TURUA’S NEW WHARF.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4438, 10 July 1922, Page 2

TURUA’S NEW WHARF.

Officially Opened on Saturday. Hon. G. J. Anderson Performs the Ceremony. Advancement of the District. Another Step to Progress and Prosperity.

The opening of a. hew and modern wharf at Turua marks another stage and is another milestone in the history and title rapid development of Turua and the surrounding district. It is an outward and visible sign that Turua can be ranked as a river port in a true sense, but to the settlers and tradespeople in the district it has a deeper significance. It means improved access, which is one of the greatest essentials for a district such as the Hauraki Plains. It had at first been intended by tbe Thames Harbour Board to build a ferro-con-crete wharf, but owing to the prevailin'? circumstances and the urgent need for immediate construction it was decided to put. in a good wooden structure. It is indeed well built, and with good ’heart kauri, and •should last for a generation or more, and with additions from time to time should serve the district’ 1 : requitemerits for some time to come. The new wharf, is only one sign the progressive spirit wlhich prevails in the Turua district. Improved access is considered an urgent necessity, and while the new wharf gives better river access it is recognised •that better facilities are required for the settlers to get. to the port by land. A permanent roading scheme will soon be submitted to the latepayers, and if this is carried and when the work is completed the Turua wharf should serve a far greater area than it does at present. It may Uhen be found necessary to have a wharf much larger at a time long before it was considered necessary. Not only are the Turua people out for improved access, but they are also aiming to make their town a self contained one, and their efforts have brrught about great, results during the past nine months. A perusal ot the interesting description of .the Turua businesses contained in this issue wi'l give a good idea of the various trades and establishments within the town. It may also be mentioned here that it is only recently since the Turua Town Board has been constituted, it is not long since a veterniary club, having its centre at Turua, was formed, and it is only a few months ago that a doctor and a solicitor were induced to commence practices in the district. AH these are the foundations of the building of a large centre, which no doubt Turua will be some day.

THE OPENING CEREMONY. - SPEECH BY THE MINISTER. A BRIGHT OUTLOOK. The new wharf at Turn a was bedecked with flags on Saturday, and the three launches which arrived from Kopu shortly after 2.30 p.m. also had a liberal display of. bunting. The Minister for Marine, the Hon. G. I. Anderson, came asihore with hi» daughter and her friend, Miss Little. Also among those present were Mr. TW. Rhodes, M.P., and Mrs. Rhodes, Mr. C. W. Harris (chairman of the Harbour Board) and Mrs. Harris. The party assembled on a small platform built for the occasion at one corner of the wharf. A gathering of' several hundred residents of Turua and settlers of the . district was assembled. The proceedings were opened by Mr. C. W. Harris, who had pleasure in introducing the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister for Marine and Mines. The Minister had travelled f-rpm Wellington purposely tp open the Turua wlharf. Mr. Anderson had highly honoured the Board and the district by undertaking the trip at such a time wht n Parliament was busy. The speaker mentioned the goodness of Miss Anderson and her friend Miss Little, who /had accompanied the Minister. The Minister said he would rather have opened the wharf some weeks ago, but the chairjman of tihe Board had been away. He thought the people would rather have seen.the Hon. Downie Stewart, who was one of; the ablest Ministers, and had fought during the war, but he had been unable to come. Mr. Rhodes and the speaker were old friends and had visited the district together some years ago to see how the drainage works were progressing. If there was ever a man consistent in the House it was Mr. Rhodes. If he wanted grants for mines or roads Mr. Rhodes looked after it. “This is not a pun, ladies and gentlemen/’ said the Minister, laughing, “but I’m just stating a fact.” One had to be very careful when speaking in public, but he said he was prepared to tell a little family joke. His daughter and friend had been anxious to come on the trip, but the speaker had not been anxious to bring them. He had stipulated that if they came they must help in the ceremony, but. they had gone back on him. The Minister, in declaring the wlhiirf officially open, hoped it would add to the district’s convenience in every way and be another link in getting the big bridge they had been asking for. It was right that the country should find a portion of the money for the bridge, and it would be Mr. Rhodes who would get it for them. The financial clouds were rolling away and those in the assemblage who could think as far back as he (the Minister) they could remember that they .had gone through worse times. They were, therefore, more used to putting up with the dull times. He declared the wharf open for traffic, and trusted that the district would take full advantage 05 it and double the output, and that Me

