FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2068, 16 December 1919, Page 3

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

A meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board is being held at Palmerston North to-day. The following reports were read and adopted. TREASURER. The balance to credit at last meeting was £2,04(1 Os Id, and the receipts since wore us follows; — Wharfages (inwards) £195 0s fid, (outwards) £76 14s Od. total £272 fis fid, les- cost of handling £9B (is 4d, leaving a balance of £173 l-!s 2d; pilotage, £54; rents, £B2 2s Od; road contribution, £2 3s 9d, and river lighting and sundries £ls 8s Od; total £327 7s lid. The expenditure, including purchase of shed site, £SOO, freight on dredge plant £lOl 10s Bd, and sinking fund £SO, amounted to £BOO 13s 2d, leaving a balance at the Bank of £2,104 0s lOd. SUB-COMMITTEE’S REPORT. The local Committee reported as follows : —Round Bush, 418 acres, — Tenders for 376 acres of . this, wined) leaves out 42 acres proposed to be acquired for a scenic reserve, were Called for leasing for a period of 21. years, have been dealt with, and that of Mr P. Baldwin accepted, the tender being at 11s 4d per acre, lot ailing £213 Is 4d per annum. For the acquisition of the 42 acres, £SOO was put on the Estimates last session, and £BO voted by the Poxton Borough Council, and (lie matter should lie completed early in the New Year. Purchase of Site for Good.-Jied. —The purchase from the West Coast S.S. Coy. of its wharf and shed at £SOO has been completed, ami tenders called for the building of wharf extension and goods shed. Dredge.— The plant purchased from the Pa tea Harbour Board lias been dismantled and railed to Foxton, and tenders have been invited for the necessary pontoon to carry rho machinery. Air' IT. Akers has in course of erection on a specially built punt at Foxton a Priestinan grab dredge, and lias kindly offered its use for a fortnight, the Board to Ibid it> own labour, coal, etc., and be responsible for any breakages or risks. The plant was built for working in drains, and would require extra support in the river. PILOT’S REPORT. The pilot’s report for the month of November was as follows: —A good depth of water has been experienced both in the river and on the bar, except, in the stretch from Duncan’s Bend (o the Foxton wharf, where a great amount of shoaling has been experienced generally. Buoys have been laid marking the (diannet, but great difficulty is found in bringing vessels to the wharf. A ohisc watch is being kepi, and as soon as a channel presents itself further marking buoys will be laid so as to eliminate this difficulty. The depth in the river channel elsewhere is 7ft. (iin. half tide, and on (he bar the least depth is 10ft. at three-quarter half-spring tide. A moderate fresh in the river on the 1;}11 1 and 1-ilh altered the channel across the Fisherman’s Flat to the south side of the river, and lias caused a furl her encroachment oi from 101 T. to 12 ft. into the river bank. I must draw attention to the enormous amount of refuse from the tlaxmills whkdi is being thrown into the river, and which catches up on snags, etc., and very soon forms a shoal, and is liable to become a danger to the river navigation, and also to become a great menace to dredging operations, causing the pumps to lie choked, when the dredge is. ready to start work. I would like to suggest that a small SIT. dinghy lie procured for use at the Heads, as to borrow a “Hally" is not at all times practicable owing to iboir owners’ needs, and the “Hatty" at present here is very un--,ife and impossible to repair. I am herewith enclosing a plan ot the river from the Rush Flat to the Heads, taking in the Fishermen’s Flat.