OIL IN HARBOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 279, 15 February 1928, Page 16

OIL IN HARBOUR

BOARD INVESTIGATES YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS As a result of the discovery of more black oil floating on the Waitemata the Harbour Board is doing a little detective work. Samples of the nuisance have been collected and handed to an analyst in an endeavour to ascertain what vessel was 'responsible for discharging oil'into the harbour this month. At yesterday’s meeting the chairman. Mr. H. R. Mackenzie, said that crude oil had drifted from Queen’s to Prince’s Wharves from one 1 or more of three vessels which he named. It was expected that analysis would lead to the identification of the offender. Application for a reserve to establish headquarters and drill sheds fo.r the Royal Naval Reserve in Fanshawe Street on an allotment adjoining the gasworks was made to the Harbour Board at its meeting yesterday afternoon. The application was referred to the board-in-committee. Reference was made by the chairman to the death of Mr. C. C. McMillan, a former chairman of the board. As; a mark of respect members stood in silence. •• The usual donation of £lO 10s was made to the Sailojrs’ Shipwreck Relief Society. The Otago Harbour Board wrote asking what action Auckland was taking with regard to abating the noise of outboard motors. The board decided to inform Otago that no statutory authority exists which will allow it to frame laws designed to make it illegal fo.r outboard motor-boats to use the harbour without muffled exhausts when not actually racing. This opinion was furnished by the board’s solicitors. SEWERAGE COMMISSION The proposal to set up a commission of experts to investigate and report on the question of the discharge of city and suburban sewage into the Waitemata and Manukau harbours was * advahced a further stage when it was decided to ask the Government to proceed with the formation of the commission. The Health Department had suggested that the matter might be considered by delegates from each of the local bodies concerned, but the view of the board as expressed in a resolution from the Manukau Harbour Committee was that the commission should bo composed of independent experts who would make recommendations for remedying existing conditions, the board, local bodies and others interested to have the right to give evidence.