OKARITO HARBOR.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1925, Page 4

OKARITO HARBOR.

DFPFTATIOX TO M.INISTKKS. WELLINGTON. Sept. 12. On Friday last. .Mr .1. O’Brien, M.P., introduced a deputation trom the Okarito llarhour League to the Mon. ,1. (i. (.'nates, Prime Minister, and the Mon P. .1. Anderson. .Minister of Marine. The deputation consisted ol Mr .1. Donovan. County Councillor, and Mr \Y. McC'luggage. Mr O’Brien, in introducing the deputation. said th,at the improvement of I,lie (tkarito Harbour was a hunting question with tille residents of South Westland. There was no other harbour between Greynumth and the whole of South Westland that could he so easily improved, dhe resources of tl:i' district, were enormous. About two thousand million feet ol timber was handy to the harbour. II this a ere cut. and it had to he cut sooner or later-—anil sent over the Okarito wharf, the wharfage alone would amount to a tremendous amount. It inly 10 per cent were sent over the wharf, the revenue would amount to

'OlOP.Okii. A number of the settlers held areas of timber, and as their land was freehold, it meant that they would have to clear the land and destroy the timber if they could get rid ol il no other wav. The Farmers’ ( n-nper-ative Society required live million feet per annum, ami are willing to take up hush at Okarito if the harbour were improved. Along with the timber, the milling areas required developing ami an improvement in the Harbour would mean a boom in milling. The Three Mile and Five Mile fields were not worked, and there was considerable activity at. (iillespio’s Beach. He farmers would have a better chance til developing their land if they could get t,’...jr goods to market without taking llieni over the long road to ttoss and .-ending them by rail. And as the laud was cleared of limber, il could he farmed. The area to lie served by the harbour tumid extend from Ike I'ltle Wanganui to Cook’- Hirer, and me whole of the country was sadly in need of developing. The harbour lent i I veil’ lo improvement, and lie could safelv say that there was no other harbour in New Zealand that promises so much, as the Okarito Harbour. Hngineers had reported on it many years ago, hut the conditions had altered considerably since then. Y\ here F.ngiucer Thump-un had said ii required a wall over Mb chains long, ensiiug CMM.OOO in FAN. il w:i- now uppurein iha I a wall of II chains would be

adequate 10-day. All that was necessary was to prevent the river making southward, and keep ii straight on its course to 'ui and there would lie no danger of the bar shoaling. The Okaril,\ lagoon covered an area of seven and a half square miles, and the strong ebb and thnv of the tide to Id! this large area would soon make a channel deep enough to take boats of a fair draft. He was sure that a gianto at the plans, would convince them of wha a he said. Mr Donovan said they had been advocating the improvement of the harbour for over MO years. They had brought it before tin- late Hon Mi Millar at Ross, and from time to lime

] had interviewed other Ministers. The.t i had the resources. Inti it looked as il they would he in their graves helorc they wet'; 1 able to work them. The * Co-operative Dairy Coy had sent dim t Mr ('ashman, who said he was willing 1 to lake up a while pine hush ii tin 1 harbour could he worked, I hat ( one _* pane required about 0.U00.000 feet pci . annum. Mr t ioodfellow had iulormec him that had it not been lor a prim engagement, he would have been pinsent to support the deputation. A saw- * mill cutting HM.Onit feet a month would - pay the interest on the money needed ; to improve the harbour, and t.hciv acre I several sawmills ready to cut as .-non as ii in- possible in get the timber away. The settlers at Okarito did not wail for things to turn up; they gave ii a Three' llaxiiidl- had been started, and they found they could no! ■ got i heir tihre away. They hud . struggled with the country lor years, and if something wen- lmt done this Session, it looked as if I hey would all he in their graves before they would 1 get. a show. The people were willing ii, assist in evert way. and were willing that any money advanced it mild he guaranteed by a rating area. Ihmever, he was quite sine that there would never he any need to collect the rates. The whole of the local hodie- on the Coast and the Canterbury Progress Dengue supported their request, and he hoped that the Prime Mi ii is! or i oithl see his way to have a sum of money placed on the Estimates this year so Dial the work nnild ha started. Mr M eCI tig gage endoi-ed what had been said by Mr O'Brien and Mr D unreal!, anil emphasised that the work would not cost, as much as the engineers said it would. He considered that the expenditure of £lo,i!dO would improve the harbour in surh a wav as to make il pos-ihle for boats drawing 111 or IP feet of water to trade their constantly. The last mens of liinh-r needed eilHilttf, am! il was only a mat ter of time I ill the harbour Mould have to lie improved. The Hon Mr Anderson: Perhaps it Mould he better to buy the people mu and nresertv the forest!' Mr Furkeli. Chief Kngineer P. \Y. Depart me'iii, who Mas present, said that Okarito Mas an ideal harbour to improve, and offered great, possibilities. I low ever, he though that very littl" could lie done Mil!' an e.vneinlit uro nf .C2P.IXM. Mr. MeCluggage: £IO.OO. Mr Furketi: CIO,CM II uouhl md look at it.

.Mr Ah Air Coates said In- had visited Okariid, and saw tlH> harlinur. lie was sa(-i-iloil ti::1 1 a i onshlerable improvement eniildi Ik- ell'eeled. lull it was a oliesi ion Id!' 1 it,- clldilli-lTs. Air .1 iidi-rsoii said that providm”: the ell*ii l.eers reported favourably. In-tt-oilUl ask Cal.ini'l t’iif a irrnni nf it |lt.i);i;i. Tin- wharfage mi liiidn-r would have Id be 1- per it.'O I• ■> i. ami other iVoidlit.i 11i11-1 |i:i\ aci'di di ii” ly 11-- would |i;i i'or io-r lei o'i ilio lino I i-r. Tin- I .on*' hi* I a 111 1 1 1 pet in tniicli i!h l In- C'l -'y I lari: mr I’nmi'.'l. and -anil’ a rat ill;.; an-a eouM In* sol a.-ide a-■•iiddf-sii-ii. and llmii. if tin* eltdiin it's report wa». favouralili-. there was no rasoii whv iln- we-'k should not m> a In-ad. .Mr <)" I JI it-11 : 11 t la- report said £l'2.oltl or Ci:j.Co!>. you wniild not >t-j> al that. Air Audi-s;,:i : U'o would not. lull wo will mil urn lip in £‘2tUKtO. I ' in 1 1i'o111i so that ulion llio estimate is pro- | dm ft I. We will say wlii'l'nr or mil we I will jrn on with ilio work. , It was linaliy derided that a sun of money lie placed on the estimates to I allow- a survey of the Ff»i-li»ur to he - made. I I Tim deputation thou thanked the! | .Ministers and withdrew. j