The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, December 2,1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1077, 2 December 1911, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, December 2,1911. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Thk present condition of the local poit is not only a menace to shipping, but decidedly prejudicial to Foxtou as a shipping centre. Here is a list of mishaps, which for the period under review, constitute a record for New Zealand :

On Nov. 22nd, the Moa grounded on the south spit, aud salvage gear was sent from Messrs Devin and Co’s., and the vessel refloated only after great trouble, and she returned to the port.

On Nov. 24th, the Gertie struck on the north spit, aud all efforts to refloat the vessel were unsuccessful until Monday night last. She lost her rudder and right propeller blades and was rendered temporarily useless. The of the South towed her up to the river aud when near Duncan’s Bend both steamers grounded. Both vessels were got off on Wednesday morning after lightering operations.

On Friday, 24th, the Kennedy grounded in Duncan’s Bend, and only got off after 30 tons of coal had been removed from the vessel.

Ou Tuesday afternoon last, the Woottou sailed lor Kaiapoi and stranded ou the south spit, and by some miraculous chance got off again and returned to port. It she had stuck there with open hatches and cattle aboard the consequences would have been serious.

It will be seen what serious losses these mishaps occasion to ovvueis and shippers, and the wonder is that owners care to take the risk of sending their vessels here under existing conditions. The Harbour Board is powerless to improve the port because the revenue accruing from shipping is mopped up by the Railway Department and diverted to swell the revenue of the working railways, instead of being spent on the improvement of the port. Mr Newman managed to get a small grant ot ,£250 for dredging purposes, but this amount is totally inadequate except to tinker with the difficulty. Parts of the liver and bar require immediate attention if shipping is to be protected but, where is the money to come from i The Board

desired to raise a loan to purchase the wharf from the Railway Department. Before this could be done an Empowering Bill had to pass through Parliament sanctioning a rating area. Certain local bodies included in the proposed area objected and the Bill was killed. The Minister for Railways, Hon. Mr Millar, has been anything but sympathetic to the betterment of the port and his indiscreet threat is still fresh in the minds oi the local public. Had Mr Millar so desired he could have smoothed the way for the betterment of the port long before this. We hope the Board in the near future will be able to devise some means to minimise the danger to shipping, otherwise the port will be shunned.

Wk hope the splendid hearings accorded political candidates in Foxton, will be continued to the end of the campaign. It is to be expected that an irresponsible person at a political meeting will sometimes “ let it go ” and create disorder, but Foxton up to the present has been free from this undesirable class of individual. Feeling will run high during the next few days, and so long as personalities are eschewed by the candidates there is no fear of the audiences being disturbed. Messrs Robertson and Martin will speak here on Monday night, Mr Field on Tuesday, and Mr Brown on Wednesday.

It is unlawful after to-morrow to issue any facsimiles of ballot papers or instructions how to vote, and all such guide papers must be destroyed on the evening of that day by those having them in their possession. Voters must bear in mind that the method to be used at the poll is the- cancelling system. The name of every candidate for whom the elector does not wish to vote must be struck out by drawing a line through it with a pen or pencil, and the name of the candidate chosen left untouched. If the name of more than one candidate is left uncancelled the voting paper is rendered invalid. To the licensing issues the method of cancellation also applies. The national option paper is coloured salmon, and the local option yellow; both papers are placed in the same box, but they are counted separately. The issues are clearly and distinctly stated, and should minimise the risk of informalities.