FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1759, 1 December 1917, Page 2

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

A meeting of the Fox ton Harbour Board was held at Palmerston N. on Thursday. Present Messrs Hennessy (chairman), W, Barber, Clapham, J. A. Nash, J. Robertson, T. Rimmer, and the secretary (Mr W. Bock). The treasurer's statement to November Ist, 1917, was to the effect that the amount to credit at the bank was £6 18s 4d, on fixed deposit £SOO, total £SOO 18s 4d. The receipts included pilotage £72 3s, river lighting £2O, rents £SB 10s, grazing fees £BO Is, cutting rights £IOO, half rent of ’phone £0 10s, and x’oad contributions £l3 10s. The expenditure included harbourmaster’s salary £l4l 10s Bd, assistant £3 19s Gd, benzine, kerosene, launch repairs j goods and timber £O9 18s Od, secretary £3O, printing and advertising £0 19s, collections £lO 0s Gd, ’phone rent £0 10s, numerous expenses £lO 5s lid, reserve improvements £IOO 17s 2d, and bank charges 9s, —The statement was adopted. ' The transfer of the following harbour leases were granted;—Rose to Petrie, Watt* horn to Needham, Needham to Clare, and Cody to Boyle. It was decided to hold the next meeting of the Board at Foxton, when matters in connection with the -pilot house, river, etc., will be dealt with. The harbourmaster (Air F. Lawton) reported: —“I wish to report; that the bar is very good. The channel is running straight out along the north spit with a depth of ten to twelve feet at high water spring tides, and a good eight feet at high water neaps. The river channel is good right from the bar up to the wharf, and vessels have no trouble in working the port.—; Received. The harbourmaster further reported that a nuisance ,was being created on the beach by the driving of motor cars and motor cycles and the galloping of horses on the front of the beach. The harbourmaster said he had cautioned the offenders, but he could not be on the beach all the time. As soon as he went off the practice was as bad as ever. If something was not done to stop it, an accident would result through children being run down. The Foxton members of the Board supported the harbourmaster’s statements, and said the nuisance was a bad one. The Board decided to draw the attention of the police to the matter. It was decided to write to the Kairanga County Council, inviting that body to appoint -a member on the Board. The Beach Improvement Coyimittee applied for the Board’s grant of £2O. So far the improvements made totalled about £OS, £2O in tree planting, and the committee was erecting bathing sheds to the value of £45. One of the sheds would be completed in a few days. Fully 500 trees hud already boon planted. grant was agreed to. The commit! ee set up to deal with the Pilot Station Reserve made a ' report, which was as follows: —Following the last meeting of the Board, the late tenant of the reserve, surrendered his lease, and at subsequent meetings of your committee it was decided to improve the property before again offering to lease. To this end tenders were invited for the white pine timber on an area of about eight acres, and the other portion was offered to the Foxton Borough Council (in exchange for land adjoining, value for * value), as a scenic reserve. The Borough Council, however, did not agree to the proposal. The committee accepted a tender of £IOO for the timber on the eight acres, and advertised the grazing. The grazing fees produced £BO Is, and £IOO 17s 2d has been expended in improvements, including the Iree planting, planting Marram grass, to prevent sand drifts, clearing gofse, draining, and rabbit poisoning. It was thought to continue the draining and further improve the properly, but representations were made to the Government, and without reference to the Board, a clause was inserted in the new Bill prohibiting the cutting of timber, and some arrangement has been made by the Government with the contractor to cease cutting. Consequently the committee have done nothing further in'respect of draining, etc.,'beyond again advertising grazing available. The Chairman said he was confident the Board would gel some compensation, hence nothing had been done by the Board to block the setting aside of the reserve. Mr J. A. Nash considered the Board should certainly see that it was compensated, and on his;, mol ion it was resolved to write the Government, asking what it proposed to do towards compensating the for the bush taken on the reserve. On the motion of Air Robertson, it was decided that Messrs Hennessy, Nash and the secretary he u committee to deal with the question of loan, to arrange details with the Railway Department re tenipor- 1 ary- management of wharf, and complete arrangements for taking over the wharf. It was decided that the secretary take the necessary steps in regard to printing rolls and other arrange-; ments for the taking of the harbour loan poll. -