FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 924, 29 November 1910, Page 3

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Foxtou Harbour Board was to have been held last night, but there was not a quorum present, only Messrs Hennessy, Stiles and Nash putting in an appearance. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Gardener and Wilson. It was decided to transact the ordinary business and ask the next meeting to confirm what had been done.

The Secretary reported the amount to the credit of the Board at the Bank of New Zealand was iSs Bd. Since last meeting £9B cs rod had been received for pilotages, wharfages and rents, including £26 2s 6d net proceeds of half year’s rent of signal station reserve. Pilotages for October amounted to ,£26 3s gd representing 2095 tons, as against 14s, 2056 tons, for the same period of last year, and for the current mouth the estimate is 17s 3d, 2629 tons, against 9S 9<3, 2519 tons, for November ot last year. The harbourmaster reports a good bar and the river in good order. He asks for authority to procure a 600 gallon tank. The matter of a suitable launch for sounding and river services should be dealt with. Enquiries have been made and a price obtained for a 16ft, sft riu beam, h.p. oil launch, which from description should fully meet requirements, and enable the harbourmaster to do work for which boat hire now has to be paid. The unsold sections at the Beach, together with the signal station reserve were submitted to auction at Palmerston on the 12th instant, the reserve only being sold for a term of ten years at the upset rental of per annum. The Board has been in communication with the Marine Department in respect of flaxmill and other refuse being allowed to flow into the rivers Oroua and Manawatu, and it is understood steps are being taken to deal with this.

Dealing with the Secretary’s report it was decided to procure the tank as requested. The matter of purchasing a launch for the use of the harbourmaster was left iu the hands of the Chairman and Mr Ross.

A letter was read from the Trustees of the Methodist Church, making application for section 64 at the Beach at the upset rental of The opinion of the Board’s solicitor had been obtained as to whether the Board had the power to lease the section in this manner and his opinion was that it could be done.

It was decided to lease the section as requested. Accounts amounting to 5s 8d were passed for payment. The harbourmaster reported that there was no change in the river and bar since the last report, and the depth of water on the bar was from eight to nine feet at high water neap tides and 10 to 12 feet at high water spring tides. Twenty-one steamers and one sailor crossed inwards and outwards.

Mr Gray, who purchased the lease of the signal station reserve at the recent auction sale, waited on the Board and complained that the reserve was not fenced all round as stated in the specifications, further when he saw the conditions of lease there was a clause making provision for the payment up to £2OO at the expiry of the lease, for buildings, but this clause had since been deleted. He asked permission to plough up the front portion of the reserve. He also stated that he intended putting a plantation at the west end of the reserve in order to prevent sand drifts, and asked if the Board would give any assistance. He said also that unless the Board had the right to drain through Messrs Robinson Bros,, property he did not see how the reserve could be drained. The Chairman said the Board had agreed to fence the property and this would be carried out. As to the clause in respect to the building clause, he said that when the conditions of lease had been roughly drafted this clause was inserted, but on being referred to Mr Stiles he said he thought it would be better to leave it to the Board to decide the amount, and the clause was therefore deleted. The meeting decided to have the clause inserted in the lease. Permission in reference to ploughing was granted. It was decided that at present the Board could not see its way to assist in the matter of a plantation. The question of drainage was left in the hands of the Chairman to make arrangements with the owners of the adjoining properties. An amount of £1 is was voted to the custodian of the Municipal Chambers to remunerate him for extra work after Board meetings. The Secretary was instructed to communicate with all members of the Board asking that 24 hours notice be given to the Secretary if unable to attend any meeting. The Board rose at 9.10 p.m.