Page 6 Advertisements Column 3

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

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE GISBORNE HARBOR DISTRICT. STN offering our services on the Gisit borne Harbo.r Board, we have decided, at the suggestion oJ' a number of your fellow Electors, to express our views on wliat may be regarded as the most important question affecting the Harbor administration. -Ist. We are in favor of" a good Outer Harbor, and we consider the time now opportune to have tho question submitted to the Ratepayers for their consideration. 2nd. We are' in favor of adhering to tho lines of the new administration of the Board, by which the rate has been avoided, and tho wharfage charges payable by the people have been, reduced, and to still further continue that, policy when the - Outer Harbor is constructed. So that the charges on the shipping will be increased in proportion to the facilities rendered. 3rd. We .are determined to avoid the possibility of re-establishing a permanent rate. 4th. To as far as nossible conserve the funds of the Board for an Outer Harbor,, but- wo consider the river muld be maintained available for the present river traffic. We are, yours obediently, DUNCAN HEPBURN. F. HARRIS. W..L. REES. T. ADAIR. HARBOR BOARD ELECTION. TO THE COUNTY RATEPAYERS. T ADIES AND GENTLEMEN,— z!_J I have had the honor of representing the County on the Harbor Board for the past ten years, and confidently come before you again as one who has studied your best interests in the past. When last elected, in 1906, I was assured by many of my supporters that if I used my best endeavors to prevent the then present rate of -id in the £ for the County from being increased, I would he meeting their wishes satisfactorily. I have fully kept my pledge on this point by joining the progressive party on the Board and abolishing the rate, I hope for good and all, without impairing the finances of the Board. I am a strong advocate for the outer harbor scheme being placed before the ratepayers, as I am convinced that this great work can be undertaken without any risk of having to strike a rate, as I_ am strongly opposed to the Harbor Board ever striking a rate again, unless for a very pressing or temporary need. The soundness of the progressive policy adopted by a bare majority of only one in the Board is conclusively proved by the fact that for two years we have had no rate to pay, and have enjoyed practically a reduction of 50 per cent on the wharfages, which, in contrast with the term ending 1906. shows a direct saving to the people in the last two years of £27, SOO. It will he seen bv a financial statement compiled by Messrs Witty and Coleman, secretary and auditor of the Board, and approved by the Finance Committee and the Board, that if this same policy is followed, we can raise sufficient to expend £350,000 on the outer harbor, as well as pay off the balance of £50.000 remaining duo of the old Harbor loan of £200,000, and £4OOO per annum for the administration of tho now outer harbor, without any financial strain whatever requiring to be met by striking rates or any increase in the present wharfages, the shipping alone being charged £SOOO per annum extra for their increased facilities when the harbor is complete. Trusting that I may merit a continuance of your confidence, and assuring you of my best endeavors to work in and for your interests, I remain, Yours respectfully. D. HEPBURN.

HARBOR ELECTION. TO THE BOROUGH ELECTORS.. T ADIES AND GENTLEMEN,— candidate for your suffrages, 1 beg to point out that I have field a seat on your Board since May, 1907, when I took office at a very critical period m the Board’s administration, as the new policy of taking the charges off the people and putting it on the shipping., while, having been adopted by the Board the previous month, awaited -kjonfirination. I recognised that this new policy depended on which way I gave my vote, as the sitting members of the Board were equally divided on the question. Having examined the new policy very carefully, and being satisfied that it was sound and meant a large monetary saving to the people, I supported it, with the result that whilst the finances of the Board are sound today. the people of this town and district have been relieved of rates for the past two years, .which means a saving of over £20,000 in that time, •as well as having their wharfages reduced by over £3OOO a year. The soundness of this policy is shown by the fact that a concession of over £IOOO a year has been made to the intercolonial boats on the new tariff without at <all interfering in any way with the .sound financial position of the Board.

Mr Marchant’s design for an outer li arbor lias been practically approved of by the greatest modern harbor experts, Sir John Goode and Sons, as suitable for Gisborne. The Harbor Board have been in conflict over the question of placing the proposal before the and, although it'-is shown to be financially sound and not endangering a rate, they stop its being brought to the poll by a majority of one. I feel that I' am justified in assuring you, on the careful estimates of Messrs Witty and T. A. Coleman, that with the increased shipping charges, which is possible, because Gisborne, with the new shipping tariff, is now one of the cheapest ports of entry in the Dominion for shipping companies, as the increased revenue of the port arid the substantial income from '* Tauwhareparao (the lease of., which falls in shortly), will provide ample income to meet tlig general administra-> tion of the Board and the interest on the cost of construction and maintenance of the outer harbor without anv rate being'required. If elected, I will give my best endeavors to safeguard your interests, and trusting to be favored with a continuance of your confidence, I am, 3 Yours respectfully. F. HARRIS.