WAIROA’S YOKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 975, 22 August 1903, Page 2

WAIROA’S YOKE.

The following is an extract from the Wairoa Harbor Board’s meeting re mortgaging that district to the extent of £20,000 for harbor works:— * The Chairman : Go for tho £20,000. Mr Powdrell: That would be going outside tho lines of tho public meeting. The Chairman : The public meeting could not foresee what was now the difficulty, and the Board was now acting for them, • "*

Mr Powdrell: All right, 11 go the whole hog,” and sell out and clear. Mr Poyzer : No doubt it was a serious thing. ‘ -J Mr J. H. Brown : But the poll might not carry. 1 The Chairman: And £IO,OOO would be no good. f v Mr T. Brown : Let us lie down-and go

iO sleep. -?5 : Mr Powdrell asked if a sinking fund had been provided for the £SOOO loan, and if so, had the amount been paid in to a separate account. -.A The Secretary : Yes, and it could not be touched, even by the Board, but it would not wipe out the debt in 20 years. The original Bill provided for 1 per cent., but the Local BMb Committee altered it to £ per cent. :■> Mr Powdrell: Was there any provision in the proposed Bill for repairing the present works, which cost £7OOO or £BOOO, | and the blue-gums were rotting now ? V. The Secretary said no promise was made for repairs. Mr J. H. Brown pointed out that the large majority of the blue-gums did -not cost the Board much. 7^ Mr Powdrell admitted Mr Brown'’ Sad been very generous, but all the saede, in the case of time, the work would hayC- to be renewed. 'ty,,-.-. The Chairman : It was allowed by-jthe engineers that the piles would last loxfg enough for the purpose sought to be. effected', and that was the trapping" of ' silt. A-vk

Mr Powdrell denied the present works had trapped any silt, and the Chairman and Mr T. Browne held that they had. Mr Powdrell said the present works had cost them first £SOOO, and then £2OOO or £3OOO more, and they were not worth 5000 shillings, except “ Wilson’s wall.” Mr T. Browne : The money would not necessarily be wasted as it had been before; experience taught them.