WAITARA HARBOUR LOAN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144667, 29 April 1915, Page 8

WAITARA HARBOUR LOAN.

TO 'JHK KUITOK. Sir, Your Waitnru correspondent's advice in Saturday's issue to consult your suhleader for any iul'ormation 1 desired rc tlio Waitara Harbour Hoard loan was very disappointing. His return to tiiis all-important question in his notes in Monday night's issue shows that lie eventually considered my queries were not altogcllier worthy oi the supreme contempt he at first imagined. After all. his eoiiteiitions, although making interesting reading, arc only speeolative of what might possibly he me result of harbour improvements to The henelit of the dairying community. Past experiences do not. however, giro mueli encouragement that Ids assumptions will prove correct. If there is any guarantee that seeds, manures, cement, etc., will he brought in ami retailed cheaper, or even as cheap, as we call procure them in Xew Plymouth landed at Waitara, then it certainly will he to our interest to vote for the improvements. But why is it that, although the Waitara Harbour has in the past always enjoyed a reputation by those in power for being lunch cheaper than Moturoa, purchasers in "Waitara have always had to pay from 10 per cent, to 20 per cent, more for their goods than the Now Plymouth people? These goods in ninny instances could even be railed out here'at a considerable saving. One time it was argued that the cause of this was because of the long credit given to customers. Xow it has suddenly Peon discovered that it is owing to the fact that goods have occasionally to he landed at Moturoa and railed to Waitara. Would firms- like Burgess and Fraser and Hatriek and Co. keep a large re-ofiving-storo at Waitara if their goods had constantly, or even frequently, _ to bo railed through from Moturoa? The present cash system and reduction _ in charges promoted by must of the Wuitara tradesmen is a step in the right direction, hut oven then, I am told, there is room for improvement. Manures we can always procure as cheaply as nnvwhere from the local works, as we hope to do in the future from other traders, and if, as your correspondent hopes, they can he imported at a still lessor rate" together with other necessaries for farm cultivation, then it will be nil right. His reference to the. per- | sonnel of the hoard is only in part correct. It is difficult to know bow he defines a trader. A shipowner who does business in conveying goods between ports and deals in certain commodities is surclv a trader. An auctioneer, commission'agent, etc., who imports goods, cither in his own behalf or for others, and sells direct, in my opinion cannot he regarded as anything else. A dairyman who is also a grazier, wool-grower, and fat-lamh-raisor is surely more than a plain overv-day dairyman, and fts an exporter of wool directly interested. The iicont of the big shipping companies which send little ships to Waitara is surely directly interested in whether his company’s shins get in or out of the river. The other two or thre,e ; —well, whv have thov left the old ship just at the moment their skill and energy were required to guide it from the shoals ol destruction? History says nothing, and leaves the community in painful conjecture. Personally L do not blame the 'members of the hoard putting thenside of the question in its best light, or "oven for working in their own interests, no matter how'small that interest may be We all do that without nosing as public benefactors. In consequence of this, if I have to pay the interest, even if it is ouiv four or five shillings a year for a start, naturally I want to know where my profit comes in. As yon said in the leader referred to, the demand is not a. very large one, hat the trouble is an angry sea is no respecter of big or little loans. If the hoard could guarantee that the first call would be