D.—4

192

EXHIBIT 0. Statement as to West Coast Trading Company's Wharf. (Put in by Mr. E. H. Crabb. See pago 37.) This wharf is situate about 8 ft. below the Railway Wharf at Foxton, and between that and Levin and Co.'s wharf. The wharf and the bins thereon were erected for the purpose of receiving and storing coal to serve the surrounding district. The land on which it stands belongs to the Railway Department, and the foreshore and bed of the river is vested in the Harbour Board. The railway leased this piece of land to the company in 1907, charging £25 per annum. The foreshore to the river was leased by the Harbour Board, a condition in the lease being wharfages payable to the Board. When wharf was built the Department gave the company a siding, charging £120 for constructing same and £26 per annum rent. When the wharf began to be used the Department notified the company they would collect wharfages. It was pointed out to them the Harbour Board had already collected, but they refused to take goods unless the wharfage was paid to them. The wharfage was again paid under protest, and double wharfage continued to be so paid. The Minister of Railways and General Manager when interviewed refused to grant any redress. When the company stated its intention to refuse payment and asked to be sued for such payment the reply was the Department would not carry goods unless all charges including wharfage were paid. It refused to be a party to an action for a declaratory judgment in the Supreme Court, and stated any action would have to go through, the usual channels and would be taken to the Privy Council if necessary. The company was not financially strong enough to fight the matter, so the wharf was rendered unpayable. Further, a bank formed in the river just off the wharf, and consequently boats refused to lie there except just at high water. The Department refused to take any steps to remedy the matter except a grant of £20 to assist the Harbour Board to try a spoon dredge. Consequently, the wharf was rendered useless for the purpose for which it was built. I was at the time managing director of the above company, and so all correspondence, &c, passed through my hands. I also had several interviews with the General Manager and Mr. Millar, Minister of Railways, at the time over the matter.

EXHIBIT P. Comparative Table op Freights and Railages. (Put in by Jtlr. F. S. Goldingham. See page 35.) (I.) Goods from Wellington to Palmerston North. Rail Wellington to T t. -n ~.„ ,j , , fa^ T ~ Via Foxton. Difference. Palmerston North. s. d. ». d. s. d. Class A .. .. .. .. .. 50 5 28 10 21 7 „ B .. .. .. .. .. 41 11 20 8 15 3 „ C .. .. .. .. .. 34 10 24 9 10 1 „ D .. .. .. .. .. 27 4 22 !) 4 7 Sea freight, Wellington to Foxton : General cargo, 9s. per ton ; kerosene, 11s. per ton, 24 cases. Wharfage at Foxton : General cargo, 2s. plus 10 per cent. ; grain, flour, Is. 6d. plus 1.0 per cent. ; wire, 6d. plus 10 per cent.; manure, Is. plus 10 per cent. Cost of certain articles per rail and via Foxton :■ — Wellington to Palmerston North Via Foxton. Difference. per Rail. s. d. s. d. s. d. Kerosene (case) .. .. .. .. 1 10£ 1 2f 0 8 Benzine (case) .. .. .. 210 110 10 Cigarettes (case) .. .. .. ..176 07 711 Wire (ton) .. .. .. .. 27 4 21 1 6 3 (2.) Goods from Ports other than Wellington to Palmerston North via Foxton. Sugar at present costs as follows : If brought to Wellington and then railed to Palmerston North, £3 3s. 7d. ;if via Foxton, £2 Bs. Id. : difference, 15s. 6d. If port was open to boats trading Auckland to Foxton freight would not be over 20s. per ton, and sugar could be landed at Palmerston North for 375. 7d. Approximately, the quantity for district is 2,500 tons, and the saving would therefore be, say, £1,300 on sugar alone. Flour : The saving on flour as compared with getting same by the present cheapest port—namely, Wanganui—would be ss. 7d. per ton. Taking the district as using 12,000 tons of flour annually, half of which is supplied locally, the saving on flour would be, say, £1,700 per annum.