GERMAN MINES IN NEW ZEALAND WATERS.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 December 1918, Page 5

GERMAN MINES IN NEW ZEALAND WATERS.

A deputation representing the Wanganui Harbour Board and Chamber of Commerce waited on Captain HallThompson, Naval Adviser, on Saturday with reefrence to the embargo on the Wanganui Roadstead. After hearing the views of the deputation, Captain Hall-Thompson said that as a result of further information received from Germany, it was learned that 35 mines were laid off Cape Farewell. Of these; 18 had been accounted for, and probably others had also been destroyed by coming ashore and exploding. So bad had been the weather during the last two months that the trawlers had been able to put in only a few days’ work. With the advent of better weather, and the assistance of the Tutanekai, which was now being fitted up for mine-sweep-Mng, the Captain hoped that in three

months, at the most, he would be able to raise the embargo. In that time he hoped to locate the mines or satisfy himself that the danger was reduced to a minimum. He pointed out that the danger to shipping lay in the event of the steamers having to run away from the Wanganui roadstead owing to rough weather. The lohal delegates stressed the importance of the matter to 'Wanganui, where one-third of a million carcases of mutton are already in store, and the facilities for shipping this meat are very poor. The Captain, however, did not take a local view of the matter. The shortage of shipping -was such that the Home authorities would not allow any risk to be run. There was plenty of meat to be obtained from other ports, and the best use had to be made of the ships.