WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2531, 4 August 1915, Page 4

WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD

ADVERSE STATEMENTS REPUTED. (fly TeleeraDh.—Press Association.) Westport, August 3. At a special meeting of the Westport Harbour Board, Mr, F. F. Mimro took strong exception to the statements that had got into circulation in somo o'f. the newspapers giving tlio impression that the Westport Harbour Board was in' a state of bankruptcy, tho speaker stating that this was absolutely contrary to the facts, as the board bail a big cash balance and limitless assets. He instanced a field of 480 acres on the • WestportStockton Company's property, formerly classed by the Government as "probably coal-bearing," and now as tho result of boring, etc., estimated to contain nine million tons of coal, which was estimated to give the Harbour Board, if all the cc'al were extracted, £900,000, or if only one-third was extracted, £300,000. The speaker said there were many other similar coal measures in the district. He. was under the impression that how the rumour got abroad was" probably duo to the intention of the board to iay up its small suction dredger, because the board found it could get better results by working iho larger dredger longer hours. 1

On Mr. Monro's motion the board resolved: "That the statements which have recently been circulated in the Press of the Dominion to tho effect' that the board's revenue bad faleln off to a serious extent, and is likely to impede the development of the port, are not correct. Owing to the war there is a slight decrease only ill the revenue, but this is not of sufficient importance to cause alarm. As a matter of fact, the board's cash fund in hand amounts to £52,000, and the board is quite satisfied there is no occasion to fear any stopping of works necessary for keeping the harbour open and to carry on' tho development works in hand."

At tho same meeting of the board inquiries were received from'a Christchurch firm for tlie exclusive! right to use the granite blocks not required by tho board at Cape Fonlwind, the firm desiring tho blocks for ornamental work for buildings and other purposes, and during the dressing, locally, of at least 20,000 tons per annum.