FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3843, 11 September 1928, Page 2

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board was held in the secretary’s office yesterday, presided lover by Mr. J. Linklater, M.P., (chairman). Also present were Messrs E. R. B. Holben, A. J. Kellow, and the secretary (Mr. R. Raugiheuea). An apology for absence was received from Mr. Mortensen. BOARD FINANCE. The report of the local committee, which met to discuss the Board’s financial position was read and adopted. Mr. IT. Berry said that members should feel /very gratified at the position in which the Board found itself to-day. • The secretary was accorded a vote of thanks for his work in connection with the finances. Accounts amounting to £240 12s 2d were passed for payment. CORRESPONDENCE was read and dealt with as follows : From the Harbours’ Association of New Zealand, stating that the Minister of Marine had been requested to introduce Harbours Legislation this Session for the purpose of dealing with approved Conference resolutions. Sir Francis Bell in reply, had stated that it had been his intention to introduce an Amending Harbous Bill during the present Session, but owing to the. importance of the various suggestions of the Association and the fact that the present Session must be necessarily curtailed in length by the exigency of the coming general election, it was decided to postpone the matter until the session of 1929. This would also allow any suggestions passed by the Harbours’ Conference in January next to be embodied in the Bid. —Left to delegates to conference. From same, notifying that the Harbours’ Conference will be held in Auckland in January next, remits to be in hand by November 30th. — Messrs tJ. A. Nash and the chairman were appointed the Board’s delegates to conference.

The chairman mentioned that the conference would possibly deal with the matter of a coastal survey of New Zealand.

The secretary ■ read a communication received by the Association from the Prime Minister relative to the above which stated that it would cost £50,000 for a vessel for tin* purpose and that the work would cost one million pounds. The matter would have to be deferred in the meantime, but Government would reconsider it at some future date.

Mr. Kellow suggested that the warships Laburnum and Veronica might be employed on the work which would greatly reduce the cost of the survey. The suggestion was noted, and the secretary was instructed to make search for any matters of importance which could be placed before the conference in the form of remits, same to be submitted to the next meeting of the Board for discussion. OBSTRUCTION AT RUSH FLAT. Messrs Levin and Co. wrote acknowledging receipt of the Board’s letter stating that it had been decided to attend to the shallow patch in the river at Rush Flat as soon as the T.S. Maidi had completed its overhaul. Messrs Levin and Co. stated that cargo from Lyttelton had been coming forward very well for some time past, and with the proposed extension of the service to another port, it was most necessary that the river be made the best use of during spring tides. Better depth in the river meant that extra cargo could be carried to the benefit of the Board. The secretary intimated that Captain Larsen (Pilot), had supervised the work of removing the obstruction at Rush Flat with harrows. The fresh in the river at present prevented the pilot from reporting on the success of the operation. FLAXMILL SITES. Messrs Moore and Bergin, (Board’s solicitors), forwarded a letter from the Commissioner of Crown Lands, and a tracing- of the. north of Purcell Street, bounded by the Manawatu River. The letter stated that the area had been recently surveyed .and found to contain approximately one acre 20 perches. It would be noted from the tracing that as the street formation encroached on the Crown land a separate area to include same had been pegged off in the event of the excess street being legalised in the future, and as it was not certain how much of this' area would be required for street purposes, any application-made for the purchase of the Crown Land would have to take this into account. 'The surveyor reported that the present access to the river was as indicated on the tracing, and in that connection the Commissioner asked if such access was absolutely essential as it might be necessary to lay out a road in this position also, in which event the area of Crown land available would be reduced accordingly. A valuation of the land was now being made. GENERAL. The recommendation of the subcommittee in reference to suing for the recovery of all outstanding accounts was adopted. It was decided to hold the next meeting in Palmerston North on the 15th October.