53 TARANAKI GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

REPORT.

In considering the question of Harbor accommodation, the Committee wish especially to guard against the assumption that they are at all antagonistic to the formation of the Railway between Wellington, New Plymouth and Auckland. So far from this, they believe that the two works should proceed simultaneously, and that each will materially assist the other not only in developing the resources of the Province, but in making both undertakings reproductive. With this explanation, they proceed to give their reasons,—

Why increased facilities for shipping are necessary for promoting the development of the resources of the Province, and the successful occupation of its Waste Lands.

Why the proposed Railway will not of itself attain the above objects.

And to suggest what financial arrangements should be made to defray the cost of the undertaking.

The rate of freight to New Plymouth from England and Australia, is about double that to ports where vessels can trade direct to those places. In addition to this must be added the higher rate of Insurance, the extra cost of landing and shipping, the detention of goods, and the additional risk of damage of transhipment and landing. It will be within the mark to say, that on all goods from England there is an extra cost of from 50s to 60s per ton, from Australia 30s to 40s per ton, and from Colonial ports 10s to 15s per ton—a loss that falls upon the consumer, and is especially a very great impediment to the importation of machinery for agricultural and other purposes, without which farm produce cannot be grown here at the same rate as in other provinces. With these additional charges, it would be useless for our merchants to attempt to carry on business with the small ports to the North and South of New Plymouth, in competition with merchants who receive their goods direct from England or Australia.

An equal loss to the producer occurs in our exports. Upon wool, for instance, the extra cost to a port of shipment is from 17s to 18s a bale; and upon grass seed the cost is fully double. Upon bulky and low-priced articles, such as timber, potatoes, &c., this extra cost is prohibitory, and, as a consequence, potatoes are never grown here for shipment.

With respect to Immigration, upon which the successful settlement of the Waste Lands of the Province mainly depends, it is evident that this Province is at the greatest possible disadvantage. Whilst all other provinces are receiving large numbers of immigrants, Taranaki has been excluded, on the plea that vessels would not come to our roadstead. The Province has been shut out from the benefits of receiving laborers, at a time when it is difficult for the employers of labor to carry on their operations for the want of them, and also from settlers with means to purchase and cultivate the land; the difficulties and dangers of the roadstead being dwelt upon to divert people from coming to the district.

That the Railway will not meet the difficulty under which the Province suffers, has been very clearly shown by Mr. T. Kelly, M.H.R., who states that one hundred miles is the probable limit for the transmission of grain by rail—for bulky and low-priced articles a much less distance would be the limit. Estimating the Colonial charges as double those of English rates—which, probably, is far too low for this district—grain would cost 8d per bushel for 100 miles, exclusive of the cost of cartage to and from the station. From the southern boundary of the Province, the distance to Wellington would be about 150 miles, and from the northern boundary to Auckland about 170 miles, so that the Railway will practically be useless for the conveyance of the bulk of farm produce, even from the extremities of the Province, much less from the central portion of it. But as a means of settling people on the district it traverses, the Railway would be most valuable; and with this facility, and the prospect of being able to ship produce on equal terms with other parts of the Colony, there is no doubt that the lands of the Province would be rapidly occupied, and the price obtained for them considerably increased.