HARBOR BOARD.

Patea Mail, 18 April 1882, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Board was held yesterday . < afternoon. Present, Messrs Aitchison (chairman in the absence of Mr Coutts), Adams, Newland, and Qane. THE PATEA WRECK—REMOVING T - THE ROCK, ; Mr Horner; manager of the Patea S.S. Company, wrote : “l am instructed by the directors to respectfully request the Board to take into immediate consideration the necessity of providing appliances for the use of vessels in trouble at the entrance of the river. It will be at once apparent to the Board that it is very detrimental to the interests of the town and district that so many vessels should come to grief at this port, which has been exemplified by the entire absence of sailing vessels trading here for some time, and the evident reluctance of owners to risk their vessels when so many more reliable entrances are available. The recent casualty to the s.s. Patea too is another instance of what might have been effected, had immediate appliances been at hand, when no doubt the vesbel could have been easily launched. -;' ? >. ■■ ! “In connection with this event, I am directed to apply to the Board that (if necessary) the Company and those immediately concerned may be allowed to blow up the piece of rock on which the Patea now lies, with a view of placing the vessel in a better position to discharge machinery, &c. I feel sure that the Harbor Board will see the necessity of promoting action in the above matters, and endeavor tof consult 'the welfare of the district generally/ '■ 1

“ I am further directed to forward you a copy of a resolution passed by the directors of the company, and with which they ' would respectfully' request ' your co-operation :■ —“ That' the 'Harbor Board be requested to call a public meeting, with a view to ‘endeavor to get some .assistance from Government towards the formation of a protective woik on the other side of the Patea river, on the plan as prepared by Sir John Coode ; and to consider the advisability of asking the County to consent to a rate.”

Captain Bendall, acting for parties interested in the Patea steamer, also applied for permission to remove the small clay island now under the steamer’s stern, if found necessaryifor extricating the wreck.

The Pilot attended and said ; It would be a bepefit to blow away oj: remove the separate piece 1 again&t which the Patea steamer lies, near the north head. The sea makes a strong current between that rock and the main head ; and I think that by removing the separate rock, the sea would not wear a channel, but would wash up a higher bank against the main head, thereby protecting it. That block was formerly part of an arch, and the sea rushing under has washed the arch away. . Chairman : c Have you noticed a strong wash between that rock and the mainland-? ....... ...

Pilot f There is a_ cohtihual'wash with the sea setting in. Chairman •' Do you think it would Have any effect on .the sand bank, to remove the rock ? . ... . ... • Pilot : N0..: „ : ~ ' -V.

. :Mr Adams : If this separate rock were blown away, is there any probability of another channel' -from the' river being formed in that direction ? ! Pilot : No ; it would lessen the scour near the head, and. would form a bank higher against the cliff ,; whereas,now the sea running through the narrow passage scours the 'bank between that rock and main cliff. :

;■ Chairman : As to appliances, have you I anj- suggestion to make? Pilot : The anchor now in stock is hardly heavy enough for such emergencies as that which lias just happened . We should also have a hew hawser, from 7 to 8 inch Manilla. A 3 Inch wire rope would be equal to al2 inch European hawser. The wire would do for a heavy strain, but not, for handling and coiling : a rope, would be needed in,, addition for use where coiling was. necessary. We. want two heavy anchors ; 800 and' 12001bs weight: : The heavier anchor would virequite labor to get it placed in position, but when got out it would hold. ■ ir

Mr Adams : As to removing the rock, I must see Sir John Goode’s plan before I can vote oh that, to see bow the removal would affect his proposed lines. ' The plan was examined, and it appeared that the root, of the proposed northern breakwater will commence several chains further north of the cliff-end, and that the

removal of the separate rock will be an advantage. The Board then agreed to give permission for removing the separate rock, if required. PROPOSED HARBOR RATE. PUBLIC .MEETINGS,; Chairman : I would point out that the Shipping Company’s letter refers also to a public meeting and to some necessary effort for improving the river. The Assembly will be sitting very soon, and it seems to be time to move in this matter, if anything is to be done this session. I should like to see some public action taken. If the people in the country and in the town' will not put their hands in their pockets and assist a little in this matter, the harbor will remain as it is for a long time, for we shall get very little substantial assistance from Government or any one else until we show some disposition to help ourselves. I think a majority of the townspeople would be in favor of putting on a small rate towards securing a loan for improving the river. I cannot say for the country people. Ido know a few who : are in favor of a rate, but as to the many I cannot speak. It seems worth while to try the question, at any rate ; and if it is tried, I sincerely hope the country people will come forward and assist in tliis matter. For the ' very . little they would be asked to pay, they would get back three or four fold by the increased value of their land. Mr Newland : I think it is rather out of the province of this Board to call a public meeting. It would be far better for tbe : Shipping Company to do this.

Chairman : I think the Harbor Board must.be considered the proper body to move in the matter. The Shipping Coy. have taken action by requesting this Board to', call a public meeting, and I think we may very well comply with that request. I care very little what the pre-liminary-arrangements about the meeting may be, but I sincere]}' think it ought to be called without delay if we wish to take advantage of the present session. Perhaps if a small preliminary.meeting were held first, it might discuss the matter in a quiet way so as to put the whole question properly before the public,” Mr Gane-: Would it not be better to postpone the question of a public meeting, until there is a fuller Board ? Mr Adams': It wiU be too late. We must do something .at this meeting, ,or not at all.

Mr Newland : I don’t think we should call a public trieeting at‘all. 1 Chairman : If we'wish: to promote harbor improvements, we are certainly the proper body;to move in the matter. • Mr Gane: Where would you suggest calling these meetings—one , meeting, or different meetings in each place? It would be a far better thing to take the votes of the people living just found.

