FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 896, 24 September 1910, Page 2

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

ORDINARY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board was held at Palmerston N. on Thursday. Present Messrs P. J. Heunessy (.chairman), G. H. Stiles, H. Tolley, and J. A. Nash, An apology for absence was received from Mr J. G. Wilson. Correspondence was read as follows ; From the Secretary of the Marine Department, notifying the re-appointment of Mr W. T. Wood as the Government’s representative on the Board.—Received. From Sir Joseph Ward, in reply to a communication from the Board asking the probability of an endowment being granted to provide funds for the bar and river improvements, advising there was no land available for such purposes, and.even if there had been it could not have been set apart as an endowment without special legislation, and regretting that, under the circumstances, he was unable to meet tbe wishes of the Board in the matter.—The chairman stated that immediately on receipt of this communication, as previously arranged, the petition to Parliament asking for relief by granting the wharfages or giving the Board the option of purchasing the wharf at the present valuation of the structure was sent out. He said the petition would come before the Railway Committee of the House on Friday, the 30th instant. Mr Tolley considered that the Board should be properly represented when the matter came before the Committee. He moved that the Chairman and Mr Wilson represent the Board for the purpose of giving evidence before the Committee. This was seconded by Mr Nash, and carried.

From Mr R. Moore, the Board’s solicitor, advising that the consent of the Board was required to the following transfers in connection with the Beach sections:—W. Young to F. W. Gardes, W. Andresen to F. Woods, F. Meyrick to W. Mouldey, E. S. Peglerto A. R. Mayo, and William Jupp to W. H. Hart.—Agreed to. From the Secretary of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, advising that, acting on the advice of their engineer, it had been decided not to dispose of their suction dredge at the present time. —Received.

From Mr R. Moore, stating that some of the tenants at the Heads have raised the question as to the annual levy made for the road being reduced from year to year as new tenants come in, increasing the number over which the liability should be spread. He suggested a slight alteration in the clause relating to this so as to read that the amount to be paid by the tenants shall not be less than 10s or more than 15s per annum, as shall from year to year be fixed. This was agreed to. The secretary reported that the amount to credit at the Bank of New Zealand was 19s 3d. Since last meeting amounts totalling ,£B7 7s 3d, made up as follows : —Rent of signal station reserve £25, rent of flaxmlll site £3 1 os, pilotages for July £gi 8s gd, pilotages for August 10s, wharfages £5 8s fid, forms of lease £1 10s, had been received. Accounts amounting to £37 3s id were passed lor payment. The committee, Messrs Hennessy and Stiles, appointed at the previous meeting to report in connection with the leasing of the signal station reserve, etc., reported as follows ;—“ Re signal station reserve : We think it would be a pity to allow the timber on this reserve to be cut. Even though portions will naturally die out. On the other hand, young plants are coming through thickly in places. We therefore recommend that the lease be offered by auction for a term to be agreed upon by the Board. Sections at the Beach : There are still twelve unsold, in fairly good positions, and recommend these be offered at same time as the reserve, and that the laying off of new sections be deferred. Re planting: We think an experiment should be made with marram grass without delay.”

In discussing the report, Mr' Nash thought that the signal station reserve should be fenced, in order to preserve the bush. He also welcomed the suggestion in reference to the planting of sand drifts with marram grass. The Chairman said that last Arbor Day at the celebrations at the school, he had suggested that next year the children should be given a trip to the beach, where they could plant marram grass. In this way, Mr Heuuessy said, a large area could be planted in one day. The other members present considered the idea a good one, and stated they would be pleased to be present if it could be arranged. The matter was left in the hands of the committee. In reference to the fencing, Mr Tolley said he thought this could be arranged as part of the rent, and suggested leaving the matter in the hands of the Chairman. —It ,vas eventually decided that the committee enquire into the cost of fencing, and furnish a report. The matter of leasing the reserve was also left in the committee’s bands to deal with, the lease to be put up by auction. The harbour master reported, under date August 31st, that the bar was in very good order. There was from eight to nine feet at high water neaps, and from, eleven to twelve feet at high water springs. The bar is working to the northward, until it is now almost straight out. The south spit is making southward all the

time, and it is confining the channel and causing the bar to scour. The bar is a long flat, but there is the same water all over it. The river is in good order right up to Duncan’s bend, the channel having shifted over to the west side right up to Levin’s shed, but there is plenty of water at high water springs. During August, 20 steamers and one sailing vessel passed both inwards and outwards. Mr Wilson’s notice of motion to the effect that the ordinary meetings of the Board be held alternately at Foxton and Palmerston North was moved and carried. Mr Stiles brought up the question of the Board contributing towards the cost of the proposed beach road. He said that, legally, the position was that the Board could only contribute towards the cost of constructing that portion that went through the Board’s property. In order that they might ascertain the amount they were legally entitled to contribute he suggested finding out the exact length of the part of the road that would pass through the Board’s property and the probable cost of same. —It was decided that the matter be left in the hands of the Chairman and Mr Stiles to furnish a report at next meeting. The Chairman brought up the question of lighting the river. He said he did not think this would costa great deal, and would be more than repaid by the additional number of boats that would be able to work the port. At the present time, when a vessel missed the tide, it meant a loss of twentyfour hours, whereas if the river was lighted the 'boat would be able to enter by the night tide. — It was left with the Chairman to ascertain the cost of lighting. The following return was furnished by the Secretary in answer to Mr Nash’s notice of motion of last meeting : —Number of vessels inwards from April Ist to July 31, 1909 : 71, representing 8144 tons; for same period of 1910, 52, representing 5995 tons. Number of vessels aud names of same unable to enter the port from April Ist to July 31st, 1910 : May 13th, Waverky ; May 26th, Kennedy ; May 2.5111, Gertie ; May 17th Wootton ; June 26th, Kennedy; July 25th, Gertie. With the exception of the s.s. Waverley, which was ordered back to Wellington, all the other vessels proceeded to Wanganui. Mr Nash asked that, as there was such a small meeting, the discussion on this return be held over until next meeting. This was agreed to.