Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 14, 9 February 1942, Page 4

Local and General

Harbour Board Finance Accounts totalling £2551 15s lid | were passed for payment by the Harbour Board on Friday. Red Cross Society The local branch of the Red Cross Society is to meet on Wednesday of this week and not on Tuesday as lias been the custom in the past. War Risk Insurance^ The Whakatane Harbour Board has decidcd to take out a £10,000 War Risk insurance cover on its wharves and the channel. Many Rats The Harbour Board has for some time had trouble with rats and recently the wharf sheds have involved some expense in being made ratproof. This trouble having been remedied it has been found that the plantation on the sand spit across the river is infested with rats and more poison is to be employed. Rest Area The Harbour Board and the Borough Council met recently to discuss the matter of a site for the proposed new rest area and public convenience which the council j wishes to build. It was intended to have these near the Fire Station, but in view of the decision to engage a town planner to lay-out the mudflats area a decision !>.s to the site was held over. Visitors to Wharf At Friday's meeting of- the Whakatane Harbour Board it was' decided to give authority to the Rangitaiki Dairy Company and the Whakatane Paper Mills to disallow persons without, authority from venturing on the cheese factory wharf. It had been reported by the companies that frequently a number of unauthorised persons landed on the wharf and it was not desired that such a practice should continue. Rain at Waimana Strange as it may seem, while farmers in the Rangitaiki basin are suffering serious damage to production ojving to the dry weather only a few miles distant at Waimana falls have been recorded daily and to such an extent that haymaking has been held up. Each day commences brightly, but later squally weather brings rain. One farmer states his milk production has fallen only 2001bs below its peak figures. Work Cancelled That he had considered that unnecessary works should not be proceeded with in View of the increased gravity of the war situation was stated by the chairman of the Harbour board, Mr W. R. Boon, at the meeting on Friday. This opinion had caused him to cancel the decision to tar-seal approaches to the wharf with a view to conserving finance and employing labour to belter advantage. His action w r as endorsed. No Picnic | At Friday's meeting of the Harbour Board it was decided to cancel the usual picnic organised by the Board and which was attended by local body members. The chairman, Mr W. R. Boon, also stated that he had given instructions that no more launch trips were to be made with pleasure parties considering that to use -fuel for such a purpose would not be fair to those people who had to remain at home through lack of petrol for their cars. His action was endorsed.