ho quite willing to rate itself to maintain and improve the port. The district was now tree from the New Plymouth rat© and they could afford to pay a small rate tr- improve their own port. Mr. Jenkins: Will the hoard he keeping faith with the people who helped to get th? hill through it ihev impose a rate, on the district. The Chairman considered there would ho no breach of faith. In any case before there was any borrowing a poll would l»o taken, and the people have to agree to a loan. Mr. Ogle said ho was ot opinion that the. ratepayers would just as likely sanction a loan to be used lor harbour improvement, as one merely for a bridge. At this stage it was agreed to adjourn for a week, when a dvlinite proposal will be gone on with.

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