NELSON AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 9

NELSON AFFAIRS

■ ■■'•.-■> ' \ -' . • V tW ISLJG&*?B.—SPECIAL TO XSf POST.) j NELSON, 18th January. A Government cheque for £750 was received by the Nelson Harbour Board at its meeting on Wednesday in connection with the transference of' an area served by Mapua Harbour previously under control of the Motueka Harbour Board. The^amount will be paid to the Motueka Board as compensation. The National Junior Scholarships recently competed for by candidates from the Nelson District State schools show, by a comparison of the results, .that, as between Wanganui. Nelson, .and TaraURki, Nelson has a very big lead. Wanganui district, with 16,000 primary puj pils, secured Eeven scholarships; Taranaki, with 11,000 primary_ pupilg, secured five scholarships; and Nelson, with 7000 pupils, thirteen scholarships. Similar success was achieved by Nelson ,last - year in the Public Service Entrance Examination. Of the first ,35 competitors on the list, Auckland had three, Canterbury seven, Hawkes Bay five, Otogo two, Wellington five, Wanganui six, and Nekon seven. Considering the gmallness of the.population compared witli other districts, tho. results are remarkable. Correspondence on the subject of the maintenance of the Nelson lighthouse was considered at the Harbour Board's meeting. The Marine Department con- j tends that it was a harbour arid not a j coastal light, and the board holds a contrary view. jA further letter from the Department was read advising that unless the board was prepared to con- j half the cost (£6O) of maintain-1 ing the lighthouse, the Minister' wonki havo to seriously" consider whether the Department would decline to , further maintain the light. Consideration was j deferred pending a communication from the Harbours' Association. j .A proposal that the special • rate of j one-sixth of a penny in the. £ to cover j the interest on the Nelson Harbour loan of £65,000 be remitted for the ensuing year was made. It was argued that-as i the rate had not been collected for fifr i teen years, and was only levied during the war, and as the finances of the -board'i were now in a good position, relief j should be given to ratepayers. The j motion was lost on the casting ■ vote of j the chairman, who opposed it on the > ground that there was a possibility that the board would be undertaking reclamation work, for which a loan would be required, aud it would be far better if | the board could assure" the ratepayers that a rate would not bo struck for it than to remit the one under consideration. . Until last year's balance-sheet came to hand, ho would advise members to hold over in the meantima all questions of finance.

_ There, is a movement on foot in the city to revert to the old shopping system by .'reinstating the late'night once a week, Friday being suggested.