WHARF AND HARBOR ACCOMMODATION.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1697, 11 June 1874, Page 2

WHARF AND HARBOR ACCOMMODATION.

DEPUTATION TO THE SUPER-

INTENDENT.

' At noon yesterday a deputation consisting of the following gentlemen waited upon His Honor the Superintendent with reference to the subject of harbor accommodation at the Thames :—His Worship he Mayor, W. Davies, Esq., Dr. Kilgour, Messrs W. Rowe, W. Souter, and L. Ehrenfried. Mr. Dignan and Mr. Sheehan were also present. The Mayor explained that they had been deputed by a public meeting held last week at the Thames to bring before His Honor and the Executive the necessity which existed for better wharf accommodation. A copy of the resolutions adopted at the meeting had been forwarded to His Honor. He (Mr. Davies) submitted a plan of the work s which it was proposed should be undertaken to utilize the Tararu wharf by raising it about four feet, two ne\v piles to be placed outside the structure, and the old piles scarfed. It was considered essential that the goods wharf at Grahamstown should be extended 1200 ft. to afford the requisite accommodation for the number of small vessels coming to the port. It had been stated that the goods wharf was silting up, but this silting would assist in reclaiming the foreshore and not be any detriment to the wharf. At present a good deal of money was spent irf constantly repairing the wharf, and if the proposed improvements were carried out the wharf would last for several years, and the outlay involved would not exceed £2000 or £3000. There was a third question which the deputation wished his His Honor to consider, namelj, an inquiry as to the best site for a permanent harbor at the Thames. Mr Rowe said his mind was un docided as to the harbor works which should ultimately be underiaken. Tho first thing to be done was to restore communication between Auckland and the Thames. As to what should be done in the way of permanent works, that was a matter for future consideration. He agreed with the other members of the deputation that it was absolutely necessary to incur expenditure at once for opening, up communication betwoen the Thames and Auckland.

His Honor the Superintendent said that steps had already been taken to keep up the communication between Auckland and the Thames. Immediately on ascertaining the damage which had been done by the late gale he telegraphed to the District Engineer to at once act to work and make the necessary repairs, He kad received a telegram from that officer stating that the repairs to the Tararu wharf had been commenced on Monday last, and that they would be pushed on with all possible speed. This action had been taken to obviate public inconvenience, leaving the question of cost to be • afterwards adjusted between the Government and the Borough Council. The Government were fully alive to the fact that if commercial communication was not maintained between Auckland and the Thames, the result would be mutually disadvantageous, and he believed the Government would be supperted in what they done in the matter. He understood that some of the Thames members were not disposed to allow of any money being expended on that land until it had first been made over to the Superintendent in trust under " The Public [Reserves Act, 1854." Under ordinary circumstances that would have been the proper course to have adopted, but this was an extreme case, which required to be promptly dealt with, and therefore the Government had taken upon themselves the onus of having the work done. He believed the General Assembly next session would be disposed to take some action to enable the Provinpial Government to utilize the forshore, and, as he had already told the people of the Thames, he would heartily po-operate in any action taken towards that desirable object. The municipality must not, however, expect to obtain the land outside the municipal boundaries as an endowment. He thought a Harbour Board, if established, could deal better with such endowments than a Board formed to look after town improvements and such matters, Nevertheless if the Borouph Council were willing to undertake those larger works he did not see why the Provincial Government should interfere with them. • The land referred to could only be dealt with by legislation of the Assembly, under the "Public Eeserves Apt, 1854." The land must, in the first instance, be banded over to the Superintendent in truit, after which the Trovincial Council could give the power to any legally constituted body to administer s%h trusts. The Government had not been unmindful of the interest of the people at the Thames. They had no moans at their disposal to undertake the large permanent works now proposed to be carried our, as it would involve the expenditure of a very large sum of money. When the Corporation had a portion of the foreshore land handed over to to them as an endowment it would then be for them to consider what was best to be done. The Thames had now assumed an appearance of permanency, and as the people had established a Municipality there would be less occasion for them to come to the Government upon such matters as the wero now considering. The Mayor said they would Teave the plan with his Honor for consideration, as to whether the proposed scheme should be adopted or not. His Honor said it would rest entirely upon the land being handed over. He would tell them frankly and fairly that he should, do nothing in the matter until the foreshore was handed over, which they would admit was a proper precau-

tion for the Government'to take. Before the works were undertaken they would have first to bo reported upon by a competent engineer for the information of the Government. , Tht deputation concurred in the views expressed by the Superintendent, and thanked His Honor for the consideration no had given to the suject.—Auckland livening Star.