MR. WILLIAMS REPLIES TO MR. HARRIS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 30 April 1913, Page 8

MR. WILLIAMS REPLIES TO MR. HARRIS.

Speaking oh the wharf last evening Mr T. B. Williams had a few remarks to make in defence of the Harbour Board against the criticism of Mi A. -Harris. Mr Harris, said Mr Williams, had made allegations against the; Board of inability. -He.bad made this statement for years. Ho, was one of the prime movers in the Feilu's scheme agitation, whoa the Board wno called upon to resign, and when, if the members would not do so. MrHarhis was going to "root thorn out." Mr Harris suggested that the Boardshould hiro the Ruby Seddon. which was quit© unfit for the work Wangaiiui required to be done. This had been shown by Mr Murray. If the dredge wero obtained it would soon exhaust the"small amount of money which 'tile "Board had available. Then the men at tho quarries would have to be iddspharged and. tho plant tied up. Thfe-'Boiird: yould loso its valued I

servants, and it would,, take a- year, to j get such ii good gang again. Apart irom this} the Board could not get a result from the dredge for two years Now, what did the Board 'intend to do? Before Mr Howorth left on his trip, he outlined a. policy. It was Kiuop tlic qxiaxJ.es going, constrwet utie training walls, repair the moke, nnd then the Board would be in the position that immediately it is able to get the Bill through and money is available, it would be able to get on, with the dredging. * If the Beard went on with the dredging now, said 'Mr. Williams, it would be wasted work. Mr Harris -knew the walls were not there to pump the spoil over. The Board was keenly alive to its position. There would be no reduction in freights until the big harbour was made. It was not the fact of the: deepening of the river, but the shipping I*"ring"1*"ring" which controlled the freights.' Until Wanganui could go out into the world anU gtifc indepenjdent Companies to trade here, the freights would not go down. Mr Williams instanced the case of the N.Z.S. Company 'and the Shaw Saville in connection with the Home loading ■at CastleclifE, when they .refused to come here. As soon as the Tyser Line agreed to do the work on reasonable terms the other companies came crawling "ailong and said' they, .would, be prepared to go on \y%itli.,;]Lhe .work. Mr Williams 'went on .to -refer5 again to the shipping " ring" which cbntrolled 'the freight rates, and repudiated Mr. Harris suggestion tliat with 17 feet of water they could obtain better rates. Until they got a d<jop .sea ihar-bour and could invite competition from the. shipping'companies pf the world, they would not get cheaper rates. Mr Williams regretted a t^nde.ncy.in Wanganui." to cry stinking fj'sh. He maintained that the handling bf cargo^m Wanganui was second to none in -Nevv Zeciland.