The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1889.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4556, 4 June 1889, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1889.

Mtt Samuel, the member for New Plymouth, addressed his constituents last week, and in the course of his speech made reference to the New Plymouth breakwater and the difficulties nnder which tbe local harbour board are at present labouring. Vfo sympathise heartily with those gentlemen in their trouble, but at the same time we have no desire to sea it shifted on to the shoulderß of the general taxpayer. Each locality bag its own burden to bear, and as the Taranaki people chose to incur an enormous expenditure in tbe attempt to make a harbour, tho responsibility must rust with them and with them only. If tbeir resources prove inadequate to satisfy the lawful demands of those who lent the money, the default will be tbat of the borrowers and not of the people of the colony at large. Up to a certain stage the New Plymouth harbour works appeared to be successful. The work Btood, and the steamers came alongside and discharged and loaded with renßonable facility. Bnt before long the process of silting up began and threatened speedily to render useless all that had been done. it was clear either that there must be a collapse of tbe acbeme or tbat a further heavy expenditure must be incurred for the purpose of protecting the breakwater. Something has, we believe, already been done in tbat direction, but the work will be very cootly, and the question is — Where is the money to come from ? The proper answer of coarse is — Out of tbe pockets of the ratepayers in the New Plymouth Harbour District. But that ib certainly not what the ratepayers either in town or country desire. Mr Samuel ought to know what the local feeling is, and ho told his hearers that " njonty Was urgently rvjuircd lu clear

the sand away, and allow the large steamers to lie at the wharf at all times of tbe tide. He hoped the House wonld grant 6ome aid by which this very necessary work conld be accomplished." In short, money is wanted (1) to complete the original work ; (2) to construct a rubble wall to protect the breakwater from being totally silted up ; (3) to remove the enormous masses of sand which have already accumulated ; and (4) to pay the interest on money already borrowed. That is tbe true position of affairs at New Plymouth at the present moment, and the people are as anxious as ever to make the undertaking a success. "We have seen that Mr Samuel, the representative of the district, looked to Parliament to pay for the dredging. When he expressed that hope he was applauded. Evidently he was at one with his audience. There was not a word said about self-help, only about help to be obtained from Parliament. Nor were Mr Samuel's remarks on tbe general question more satisfactory than those in which he expressed a hope that a Parliamentary grant for dredging would yet be obtained. The Taranaki Herald reports him to have said : — •' Sir H. Atkinson had promised to relieve them from the rate, and he believed that the Premier was thoroughly in earnest over the matter. However, the House rejected tbe Premier's proposals, and be was glad now that the House had done so, for had the proposals been passed, tbe Government would have had power to levy heavy wharfage charges. That this was so could be seen from a subsequent statement of the Premier, who thought that 10s a ton could be paid for landing goods. It wonld never do to pay such exorbitant charges on their imports, or high charges on their exports, for if they did the harbour would be of no value to them or to the district. The Harbour Board, although 'perhaps he could find fault with some of their actions, were doing their best, and bad the interest of the district nt heart. The present members were now coming in for the fault-finding that was sure to ensue on the rate having to be enforced, but where were those who had sat when there waa money to spend, but who disappeared as soon as all the money was spent and tbe rate had to be collected ? He pointed out that the Board were standing in tbe breach, as it were, to prevent us from being heavily taxed on our goods, and that if once the Government got the harbour into their hands by tbe Board resigning, and he believed the Government were just waiting theiropport'unity, they would appoint a nominee Board, and heavy crushing wharfage rates would be the result. Tliey might, therefore, in view of such a calamity, refrain from unduly blaming the present Board, which was composed of gentlemen who had some stake in the district, and who certainly had the best interests of the place at heart." But though by some means or other the New Plymouth Harbour Board have hitherto contrived to carry on without making default (at least we believe that they have done so) the time is rapidly approaching when the interest must fall into arrears. Mr Samuel waa no doubt echoing tbe sentiments of the New Plymouth community when he spoke against the imposition of heavy wharf charges as certain to prove injurious to the trade of the port. Bat tbe people and tbe harbour board, and seemingly the member for the district, are equally averse to the payment of heavier rates. Yet there are no other sources of revenue. The money must come either from rates or from wharf charges. Tbe true meaning of Mr Samuel's reference to harbour affairs is that the district ia to be protected against larger levies, and that renewed tfforts are to be made to obtain money from the New Zealand Treasury. The prospect of success ib not very encouraging, but as long as the New Plymouth people show a hankering after colonial funds they should be told plainly tbat they cannot be served, and that the finance of the Harbour Board is a matter of purely local concern. What would be thought of the people of Timaru if they were to seek to further improve their harbour or pay the harbour debts out of the colonial pnrse P