products would be at top market prices. The party, after sitting for $ photograph to be taken, adjourned to the wharf shed, where a light luncheon was spread. THE LUNCHEON. EULOGISTIC SPEECHES. DISTRICT’S POSSIBILITIES. Though the toast-list was short it was rather a hurried one owing to tlhe pressure of time, and it was found necessary to delete two of. the toasts from the list. The speeches were eulogistic in their references to the vast potentialities of the district and of the Hauraki Plains. After the usual toast to the King Mr; C. W. Harris, chairman of the gathering, in proposing the toast to the Hon. Minister of Marine, who lhad honoured Turua with his presence to proclaim the wharf open for traffic, said they felt fliighly honoured for the Minister to come the great distance to io them that great favour. It was not an easy matter for a Minister of the Crown to leave Wellington when Parliament was sitting. He hoped that Turua would have the pleasure of seeing the Minister present at some future date. IMPORTANCE OF WATERWAYS. The Minister said it gave h’m great pleasure to be there on such an important occasion for the district. The great importance to the district <J getting the produce away was-stresi-ed and tlhe method by which it was done quickly and cheaply was by the sea. The Hauraki Plains had two important rivers running through it, and they would play a mere important part for the future of the district than the railway which ran along beside tbe hills. When lhe had gone up the Piako River five or six years ago things were in a primitive state, but prices were good and everything was flourishing. He thought tflie whole of this valley was going to make Thames one of the most important ports in the Dominion. As the farmers get older and more prosperous they left dairying and went fattening stock, which was easier, anl all the hiHs around would be brought in and make one of the most important districts in the Dominion. It was important now, but it would be more so later bn.

The Minister Men proposed the toast to the Thames Harbour Board, which he believed would be one of the most important in the Dominion. He was not going into all the questions as to wihether Matamata ■should be in. the harbour district, or other points, as those points were debatable. He hoped they would soon have big meat works along the Thames waterfront. It would be one of the most important harbour boards ip Hhe Dominion. (Applause.) IMPORTANCE OF WHARF. Mr. Harris thanked the Hon. Mr. Anderson for the kindly manner in which he had proposed .the toast. The construction of the new wb'arfi could be said to be the first completed work of the Board’s improvement sdheme. The cost was approximately £4OOO. The Board had provided for the district what it was in need of. It was a growing town in a large, growing district, and it would be one of the foremost on the Hauraki Plains, and possibly the Thames Valley. The wharf’s 1921 figures showed that a gross topnage of 3016 had. passed over it. That was an increase of 580 tons over 1920. so that with that increase it was a greater increase to wihich we may 'look forward to in years to come. The day was not off when the wharf would have to be enlarged When the Board first considered the structure it considered a concrete wharf, but financial difficulties made Mem erect it iri w'ood. It was. however, the best heart 0? kauri, which would last them their lifetimes. There was a feature in the construction, and Mat was the pontoon and landing stage. The wiharf was as up-to-date as anything in the Dominion for its size, and could not be beaten even by the Auckland Harbour Board. Here Mr. Harris said that shortness of time made it necessary for him to ask the following speakers not tp exceed two minutes apiece witth their speeches. They would also have to cut. out two o$ the toasts from the toast-list. LOCAL BODIES. Mr. T. W. Rhodes, M.P., proposing the toast to local bodies and industries, said he did not think die could do justice to it in two minutes allowed him, or in two hours. The local bodies were absolutely essential to the communities’ well being. The members of the local bodies got. as much “kicking” as a member of Parliament. He did not know what it must be like to be a Minister. There had been deputations from various local bodies to put a bridge across the river. In Mr. Bennett the Town Board had a man unsparing in himself, and who would do all he could for the town. "GOOD LUCK TO TURUA.” Mr. E. N, Miller (Mayor cf Thames) conveyed to the Harbour Board his congratulations in the completing of the splendid structure. It was the first fruits of the regenerated life of the Harbour Board, and he hoped there would be many more such structures. He congratulated the Turua Town District, which was tUfe Only district on the Plains that had a concrete road (derisive laughter.), 'and

