THE TROUBLE AT TURUA

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4968, 30 April 1926, Page 2

THE TROUBLE AT TURUA

HARBOUR BOARD DISCUSSION. DECISION TO INSPECT SITE. The Thames Harbour Board devoted an hour and a half at its last meeting to discussing the effect of its, action in authorising the drving of six piles near the, Turua wharf (says the Thames Star)., The discussion commenced by the (Mr R. Coulter) regretting the. non-Success of the conference at Turua*, . ■ Mr Coulter reviewed the position at length, and also detailed his reasons for limiting the discussion to the chairman of the local bodies concerned. ■ Mr Laughlin strenuously upheld the viewpoint of the Turua people, and assured the meeting that the conference had not been ordered, out of the. Turua Buildings because of animosity to the board. The Drainage Board required. the room for its monthly, meeting.- The JE’ u ' ru ' a people- were really very kind when you knew them. He wanted the piles either pulled up or placed parallel to the landing stage, and moved to that effect. He warmly disputed a statement that the board had authorised the work. Mr Lowe approved of the chairman’s, action. The Board had given him power to act, and should support him. Messrs - Edwards and McCormick and Browne were not altogether (•satisfied with the position. Mr Edwards recalled that members were to make a tour of inspection of the board’s work,'' w’hich would include Turua.. He favoured a. suggestion tha,t further consideration of the position be postponed until the inspection had been made. Messrs Lowe, McCormick, and Browne agreed with this view; whereupon Mi- Laughlin withdrew his motion. . ,

In the diseufs: ;ion that followed the hirtci’y of the’ pile-driving was traced by the secretary, who produced reports and minutes of previous meetings proving conclusively that the work ha,d been executed with the full knowledge and consent of board members. '

This was subsequently admitted by Mr Laqrghfin.

At a later point, in reply to an allegation by Mr Browne of an ulterior motive in directing the pile-driving, the chairman requested the production of the whole of the correspondence dealing with the matter, inorder to prove that the board had acted fairly throughout and conducted negotiations, in a calm apd dispassionate manner, consistent with’’ordinary business prudence. There was no further comment, and it was unanimously decided to review .the position on the spot in the course of an inspection of the board’s works;