JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1069, 7 March 1911, Page 8

JOTTINGS FROM WANGANUI.

HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT. (By Telccrash.—Special Correspondent.! ' Wan'flanui, March 6. Tho AYaitotara County Council decided to-day to readjust its representation on account of the cutting off of certain portions of its territory, which have been added to the borough. In future tho number of councillors will be eight instead of nine, AYaitotara Riding returning three. members, AYestmero Riding two, Brunswick two, Tokomaru one. This will not, however, take effect till tho end of the present year. A letter has been received by the Harbour Board from the Patea Board stating that it had been brought nndcr the latter body's notice that at Invercargill the Railway Department was collecting inward wharfage on weight instead of measuring, and in such a way as to cause considerable loss of revenue to the Harbour Board there. As the AYanganui and Patea Boards were also in the position of having their wharves managed by the Department, it was thought that a united protest should be made, and steps taken to secure a remedy. The Department's practice here is to make its charges on figures exactly as they appear on tho ship's manifest, and it has been decided to inform the Patea Board accordingly. New detailed plans have been submitted to the Harbour Board by the engineer (Mr. C. H. Howorth) showing tho work already accomplished at the Heads, and what is proposed to be done in the future. As the moles are now their ends are about 600 feet from the crest of tho bar. and thev will be extended immediately till the north mole will be 300 feet from the bar, while the south mole will project beyond it, coming to witl-.in 100 feet of the bar. The depth of water in the centre of. the channel opposite the present ends of the mole is between 19 and 20 feet, lessening to 16 feet on the bar, and increasing again to 20 feet just beyond the crest. Tho plans show a proposed further extension of the moles by another thousand feet. Tho extensions will not, however, be continuous with the present moles, but will widen out and curve round their ends to form wave basins, so that heavy roller; which may be trapped by them may spread out into wave basins on either hand and dissipate their energy, thus protecting the inner part of the entrance from heavy seas. The extensions are subject to the approval of the Marine Department, with tho officers of which Mr. noworth will confer in Wellington shortly.