HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2417, 4 February 1909, Page 6

HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS

.MEETING AT TE K All AKA. Messrs W. D. Lysmir, D. Hepburn, •and T. Adair journeyed to Te Kanaka last evening and addressed a meeting in connection with the Harbor Board elections. Mr. J. Brown ocou,pied the chair, and .about 25 ratepayers 'were present. The Chairman said Hie was pleased to see the. candidates come to To Earaka to address the ratepayers on such an important question, as he thought there wan a good deal of information available that was not properly understood. Mr. AV. E. iLysnar wa.s the next speaker, and contrasted tire old system of rating and paying heavy wharfages with the new system of no rates and Ihalf wharf charges on the principal commodities in use. He pointed out that over £400,000 had boon spent on the river work, but that- amount included interest, and yet there had been no increase on the depth of the channel, for in 1902 there was 1 Oft of water at the end of the breakwater, as against 13ft at present . The present charges against the ships were admitted to be on a fair basis, and tin' cry that the freights would go up in consequence of an increase in charges had not been borne out, but. on the contrary, the freight on wool had been recently reduced. Mr. LySniar, in referring to Mr. Kells’ statement in his address that lie'considered that an up-to-date ipllant was required to de«i witb the silt in the river, said that to deal with the silt would require a .most expensive plant, as there wore 65 chains from the end of the breakwater to the top end of the wharf of an average width of about four chains, which was subject to being silted to a. depth of from two to throe feet in one or two days at flood time. Those present -'could. imagine what quantity of material had to be cleared out to free tbe -channel. It would not bo possible for an up-to-date dredge to do that- work, and such a dredge would cost about £15,000. and would cost- £3OOO or £4OOO in working expenses. He thought a more economical! way of coping with the silt was ibv locking tlie river, wliicii was deaflt with in Mr. Adair’s published address, for by letting the water out of the docks before the silt settled, the river could ibe -scoured out. Mr. Lysnar also dealt with Mr. Kells’ statement- that it- was unwise to place further -burdens upon the ships, and said the quesion was whether the ships or the people should carry the burden. The contest was being carried out by two distinct parties. Mr. Keills and Mr. MacDonald were co-operating to secure the county vote, and .Messrs Hepburn and Adair were .asking tlie confidence of tlie ratepayers as advocates of the continuance of the present system, -which placed tbe burden on the ships and not on the people. As the ratepayers cast their vote on Aloudav, so the question vow’d ho decided. If the ratepayers desired to carry the burden tbe ships should carry the-v should vote for Messrs Kells and MacDonald, but if they de- j sired to acknowledge tlie lel’ieif tnoA j liad obtained 1 during the past two j veals they should vote for 'Messrs Hepburn and Adair. Me Lysnar f also dealt with the outer harbor, and stated that there seemed to be a_ mis- j conception of the functions of the j Board on that- question, and that it was supposed that if the ratepayers • returned outer harbor advocates the j question was settled. That was not j so. as 'all that- was asked- was for j them to return members pledged to place the question before tlie people for the .people to decide. Air Hepburn, pointed out that alt he desired was to send the outer harbor proposal to tlie people- -and to continue the policy which bad saved the people from any rates, and redueet the wharfages. Two years ago, after spending £12.000 in the river, there . was less water than before, and he, • with other members, got the blasting stopped by one vote. 1 Several questions were asked and , answered. iMr. Foote proposed 1 a j vote of confidence in Messrs Hepburn and Adair. Air. Hepburn asked that the vote be not put, bu£ it was car- - ried with acclamation. A vote of ; thanks to the Chairman brought the ; meeting to a close. j

Messrs F. Harris and M 7. L. T?ees had called a meeting of ratepayers to discuss the outer harbor question at the Jvaiti School for la-st evening, hut as onily two persons the meeting was abandoned.