NOTES FROM WANOANUI.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 759, 7 March 1910, Page 7

NOTES FROM WANOANUI.

...THE POET HISTORY OF A TEAR! , (By Telegraph.—Special OorreeDondeot.) .Wanganui, March G. The .annual report of the' Wanganui fiarbour Board states that, the revenue •■ last year was w£12,756—a decrease of .£B2B. jßeceipts from pilotage, ship' and port dues, rents, etc., were the same as for the previous year, but; wharfage had decreased by £3283. This '■ shortage has freen. made up somewhat, by the-sale of gravel and 6tone,; and the hire of plaW, !but these items could'hardly be consid.ered ordinary revenue. The decrease m grfiarfage. was not due to 'any falling-off tin exports, which showed an increase, put to the lesser amount of imports. ilEhis was partly due to the' financial (Stringency, and partly to the , operation of the , long distance railway rates. ; In (commenting' on the report, the chairman jCMr. J. . B;' Murary) . stated that' the (finances of the board were in a: satisfactory condition, while the various works rshowed, good progress. . Another' 620 .feet fhad been added to the north mole at the (entrance, and the. south mole had now beached a length of 1180 feet. The effect (.of the moles ■ had been to permanently pi the.line of the channel over the bar, Sand as they \ lengthened and''the .ends : kconverged -together it 'was 'anticipated, [that .they would -produce scouring effect [on the' bar which' would further ■ improve itixe depth of water there. -The-dredge jihad completed the cut through the inmer rJianTipl, as recommended by the enjgjireex, and was now being..'.'overhauled , jieady. far further work''.lwhen necessary. jiA. new wharf -had. been built at. Casti'i-,-cliff, and the Wanganui wharf had been '/extended 625 feet. The amount spent on and plant during , the year was (^£26,636..-As the Harbour Board owns 'considerable property at Castlecliff,. the pvSlne of which would be greatly enHinneed by the road improvements'to be '. teamed out by the :; Oastlecliff Town j&Soard, it had been decided to pay the [JTown Board a> subsidy of. ,£IOOO in conmection with the work. : The:board had j;also decided to 'tuild a elipway for carrying out repairs to its own tugs and Biarges, the Freezing Company's lighters, land other email vessels in port .' Mi. Hogan, M.P., recently interviewed jihe Hon. R. M'Kenzie regarding. the cessation of work on the .Parapara Eoad. jlEhe Minister expressed- surprise at the anen being knocked off, and stated that no instructions to that effect, had been (issued from Wellington. ■ He promised to pave the men put •on again, and conjßtruction pushed on for another three months till winter sets in. Some local Jradies, having refused to expend, the •Government votes for roads in their districts unless expenses ■ aro paid them in connection .with the formal taking over of the' votes, the Minister . stated that iy the conditions on which money is offered to local bodies he cannot do this. "Eβ agreed; on Mr. Hogan's renuost,. to withdraw-the votes from those local bod|ies round Wanganui which refused to .expend them, and get the Department of Eoads to expeud- them, without delay, wherever road construction was urgently Sneeded. ; ■■.--.

Among the- candidates for the forthcoming Hospital and.'. Charitable Aid 'Board elections is one lady—Mrs. J. T. •Stewart, who, was a member of these ■bodies some years ago.