BEACH IMPROVEMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 30504, 29 June 1926, Page 3

BEACH IMPROVEMENTS.

DEPUTATION WjATTS ON HARBOUR BOARD. A deputation comprising Messrs. E. Nairn, A. G. Da wick, C. 11. Wlhitehead and A. Alsop, of the Foxton Improvement Society, waited on the Foxton Harbour Board at its monthly meeting in Palmerston North yesterday. The deputation was introduced by Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P.

Mr. Nairn said they represented 134 tenants of,the Board, who were under certain responsibilities which they recognised and carried out; the Board also had its responsibilities to these people. They wished that the Board would introduce a sustained policy, to which the beach residents would conform. Some of the residents were permanent and went in and out almost daily, and this traffic required good roads. He asked the Board to allocate £IOO out of its annual rates of £320 towards the construction of the Sanatorium road. The speaker also criticised the Board’s treeplanting policy. Tree planting on drifting sands could not be a success until the hills were first planted with lupin. On the Board’s bal-ance-sheet was an item of some £SO for planting, but lie was not enthusiastic when he understood the Board proposed to plant irrespective of variety. Pinus insignis could not stand the salt gales and his experience was that macro•carpa or pinus muricata were the only safe varieties.

Mr. Linklater said it would be admitted that some of the trees bad made valuable growth. The Board had had the advice of the Afforestation Department and personally, he had thought the pinus insignus was doing very well. Mr. Da wick put in a plea for a guaranteed extension of the Board’s leases, so that people could lie induced to build a better type of house at the beach.

Mr. Whitehead urged that conveniences and bathing sheds lie erected for the use of visitors. The water supply was also a .serious question. He knew that some school picnics formerly lick! at Plimmerton would lie hold at Eoxton next year and proper facilities would have to he provided to make such gatherings a success. He also suggested that the i'ence on the Hall road lit* straightened to keep the sand from, banking up close to the residences there.

Mr. Alsop endorsed Mr. Nairn’s remarks in reference to tree-plant-ing, and asked that the time for clearing mails at the beach be changed to 4 p.m. instead of 7.45 n.m. as at present. Mr. Whitehead further stated that the Society had now wiped out its overdraft and hoped it would soon ho able to do more work in : conjunction with the Board. The suggestions were referred to the local committee of the Boaid for report, with the exception of j that concerning mails, which at i Mr. McMurray’s suggestion, was I referred to the Postmaster at Fox- \ ton.