FOXTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5179, 27 October 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

FOXTON.

(FROM a COKHI’.iJ’O.N ]U:NT.) Xn accordance with a rcsol ‘tion passed by tho Council the chairman has written to the Government urging the necessity which exists for tiie immediate extension of the wharf. Repeated complaints have been made to the authorities of the great inconvenience and annoyance that captains of vessels suffer owing to there being but one berth to accommodate the moreasiug tra'tic of the port, which is a source of profit to the Government, in whose hands tho wharf is. On several occasions there haye been some narrow escapes from accidents occurring, owing to captains trying to get to the wharf first, they well knowing that if they did not do so they w-ould have to wait for a vacant berth, and probably several daws' delay would bo caused, during which the vessel would liu'idle. I know one or two captains who would not come here for the same reason. The sum of one thousand pounds judiciously expended would furnish one, if not two more berths, and the Government in not doing this are only robbing themselves of the increased revenue consequent upon the increase of traffic. Since the carriage of timber was lowered a groat deal of timber has been shipped from here, and as greater facilities are afforded the greater will be the export. I suppose it is owing to the change of Ministry that a letter on tho same subject, signed by the principal storekeepers and several captains, has not yet been answered. It is not an uncommon occurrence for three steamers to be lying at the wharf at one time, and sometimes it happens that the time of the crew of a sailing vessel is principally taken up in moving to and from the solitary berth, to m ike room for the steamers. It is to be hoped that before long justice will be done to us in the matter. The Local Board has made great improvements on the river bank between the wharf and Mr. Liddell’s property. The bank there, which was a chaotic mass of mounds, holes, and blowing sand, has been cut down and turfed in the same manner as the frontages of Messrs. Duncan and Liddell. The Foxton Amateur Dramatic Society gave their first performance last week, and it is no flattery to say that the excellent manner in which the members sustained their par's was far beyond what was expected of them. A correspondent writing from Foxton under date 18tb instant says:—“At a meeting of the Council last evening a county rate of fid. In the £ was struck, and made payable at once. The chapman read a letter from the Government stating that under present circumstances separation would not be granted, so there is an end of that matter until next session. Two ■very important resolutions were passed intimately affecting the welfare of this place and district generally. The chairman was requested to apply for Foxton being declared a port of entry, and he was also deputed to draw the attention of the Government to the utter inadequacy of the present wharf accommodation, of which more anon.”