WAIROA HARBOUR BOARD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 47, 11 March 1937, Page 3

WAIROA HARBOUR BOARD

Monthly Meeting Held The monthly meeting of the Wairoa Harboar Board was held at Waikokopu yesterday, those present being Messrs. •T. Corkili, chairman, J. M. 'J'aylor, 1{. C. Steed, V. E. Winter, M. G. Williams and.J. N. Mackay. The chairman mentioned the bad state of the road to the wharf at Wai* kokopu leading from the Opoutama turn-off to the port. The maia road was a secondary highway, but this length seemed to be nobody'e business. It was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the Minister on II is visit. The Wairoa Power Board 's engincojr reported on the progress of tho beacons construction work, and suggested that the road to them needed some mai.nten* ance, three chaine being in a very bad state. Mr. Williams suggested thc metalling of a wheel track, but Mr. Taylor Bai.d the sand drift had to be reckoned with. It was decided to take the matter up with the Wairoa County Council. The chairman reported that tho wharfinger in charge at Waikokopu, Mr. H. Hutchinson, had been taken ili, and his medical adviser had ordered him away for health reasoas. There was a lot to ,do and not many wno could cover the work, including Morse signalling. He and the secretary had gone into. ihe matter, -and had secured the services of Captain Massey, who was engaged on the Napier dredge, but was evailable for six or seven weeks. The Napier Hafbour Board had let him ieave for the purpose until he was required again. — The actipn of the chairman and 1 secretary was endorsed, Captaiu Massey being engaged at .£30 per month, with board allowance. It was decided also to apprise .the, Bublic Works Department of the f act,. ,and that a letter of sympatEy should be .sent to.Mr, Hutchinson xegre.tting his iljnes and granting him two months' holiday, seeing ho had hot had an official holiday ior seven years. The chairman reported on the deputation to Wellington, in which he, Mr. J. Tayl'or and the secretary had taken part.' The report of the conference would be received later. They met xepresentatives of a large number of harbour boards. ^They put through the remit to form an employers ' union, so that instead of letting each board deal with its individual labour troubles, each conceding a little, the new schemo would make for co-ordination. The Wellington Harbour Board 's officials, especially Mr. Macdonald, the chairman, .did the honours, and put all the information possible at their disposal. Mr. E. L. Cullen, M.P., also had given up his own appoiutment in favour of Wairoa, and did all he conld- to help them. They had glepned much .information as.to probable future harbour mattere, such as the possibili'ty of central harbour sHipping, ahd zoning, and harbour ahd railway connections. The secretary, Mr. Taylor, ehdorsed the chairman 's description of the fino reception, the Wairoa deputation had met with. Mr. Williams said there was a good deal of talk about concentrating tho shipping of produce Home through a few central harbours, and it was to be hoped that Waikokopu would be the oue for the East Coast when developed. The chairman endorsed this view, and gave it as his opinion that the future of Waikokopu seemed brighter than ever before as a national proposition. ' Thanks wero voted to Messrs. E. L. Cullen and D. W. Coleman, M.P.'s, and to Mr. Macdonald and Captain Boone, Wellington. It was decided to protect the foot of the beacons in 'the most inexpensive way. The chairman reported on the trees in Jubilee avenue, stating that only 12 of the Norfolk Island pines were dearl, about two per cent., and these were the ones for which he had most fears. Ajjout 30 pobutukawas out of 200 were dead or seemed so. It was decided to liave the ground round the trees cleared.