WAIROA ’DROME

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20071, 18 October 1939, Page 13

WAIROA ’DROME

HARBOUR BOARD VIEWS IMPORTANT ASSETS MILITARY FIELD WANTED . (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. The holding of the monthly meeting of the Wairoa Harbour Board in Waikokopu yesterday gave the members an opportunity to inspect the work being carried out at the port and, at the conclusion of the business on the agenda paper, members present carried out a close survey of the port. Those present were the chairman, Mr. J. Corkill, and Messrs. J. M. Taylor, M. G. M, Williams, F. L. Joblin, G. D. Tod, and the secretary, Mr. W. Taylor. Acknowledgment of the board’s letters to the Government regarding its war policy and pledging the support of the board in any direction in which it could be utilised was received from the Prime Minister’s -Department and the Minister of Marine. The necessity for the board to act in solid coordination with the Government in its efforts was stressed by the chairman, who pointed out that this would not debar the board from offering recommendations concerning the port to the Government. A suggestion that the board should subsidise the wages of Mr. S. li. Whitton, an employee of the board who is serving with the Special New Zealand Military Force, up to the amount of the pay which he was receiving from the board, was offered by Mr. Williams, |but after discussion the matter was deferred, to be reviewed at a later date. i The wharfinger, Mr. H. S. Hutchinson, reported that seven vessels had worked the port during the month, which, on three days had been unworkable. Claims of Wairoa The value of assets on the coastline in the vicinity of Wairoa, as a strong argument for the establishment of a military aerodrome at Wairoa, was stressed by Mr. T. Taylor. While members were discussing the Wairoa aerodrome proposal, Mr. Tayfor, as an example, stressed the importance of the Waikaremoana power scheme in the welfare of the Dominionandsaid it would be one Of the first targets of any invading aircraft. For this reason he urged that the claims of Wairoa to have a military aerodrome should be stressed to the military authorities. Mr. Tod suggested that the aerodrome scheme should be held in abeyance until one year after the termination of the present, war, intimating that at the present juncture he would definitely oppose the proposition to purchase the land for the aerodrome. The opinion of the county ratepayers was voiced by Mr. Joblin, who claimed that it would be unfair to place extra rating on some of these

settlers when they did not even, enjoy the benefit of metal roads. The chairman said that the aerodrome was never any pet scheme of the Harbour Board and it was only at the express wish of all the local bodies and other organised institutions that the board had agreed to the purchase of the aerodrome. It was the correct procedure to take a poll of the ratepayers. • This, however, 'would entail considerable expense and the procedure adopted by the board in the matter had resulted in a saving. In accordance with the promises that it had given, the board must proceed with the necessary steps to procure the land as planned. The members of the board, however, would have a further opportunity to discuss the matter when the purchase price of the land was under review, and the matter was allowed to lapse, Mr. Tod withdrawing his motion that the scheme be held in abeyance as he had suggested.