HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2416, 3 February 1909, Page 6

HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS

MEETING AT PATUTAHI

The candidates who are standing tor seats upon the Gisborne. Harbor Board pledged to support the placing before the .ratepayers of a proposal to construct an outer harbor, opened their campaign by addressing t'ho electors in. the Batutahi Public Hall last evening. Mr. Onven Gallagher was voted to the chair, and ii? addition to the candidates and a number of supporters 'from town', there were about a dozen persons

present. In opening the proceedings the Chairman said the meeting had been convened by the retiring member for the county, Mr. 13. Hepburn. Mr. W. L. Bees was the first speaker, and said that though he was not seeking election to represent the county, he was a candidate for the borough, and desired to put forward his views on the question of an cuter harbor for Gisborne: Some, pc "a ns held that the proper site for the harbor.,was at Young Nick’s Heart, tut all the engineers agreed that the kite selected by Mr. Marchant at Pan Hjl. was the best. .Some years ago £200,000 was borrowed for an outer-harbor, but the money was spent on the river, which at the present time barely allowed the Tuatea to get m or out. The very people who spent that money were the people who were opposing the present proposals. Goons coming from England could not be discharged at Gisborne, but were transhipped for Gisborne *at other ports, which added £1 Is a ton to the cost of carrying the cargo. That i w as paid by the people, and not by the merchant, and the money was wasted. The imports for last year showed an increase of about £IO,OOO over the previous year, and the greatei ipoi - tion of those imports carried transhipment chargee. An immense, extra cost was put on all exports, especial It butter, because they could not be put direct on to the ships. The site chosen for the outer liaiboi was very safe, and it- bad occurred that ships had sheltered theie in a vale. The chief opponents to tlm

outer barber were the big runholders and the big shipping firms, who one,, out that the burden would be put upon the ratepayers. The Joi-bo-Board was spending .e i on river improve me ul-s, am -fy JO . ’ that could be saved, because the river could be kept open for traffic for about £4OOO a year The £200,00was due to be liquidated m 1910. and the £l2 000 a vear interest would bo struck out, nnd the. Board’s receipts would be £SOOO to the good without anv rate, and. he believed, no rate would bo. needed if the proposed breakwater was built. The figures of the financiers showed that; but it even a id rate was needed it would bo onlv half the old loan. rate. He believed, however, there would be no need for a rate at 'all. Passengers landed at- Gisborne now at great risk and inconvenience, and it was a disgrace that such -a wealthy district iiad no harbor. It was the duty o, the. electors, if they believed the work could be done without any extra bin - den, to see that the work was done. Flo honed that Batutahi would .have

■a, tramway before long, and- good county to ads to and from the Tlie liarbor, howeyer, would pay tor itself The shipping firms noie aifraid that if the outer harbor was constructed the charges would ho increased . That might possibly happeit, for greater shipping facilities deserved extra payment. Mr. Kells iw.s working with the shipping companies .and the large ninholdcrs, whose interests were contrary L o the unrests of the people; Messrs TVlimray and Townley went on to the Boa id pledged to submit the outer harbor proposal to the ratepayers. Both now

flatly refused to do so. Messrs Hcjiburn and Adair promised to see that the ratepayers had a chance to express mi opinion, and he hoped the ratepayers would send the two fatter gentlemen to the Board. Mr. W. D. Lysnar said he. thought there was more than a passing interest in the contest, and he wished to place the ratepayers 'in a position to give an intelligent vote on Monday next. Tihe position was. “ships versus people,” and it was for the people to rule-. When he first went to the Harbor Board, he saw that- the people were bearing the burden the ships should carry. He had fought at the last election to increase the shipping charges, submit the outer harbor question to the people, and to conserve the funds of the Board for an outer harbor. That platform was endorsed by both Messrs Hepburn and TV hi nray. Mr. TV hi gray did not

keep his promise to submit the outer harbor question to the people, but always voted against any . motion brought forward for that object. The progressive n Jicv lie- (Mr. Lysnar) had put forward resulted in the decision of the Harbor Board not to strike any rates for two years. The shipping charges .-t Gisborne wore the second lowest- in the Dominion. The -shipping companies admitted that the charges 'were fair and recallable, and he. had been informed that; the companies would not even object to a fair increase. The Board had carefully considered the financial aspect of the outer harbor question, and the figures put forward proved that in eight years’ time- the shortage would be only £14,790, if the shipping revenue was increased by £SOOO, and it would only need a further slight increase on the charges levied on the ships trading to tlie port to make lip the whole amount, even allowing £4OOO a year for the river and £2BOO *or new works. The (Board, by a majority of one vote, had stopped the Hasting in the river, and if that one vote went the other way not only would blasting be don© in the river, but the money would be blasted out of the ratepayers’ pockets as well. Continuing, Mr. Lysnar said that Mr. Ivells held that it Was unfair to put extra charges on ho the. ships, and if the ratepayers put Mr Kells on to the Board they were taking the burdens off the ships and putting them on their own shoulders. Messrs Hepburn ancf Adair were pledged to the policy of the progressive members of the Board, and the ratepayers could depend upon them keeping their word. The country people did not quite understand the outer harbor question, and all he (Mr. Lysnar) desired was that the question should ho laid before the ratepayers so that the filial decision would be with them. Mr. Hepburn said that he was always dn favor of an outer harbor if there was no increase in rates. Various members of the Board held that if the shipping charges were increased the ships would not come to the port.

but it had been proved that the ship i would come to the ports where they could get freight. Through increasing the charges on the ships no rate had been struck for’two years. I*, the outer harbor was built one. rate in eight years would be the only rate needed, land lie desired to give the. people a chance to say if they wanted an outer ‘harbor or not. All the engineers engaged by the Board said that the Pah Hidl site was the best, and Mr. Marchant’s scheme had been confirmed by the best exports. Mr. T. Adair said lie hat] never been ta. member of the Board, but lie asked the confidence of the ratepayers on Monday next, He believed that tif an outer harbor was built, goods would be landed at a lower rate, iand the consumers would get the benefit. If the ratepayers would only return the candidates who favored putting the outer harbor proposal before the ratepayers, to the Board on Monday' next, he did not think they would do wrong. In 'answer to a- question, Mr. Lys nar said that the charge of £1 for lightering horses to the steamers would be done away with if the onto, harbor was built. Mr. Bees also said that if timber was loaded on to the ocean-going steamers the. freight on coal from Newcastle would be 7s a ton less. A vote of thanks to the Chairman then brought tire mooting to a close