THE WAIKANAE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1827, 7 August 1906, Page 2

THE WAIKANAE.

Mil HARDING’S PROPOSAL REJECTED, At tho mooting of tho Harbor Board yistc-rday, Mr Harding brought up tho quostion of roalaiming and doeponing ths Waikanae crcok and gonerally improving tho locality. Ho elated that the first thing to bo dono was to ascertain who woro tho owners of tho properties abutting on tho stream, and soo what arrangunints could bo made with them. Ha had soon iwo of tho owners, Messrs Jamison and Pool, and they woro quite in accord with tho schomo, and would give every be Biot ■ anoo in thoir power. Thero was also tho question as to the jurisdiction of tho Board.

The Chairman : Wo only control bb far as the footbridge. Mr Harding: Well, then, the next controlling body will bo tho Borough Council.

Tho Chairman said it would be necessary to buvo the support of tho property ownors on either Bide. To reclaim the land and deepen the creok would be a groat improvement.

Mr Qardiog asked that a oommittao should be set up to consider the matter and report, It was necessary to sec most of tho property ownors, and that would tiko a little timo. He thought Captain Tucker would be able to give the Board somo information B 3 to tho land, and whether the owners would be likely to entertain any proposal. He did not anticipate any difficulty in arriving at a practical soheme. Tho work would not bo very costly. He thought the Board might be able to arrango with Messrs Nelson Bros, for their small dredge. Mr Harding can cludod by moving that a oommittee be set up to report.

In seconding tho motion tho Chairman instanced what had been accomplished in tho ceibo of tho river Avon at Christchurch, and he did not see why oven greater things should not be dono in Gisborne.

Mr Mattheweoa objectod to the setting up of a committee. Ho did not see why they should form themselves into a Beautifying Association, for this was really what the proposal amounted to. Taey were, in bis opinion, altogether exceeding their functions. Tho work could not be cirriod out at the Harbor Board's expense.

The Chairman : Tho motion does not pay that the Board is going to pay for it. If tho oommittee submitted a practical soheme tho rest will bo done by other bodies.

Mr Lysnar: I should like to know what this is giiug to drift into. This Board oannot form itself into a Beautifying Association, There are far more urgent works calling for atteQ'ion, so what is the use of eet’-ing up a committee ? The Chairman: We are not asked to spend ono phtking. Mr Lysnar: xaon wny set up a committee

The Chairman : Simply to investigate and see what wo can do.

Mr Lysnar: Lot other bodies investigate. We have not got the funds for such a work. We want to roolaim that mud fiat on the Kaiti before dealing with the Waikanae. Continuing, Me Lysnar said that unless the Board were careful they would find themselves saddled with Messis Nolson Bros.’ dredge, and they had the assuranoe of thoir engineer that it was not suitable for the work in the river, Qe would vote against the proposal, beoause there was nothing before the Board, nor had they the funds. To go in for tho work meant purchasing Nslson Bros.’ dredge. Tho motion to set up a committee was lost, the mover and seeondsr alone votiDg for it.