the only place tihat ihad a- good. wharf? "Good luck to Turua,” he concluded, " and may it have a grea,t future.I'’’ 1 '’’ LOCAL BODY CO-OPERATION; Mr. H. Lowe (chairman of Thames County Council) endorsed all Mr. Miller had said of Turua and the district, and congratulated the chairman and the Thames Harbour Board on the splendid structure. Stressing the importance of communication, the speaker said it was a benefit to the settlers themselves and to tthe towns and cities of New Zealand. He urged a greater co .Operation of local bodies, which should feel a community of interest with each other. He deprecated the idea of one body opposing tihe works which might be to tbe detrment of another. “It is all ’bunkupi,’” he concluded. HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY. Mr. J. C. Millen (chairman pl) the Hauraki Plains County Council) was pleased, and congratulated the people of Turua in having such a structure as they had there. He believed that if) local bodies were to be a success the rateapyers should elect men witn fearless determination and with honesty of purpose and a hide like a rhinoceros. Those men would be found, and when the electors found them put them in the position. Rsgarding the Hauraki Plains County Council’s area it was the only county which was administered in the way this one was. This county had three distirct classes of ratepayers. The county had, therefore, great difficulties. The three different ratepayers we r e the ordinary ratepayers, who paid only Government rates; (2) another, which was subject to two rates by the Gdvernment drainage and of the local body rate ; and (3) .the bus who paid only county rates. The second mentioned ratepayers had. a ha?d time. TURUA’S BAD ROADS. Mr. J. A- Bennett (chairman of the Turua Town Board) had great pleasure in conveying his appreciation'of the Minister’s visit. The Town Board had only just come into being, and it had all its troubles before it. He took the opportunity of placing before the Minister the deplorable state Of the roads in the district. Unless something was done, and done qiuckly, it would be impossible to get goods to the wharf or milk to the factory. The yearly output of the local factory Was 76 tons when it first started and now it was 800 tons. Tlhe output from both factories would soon he doubled If the roads were not improved the farmers would have to home separate their milk and carry the cream over fields to the factory. Mr. F. H- Claxton (newly elected chairman 'of tlhe Thames Valley Power Beard) made reference to the extensive work that the Power Board had in progress, and stated that the electric light would be in Turua by September. "THE NEW WHARF.” Mr. S. J. Laughlin said, “I ask you to drink the toast ‘The New Wharf,’ coupkd with the names of Mr. EJ. F. Adams (engineer) and Messrs Foo. 3 Bros, (contractors), who 'have done excellent work under trying circumstances. I hope the new wharf will serve the needs of the district of) Turua for many years.” He also congratulated the people of Turua on having such a fine structure. They had fought bravely to get that structure.

Mr. E. F. Adams said the wharf marked an epoch in the Board’s history and was fitting to bring a gentleman of sudh importance as the Minister to open it. With, reference to the timber industry, Mr. Adams said the heart of kauri was going past their doors, and there should be some inquiry if the w<hite kauri would not do tor export. The Board had difficulty in getting the timber for the Turua wharf.. whiqh> would last 30 or 40 years. The contractor had done his best to make a good structure p! the wharf and had got. good material. The landing stage was a great convenience. It was scandalous what the women up the Piako River fhad to submit tp. The landings would have to go on all whar,ves in the district. Mr. Foote said that without Me Harbour Board’s, the engineer’s, an! the Turua people’s assistance the wharf may not have been finished nbw. Mr. Harris said there were two other toasts which should be honoured, “The Ladies” and “The Press,” but he thought it would suffice to give them three hearty cheers. He thanked the ladies for the efforts put forward on their behalf. Cheers were then given for the ladies the Press, and the chaiman and members of the Harbour Board.'