WANGANUI JOTTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1414, 15 April 1912, Page 8

WANGANUI JOTTINGS.

pout progress of wii-12,

(Gy Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.)

lr , „ Wanoanui, April 13. Hip ilarbour Board last cveniii" diseufsed a motion by Mr. A. G. Bi-noll in raiso a loan of .£100,(100 for drains and o r. ro'J^', rks '' , i,lilco <lf proposed «t_.)0,000 loan. I lie mover explained that tho proposal did not involve Ihe abandonment of the innro extended scheme but wis rather an instalment of it, and, as the larger loan was bound to be defeated by tiip country district, he ur""d the smaller seheine as (he best way out 01 (no diHienltv.

Iho motion was strojierlv supported Ijv tho conn.ry who stated that then* eon-sti!u:mil\s would l;e willinj; to acce|)t it, but would oppose the (|uartor rnilhon loan as as nvor. Tho hoard, alter a lengthy deltatc, rejected the motion bv «ix to five The pilot's rrnort stated that tho bar channel still maintained a depth of 21ft. (mi., ami tint the total tounasie in port, thß ''iiadsfcad, for March had been ■itl.S-iU tons.

Tho engineer reported that tho work of raising the moles and training-walls to t-hii high tiilo level had been continued, ami, good progress had been made. tne chairman of the board (Mr. .1. B. alurray), in traversing (ho annual report, stated that the total receipts for the year had lwen ,Cls,:)t:i 15s. id. This, however, included .CI 103 las. accruing from the ccal wharl. and so the actual receipts ivero .CH.2os—an increaso of .£913 15s. on the previous year. The receipts from wharfage at tho llaihvav Wharf ami C'astleclilT for the year lillt) wore .ttl-Jlj lis. ail., while tho tigurrs for 1011 were .C10.20G 3s. 3d., this being an increase of .£Sr>n lis. JOd. Keeeipts from pilotage, ship and port dues, rent from reserves, etc., were about the same as for tho previous year. Atter reviewing the progress of the works, on which .Ell,l!ll had been spent during tho year {.Cl2:!fi of this being provided out if revenue), tho chairman remarked Unit, taking exports and imports together, there was a general increase. General goods .showed a large increase, wool exports a doorcase, timber exports a large increase, while butter and chi'oso were now items-on the li=t of exports. ]n referring to tho increased depth of tho channel, tho chairman made the following loniarks, which should bo ot' interest to all those concerned with river and bar Imrbnurs. "Tho river channel from tho Heads to tho Town Wharf lias boon improved by dredging during tho year, and there has been no silting or shoaling anywhere in Hi:- dredged channel. 11l my report a voar ago 1 said that thero was lGft.. at high-water spring tides on tho bar, and that the depth war- apparently still increasing, f-oundings taken recently show that (here is now bettor than 21ft. (!in., and that the depth is apparently still increasing. Tho moles have withstood the roughest weather that lias been experienced here for many years, and thero has been no material damaj;?. Tho flood that occurred a few months ay;o pave Hie internal its first opportunity, sineo iU erection, to prove it' it would be effective. The result was entirely satisfactory. Tho flood currents wero deflected over to the CasfleclifT Wharf, and cut away the bank of silt and mud in front of it, which impeded its working for so many years. Thero is now 20t't. to 21-ft, depth' where there was less than half that depth before the flood."