The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, September 12, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1095, 12 September 1912, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, September 12, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

In a few months’ time visitors will be arriving at Foxton’s favourite seaside resort, and now that the road to the water front is completed, and in good order, larger numbers of visitors than heretofore will be attracted from other parts to the seaside. Every precaution, thereiote, should be taken by the Harbour Board, without delay, to protect visitors from boating and drowning fatalities. The Harbour Board recognise the need for the erection of a pier for the mooring of launches and boats. At present

flat-bottomed boats are used for the purpose of boardiug launches, aud these require very skilful handling. It is unnecessary for us to draw attention to the fact that had a pier been erected, last year’s lamentable fatality would not have occurred, and what has occurred before will surely happen again unless the Board takes immediate action to provide a suitable safe mooring of the nature indicated. A number of the Board’s tenants are so impressed with the vital importance of this work that they have guaranteed towards the cost of construction. At present there are eleven pleasure launches at the beach, and this number will be increased to fifteen this year. As we have previously pointed out, the boardiug of and disembarking from these craft is accomplished at considerable risk, which would be obviated were a pier run out. A Palmerston resident has collected a sum of £2O towards the purchase of a boat to be used in case of accidents. Delay in mooring might mean the loss of life, but if it were swung alongside the pier, the manning and launcing would only be the work of a few minutes. Then, again, picnic parlies are conveyed by steamers aud punts to the heads, aud getting ashore is fraught with danger. The same thing applies to the passenger launch which plies between the wharf and the heads. The safety of the public demands that steps should be taken to have a pier erected. We know that the Board at present is financially embarrased, but we believe provision could be made to have at least a temporary structure erected. We commend the matter to the Board’s serious consideration, and hope that the governing authority will be able to make some provision bj 7 the end of the year.