LAND-MAKING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2010, 18 March 1914, Page 8

LAND-MAKING.

THE TB ARO RECIIAMATCON. ■ FUTURE OWNERSHIP. Thoso who can recall the scene of the abandoned dock site at Te Aro two years ago will reme.iiber that the place where the ships were to have floated into dock was ono vast pool from 30ft. to 40ft. in depth, and 1 extending from the dock hreastwork to within a few yards of the. railway reserve. To visit the site now, at low water particularly, is to realise the amazing work that is being done by the drcdjp AVhakarire. Where there was formerly 40 feet of good salt water tlicro is now a flat of silt pumped from the harbour bed (chiefly from Falcon Shoal) and ejected over tho brastwork into tho enclosed area. Almost tho whole of tho old.dock site has been filled in up to sea-level, and ono may see' in prospect a fine area of valuable city laud wrested from the harbour. ■ ■■■' The Wtjrk Dene. Of the work of the dredge the engineer of tho Harbo.ir Board (Mr. James Marchbauks) has something to say in his annual report. "The board's dredgo Whakfiriro- Jias," he states, "been engaged throughout tho year dredging on I'alcoln- Shoal, to procure material for the To Are. and Waterloo Quay reclamations. 'Altogether '104,950 tons were lifted, and for tho first timo since tho dredge started , working, tho whole of it ivas pumped ashore. It was again found necessary to remove a quantity of mud. and detritus which/had been brought down by a culvert oil the nest side of the Clydo Quay Wharf. The berth at the shore end had decreased! in depth from 29 feet as originally dredged to about 12 feet; it was again deepened to 29 feet. A considerable expense is incurred on work of this description. The amount of material to bo removed was not very great, but the whole cost of laying down moorings, etc.. liad to be borne. ,It is quite inequitablo that the, cost of work of this sort should be borne" by tho board, and the City Corporation should certainly, contribute the larger portion, of it." . ; Tho Future of This Land. 'What,precisely , is to become of the land that is being so industriously reclaimed, at To Aro appears to be still a matter for conjecture-. This matter is Bummarised in tho annual report of the secretary to the board (Mr. H. E. xXicholls) in the following terms:— . "Early in November, 1912, the hoard, received a letter from the Minister of' I Eailwaye (the Hon. AV. H. Hemes) inquiring on what terms the board was prepared to dispose of approximately ten acres of its reclamation at Te Aro to tho.Government for the puipose of establishing a lailway goods.depot in connection with To Aro railway. At tho meeting on November 27, 1912, a deputation from tho To Aro Kailway League waited on the hoard a-iid urged the hoard to co-operate■ with-tie Government by selling or exchanging the land in question. After consideration of the Minister's letter and tho representations of the deputation, the board unanimously resolved that tho following reply be sent to the Minister and a copy forwarded to tho Te Aro Railway League:— "•'That the Minister of Railways ho iirformed that the Wellington Harbour Board is strongly desirous of retaining possession of its land in view of its paramount importance in tho development of tho port; and that tho hoard emphatically protests against the land being used tor aiiy o'tlier purpose than that for which the board proposes to utilise it.'

"Iu Juno last (continues tho report by Mr. Nicholls) the question was again brought up owing to tho board's engineer having been definitely informed by the general manager of the New Zealand railways that it was the intention of tho Government to take the land by proclamation at an early date. At the Juno meeting the board 1 decided to wait en the Prime Minister (the Hon.i W. F. Massey) as a deputation of protest to pqint out tlie grave injustice that would be done to the board if the Government's expressed intention were carried out. Tho deputation, which was a joint one from tho board and tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce, waited on _the Hon. the Prime Minister and the' Hon. the Minister of Eailways on Wednesday, July 2. After hearing the deputation, the. Prime Minister said that the matter would have to be carefully considered by the whole Cabinet Tho Government had no intention whatever, of interfering with tho facilities to shipping afforded by tho Harbour Board, and it certainly would not interfere with its administration.