.Chairman.: If you make it a county question, we should require meetings in different places ; but I don’t know that it would be advisable to make it a county question.

Mr Gane : Then you make a town question of it ?

, Chairman :No; we might take,a portion of the county, including properties which would be more directly benefited by the harbor. ' ; Mr Adams moved “ That-,.the.-.Chair-man be requested to call public meetings of the ratepayers in the Patea harbor district, for the purpose of taking into consideration the question of; procuring borrowing powers ; also the advisability of reconstituting the Board ; and for such Other questions for the general good of the harbor as may be brought forward.” ; Chairman ; Do you' mean the district in its present state, or what area do you mean ? . , .

Mr Adams : If they are willing to go in for borrowing powers, say to £20,000, we should extend the district further than it they agreed only to borrow £IO,OOO. Mr Gane suggested that the places of meeting should be Waitotara, Waverley, Patea, Manutahi, Hawera, Normanby, and Manaia., ’ ’•

Mr Adams My idea is that if. they were willing to be rated, a meeting would be called at each placed If no meeting were called, they would not care to be rated.

Chairman : It would be better to make a County, rate of it, and let the Hoad Board and County valuations be taken as the value of the property. But that; would, hardly be a fair way. Perhaps a fairer way would be to make a pro-; portionate rate, if the County area were admitted, according to the distance from the port. Mr Newland : That would have to be

decided at the meeting. It is no use our discussing it.

Chairman: We must get at the question of boundaries sooner or later. Mr Adams’s proposal includes the whole harbor district.

Mr Adams : It includes that,area which we intend to make the harbor district.

Some discussion ensued on that part of the motion referring to a reconstruction of the Board.

Mr Adams : I put that in the motion to give the, ratepayers something to think about, so (hat they may come to the meeting prepared to discuss and vote on it. This motion was not seconded, and after some conversation,

Mr Adams substituted the following motion : borrowing powers, and reconstituting the Board be "referred to a public meeting, to be called by the Chairman at the Harmonic Hall, Patea, and such other places as they may Think advisable.” Chairman : I should like to see my way to second this motion, but I should not bo prepared to explain that part of it to a public meeting. Mr Adams : My idea is to give the greater power on this Board to those ratepayers who would allow, themselves to be fated. At present the people who are really interested in the harbor have no voice in. it. The borough of Patea ought to have more ! than two voices on the Boai'd; They ought to have at least three. If the fating power does not extend further than Whenuakura;, or Kakaramea, or Manutahi, that reduced district ought really To have the majority oil the Board. At present we have 5 country members and 2 town members ; and even these town members are’not directly interested in the welfare of the port. I should suggest a further, amendment in the mode-of electing this Board. I would not be in favor of local bodies nominating anybody. The Government might nominate one, but all the others should be directly elected by the ratepayers.

Mr Newland : I would not be one to frame a thing of that sort, with only four members of the Boai’d here. I have another meeting that I am bound to attend this .afternoon, and I must go,; I see no objection to the: town-having a a public meeting on its own account, but if we are to call public meetings all over the district, the,, Board will have to pay the expense. I don’t , see that ;we have the power to do So* (Mr Newland ros* to leave the room. There would not have been a quoi’urn left, and business would have been stopped by his going away. Mr Adams and the Chairman appealed to him to complete the business, and he remained.)

Chairman : I will second Mr Adams’s motion in favor of, calling public meetings, though not quite approving of the form of the motion. I second, it because the case is urgent. .

Mr Gane said : Mr Adams is in error about town members not having a fair proportion of representatives. Before the Board were constituted as it is, the town nominated two members, and could also contest the election of a member for, Otoia. Now that Patea is a borough, perhaps it is different, Mr Adams : The constitution was right enough in the past, but it is not right now.. . Motion put to the vote : Mr Adams and Chairman for it • Mr Newland and Mr Gane, against, ■ Chairman : There is a tie, and I shall give my casting vote with the ayes. " The, motion is carried, PILOT’S REPORT.. Mr Wood reported, on the 10th instant: —“ There is no alteration since last report, the channel over bar keeping straight, with the; same depth and width. . No damage has been done to breakwater pro-, tection works and lighthouse through the last earthquake, it being the heaviest one I experienced !since I arrived in the district. Twenty-three vessels crossed since last report ; one crossing at night.” The Pilot'(being present early in the meeting) was asked if he had any further report respecting the mishap to the steamer; He said his report was written before that happened, as the Board’s usual meeting-day was the previous Monday, and he had sent the report for that meeting. As to the Patea steamer, he had no report to make, the usual course being to hold an enquiry in regular form, when he might have to give evidence. ROAD TO WHARF. The Wharfinger recommended that fresh metal be laid on the centre of approach to the new wharf (commencing

at the termination of the Borough Council’s work), before the wet weather sets in. The Board resolved that the appi’oach be gravelled. EEL-WEIRS. Messrs G. and F. Horner, Otoia, wrote for permission to remove some poles taken from the eel-weirs at Whakapaitu. The Board gave permission, the posts being of no value to the Board. ■ SUB-LEASE. - • ■ ' The Board consented, to a sub-lease of section 2 from Mr Tennent ,to Messrs Williams Bros ; the land being river-: frontage, near Mr Chapman’s farm. >i: ' ; " ACCOUNTS. ’ : The following, were passed for payment: —Taplin £3 10s 3d, Downes and Proctor £2 10s 2d, Hamerton £1 • Is, Evening News £1 2s 6d,. Kenworthy £1 7s, M’Carty and Hunger (subject to Pilot’s; voucher) £5 15s 6d. . The Board adjourned.