PIPIROA FERRY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4941, 19 February 1926, Page 1

PIPIROA FERRY.

PROJECT MOVING RAPIDLY. .

THAMES PROMISES ANOTHER £lOO.

Another meeting to discuss the proposal to establish al ferry over the Piako River at Pipiroa was held to the Public Half «on Wednesday even* ing, Mr C. Parfitt presiding over ah attendance of .twenty residents of the district, four members of the Hauraki Plains County Council, and eighteen Thames business men. In opening the meeting the chairman thanked the Thames 5 men for attending the meeting to assist the local people to get .a connection over the river. , The chairman then explained the negotiations to date," Messrs. R. ,P« Gibbons had at one time offered to established ■‘■’a ferry, but fflatfer had withdrawn the offer! / The County Council ha.d called .tenders for the establishment of the connection, but without result. There remained three courses that might be followed. The first was to strike a rating area, and •raise a loan, but there were obvious objections to this. The nex,t alternar tive was for tlie local people or others, interested to form a syndicate to finance the scheme. . The other course was to raise the money by increased voluntary contributions.

Mr J. W. Danby (Thames) thanked the settlers for the invitation, to. be present. There was no doubt .that the people of Thames were greatfly interested in the proposal. This interest was, of long standing, as the Borough Council bad long ago-, agreed to contribute £750 for a bridge, and recently the people of Thames had contributed £lOO for a ferry. Thames w.as, assented the. speaker, bound to become the distributing centre for the whole df the Thames Valley, and the matter of communication with the Thames was ‘ therefore of< vital importance. Continuing, Mr Danby said that M|‘ E. M. HarTey, a boatbuilder of Tha.mes, had submitted an estimate for a 30ft by 15ft by 2ft pontoon. For an Oregon ■ pine pontoon the cost would, be £257 10s, while the deck fittings, engine, etc., would bring the cost up to about £350. The problem was to 1 finance the scheme. The shopkeepers of Thames would-be prepared’to contribute • another £lOO, provided some tangible proposition for the establishment and maintenance of the ferry was. put before them. . Mr Knapp said that it could be safely said that the people of Pipiroa would increase their donations. /> . . ' .

, The chairman said .that t t he engineer’s estimate was £460; for the.toP* proaches, £6OO for the pontoon, and £2OO for .the engine, lopes, and equipment. In addition, there may be the, cost of a ferryman’s house. If the present donations were augmented -.to. the extent of £2OO the ouncil would establish the ferry.

. - Mr-Bryan- (Thames) asked whether in. the event of the money being subscribed the council would have the ferry going wjthin thrdei months. :

The chairman said that if they give the money the would expedite f the construction as much as possible Mr Schwaijtz then presented £5, 'andhe was followed by Messrs.- S. W. Rolfe, C. Parfitt, and J. Porter, iyith similar cheques. <.

■Mr E. N. Miller said that the people, of Thames were prepared' to find £lOO under certain conditions . The people of Pipiroa were making a good istart and it would be very satisfactory if the meeting could resolve I to bpd the , other £lOO required. Mr G. Goldthorpe said that he had. taken round the previous, subscription' list, and from his experience he did not think another £lOOl would be forthcoming. Mr S. Rolfe thought that if a statement as.to when the service would be commenced in the., event of the money being raised wap' forthcoming the settlers, would be more inclined to contribute. : ■'.

Mr Harvey' stated that if he )vris given the order for the pontoon it would be completed in seven or eight weeks’ time.

•In response to a suggestion that a canvasser should be appointed Mr JGalvin moved that Mr H., Schwartz be appointed canvasser, alnd stated that £5 would’ be waiting, fior him in the morning. , j > The motion was carried. In reply to Cr. Parfitt Mr J. W. Danby said that the condition under which the Thames donation was made wa.s that / a definite undertaking should be given that the project would mature within a, definite time.

In reply to .a question- Cr. J. C. Miller (county chairman) sjaid that' the council would certainly iexpedite the proposal!'. Tenders could he called' at the next council meeting, for the construction of the feriy approaches, apd it might be ,t<> have tnem completed by the time the pontoon was delivered.

Mr- Danby said th.oi,t particularly fine progress had been made. He was prepared to say that, when the tenders were accepter! the Thames Chamber of Commep ce would forward a, cheque for £2OO, being £lOO previa ously promised .and the £lOO how promised. He suggested that the ■meeting, seeing t'nat it was, so enthusiastic, shouh! passs a resolution agreeing ,to. finrj. £lOO, so* that th® matter could ?go befcire the county council as soozn as possible. z Cr. Parfitt s,aid that the matter' wag one for the settlers. , Possibly something would, be done after the meeting. The' Thames pempl-e could, be assured that .the Plaints people realised the interests of trte two places were .identical, and that they hoped Thames would continue to progress on sound lines. '.