FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1023, 29 July 1911, Page 2

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

ORDINARY MEETING

The ordinary bi-monthly meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board was held in the Moutoa Drainage Board’s office on Thursday night.J Present; —Messrs P. J, Hennessy (chairman), W. E. Barber, A. J, Gibbs and J. A. Nash, Leave of absence was granted to Messrs B. R. Gardener, G. J. Harford and W. T. Wood.

secretary’s report. The secretary reported the amount to credit at the Bank of New Zealand at ,£324 is yd being grant account .£232 12s and general account qs yd. Since last meeting the receipts have been ,£152 xys, made up of pilotage £57 18s gd (2 months), wharfage £3 53 gd, rents ,£lB 12s 6d, lighting £lO los and balance ot grant election expenses 16s Sd, harbour master (2 mouths) £33 6s Sd and benzine £2 15s, making a total of 18s 4d. Twentysix vessels passed in and out in May on which pilotage 8s 3d and lighting £6 10s was paid. In June only 13 vessels passed in and out, paying pilotage xos 6d and lighting £2 xos. The estimate for July is 20 vessels and pilotage say ,£2B. harbours’ conference. A letter was read from the secretary advising that as no conference was held last year it is necessary to consider whether one should be held during the 1911 session of Parliament. He asked the Board to advise whether in its opinion the fifth conference should be held this year and what business the Board has to propose for discussion.

Mr Nash voiced the opinion that a conference was a good thing. If one were held the Foxton Board should certainly be represented. He considered this was especially necessary on account of the situation the Board was in at present.

Mr Gibbs agreed and moved that in the opinion of this Board a conference is necessary and that the Chairman and Mr Nash be appointed to represent the Foxton Board at such conference. The motion was seconded by Mr Barber and carried. It was further decided on the motion of Messrs Gibbs and Barber that the preparing of remits lor consideration at such conference be left in the hands of the delegates.

HARBOUR REGULATIONS. A circular letter was received from the Secretary for Marins, covering copies of general harbour regulations which have been made for the protection of life and property on vessels when cargo is being worked on board.

The Chairman said that the regulations did not effect the Board in any way as it had nothing to do with the wharves, the Government having control of same. He moved that the secretary write and inform the Secretary for Marine that the Board has got nothing to do with the working of cargo at the Foxton wharf. This was seconded by Mr Nash and carried. THE RATING AREA. Betters were read from the Feilding Borough and Kairanga County Councils, advising that they were not in favour of being included in any rating area for the Foxton Harbour Board. Mr Nash said that as far as Palmerston North was concerned the Council was not antagonistic to the scheme. The matter had been before the Council, but on his suggestion, had been held over tor further consideration. His reason for doing this was because he had mislaid the statement prepared by the Chairman in connection with the apportionments for each local body, and he did not want to have the matter finally settled by the Council until the whole of the facts were placed before them.

Mr Barber said he felt sure that the Manawatu County Council would support the scheme. He thought the best way to apportion the amounts to the different local bodies would be to have a Commission set up to deal with the matter.

Mr Nash thought that portion of the Horowhenua County should be included in the rating area. The Chairman favoured pushing the matter on, prepare a Bill to put before Parliament and ask for a Commission to be set up to allocate the amounts to be guaranteed by each local body. He moved that the Board’s solicitor be instructed to prepare a Bill to submit to Parliament empowering the Board to raise a loan of twenty thousand pounds for the purchase of wharf at Foxton ; to pay interest and sinking fund out of revenue ; and to make levies on Manawatu County Council, Kairanga County, part of Horowhenua County, lying to north of Levin and including Shannon township, Foxton, Levin, Feilding and Palmerston North Boroughs. Such levies to be adjusted by Commission appointed by Order in Council, The draft of proposed Bill to be circulated amongst members and submitted to a special meeting before being advertised.

The motion was seconded by Mr Barber and carried.

GENERA!,. Accounts amounting to 13s 3d were passed for payment. Mr A. Hopwood, of Palmerston North, wrote asking if he could obtain a section on the foreshore near Messrs Levin and Co’s, on which to build a bulk store, —The matter was left in the hands of the Chairman and Mr Gibbs. The Board rose at 9.30 p.m.