FOXTON HARBOUR

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 17, 14 October 1921, Page 11

FOXTON HARBOUR

IMPROVEMENT OF CHANNEL. . From Our Own Uorresnondent. Palmerston North, October 13. At one time the port of Foxton was fairly busy, and a good deal of the produce from the Manawatu passed over its wharves, while most of the merchandise required in the district waft shipped through it. Of late years, however 1 ) tho state of the bar and river has been detrimental to the interests of the port, as it was with great difficulty that boats could be ffot to call there regularly. with tho result that tho trade has fallen off. In an endeavour to improve these conditions the Foxton Harbour Board some little time ago purchased a suction dredge from the Wanganui Harbour Board. Messrs. Jickell and Gilmour were given charge of the arrangements, and constructed a pontoon, for the dredge, which Ims been at work for some little time and has proved its efficacy. Yesterday, after the meeting of the Harbour Board at Foxton, a public function was held for christening the dredge, which has been named after the late Mr. Hennessy, who was for many years chairman of the board. The demonstration showed that the dredge was doing exceedingly good work in removing some of the dangerous mud banks in tho river and depositing the silt on low-lying lands alongside, thus increasing tho depth of water and reclaiming considerable areas of land at the same time. The dredge can flft 140 tons of sand, or 70 tons of clay, per hour, and the motive power is supplied by about half a hag of coal per hour, while only half a dozen men are required to operate it. Tho dredge is expected to prove a most' valuable asset both to the board and tho port, and it is hoped that within a very short time the channel will be so improved that vessels of light draught can enter or leave at any state of tho tide.