HARBOUR AFFAIRS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLI, Issue 5995, 8 August 1913, Page 3

HARBOUR AFFAIRS

- —" ♦■---..- -.. . Mil ADAMS' "MISSION.TO WELLINGTON.

AN INTERESTING REPORT.

At the meeting of the Harbour Board on Wednesday Mr J. (J. Adams presented the following report regarding harbour matters as dealt with by him during his recent visit to Wellington : —

"In conformity with a request from the executive committee I nterviewed the Minister of Marine-upon various matters of interest to the Board and beg to report thereon as follows : —As our late member, Mr I). J. McEwen, had just returned from Wellington from al similar interview. I deemed it advisable to confer with him, and met him by appointment on July 3rd, when Mr McEwen gave me an account of his interview with Mr Fisher, the gist of which was : That any application for endowments, other than landing reserves or places of utility to the Board, would not be entertained ; that the Marine Department would not recommend the granting of the foreshore as a whole to this Harbour Board, but would favourably consider any application for portions which would be of present or prospective use to the Board, such as in the vicinity of wharves and landing places. I also gathered from Mr McEwen that he did not introduce the subject, of the vesting of the landing reserves and other small sections in the Board, In speaking on these matters to Mr Fisher I repeated Mr McEwen\s statements which were confirmed by him as the policy of the Department.

"Lalso elicited the statement that as ihe route of the proposed railway through the town is at present undecided, and as it is highly probable that it will traverse a portion of the foreshore, the Marine Department will not-entertain the irrantincr of the foreshore in the vicinity of the Strand until the route is determined. '"."In reply to my queries as to the expenditure of the re- j venue received from the harbour improvement rate 1 was informed that it can only legally be expended upon actual improvements and not upon maintenance. "In the matter of encroachments by individuals upon the foreshore, as tbe foreshore is not vested in the Board this is a matter which must be dealt with direct by the Department. ''Discussing the by-laws and the fact that the Minister has disallowed the sections in our by-laws dealing with the removal of sand and shell from the foreshore, it was pointed out that by section s(> of the Harbours Amendment Act,. 1910, this by-law was ultra vires, the Minister himself nothaving the power to grant our request. Pursuing -the matter further, it was suggested that the Marine Department might appoint our harbourmaster or wharfinger to act as its agent to control this business, but itcould not recognise this Board's right to interfere in any way. ■"The matter of the site for a ( shed for the storage oi inflammable oils was discussed. .Mr Fisher suggested that it might be built upon piles as an adjunct to the wharf, and to my objection that in case of lire ; the lighted oil would spread j over the harbour and endanger shipping, he instanced the numerous hulks used for this, purpose in the .principal harbours of the Dominion. "I called the attention of the Department to the destruction of the bench mark on a rock at the Mount by which the survey datum for the survey of this harbour was fixed and asked its assistance in getting the j Survey Department to ascertain! its true position and erect a ! substitute, and was advised to i apply by letter in the usual way when the matter would; be considered. "The principal matter that I introduced, however, was the desirability of this Board acquiring a number of landing reserves and other Crown lands ; adjacent to the harbour. This f discussed more fully with Mr Allport (Secretary of Marine, and who was present at the interview with Mr Fisher) after the meeting with the Minister had terminated. The proposal was favourably received and the 'Department will render every assistance. F left a list of such places as 1 could ascertain and amu.jL.ed to send an application with fuller particulars. I also interviewed Mr J. -McKenzie, Surveyor-General,

on the same subject, who made no objection to the. proposal and upon his advice I followed up the matter iii the Auckland Crown Lands Office, searching through the various registers

and obtaining numerous details, also information of several reserves that were unknown to m* 1 before. Among the various sections of these Crown lands is one called No. 2 Awa-a-Tukornko, situated U"i the Eolith of the railway reserva r tion at the, Mount The cutting up of this section and the acquisition of the adjacent native owned blocks is under consideration by tho Survey Department. 1 think it of very great importance that this Board should endeavour to get a good 'substantial endowment at thi.locality which besides being adjacent to deep water is handy to the railway, with which it can readily be connected by sidings. J especially pressed this ! matter upon Mr Herries. Mr '• Fisher, and Mr McKenzie (Sur-veyor-General), who all promised to assist in the matter. "In Wellington f also called upon Mr P." P. Webb, Commissioner of Sinking Funds, who explained certain matters in relation to the extinction of loans by sinking funds. As part of the Borough loan of ISSI) was expended upon the Town Wharf this information may be of service in adjusting , this item of the account between the Board and tho Borough. "1 wish in conclusion to express my thanks for the cx- - tremely kind way in which I, as youi- representative- was received by Mr Herries aud for the trouble that he and his secretary (Mr Johnson) took to arrange interviews with Ministers and introduce me to heads of Departments, and otherwise to provide for my comfort ana convenience.' 1 Mr Adams gave full details of various areas of land in the Katikati, Te Puna. Waimapu, Maunganui and Te Tumu districts, and Borough of Tauranga, which he recommended the Board to apply for as endowments. Mr Adams moved —That the Hon. Minister of Marine be requested to induce the Government to vest in the Tauranga Harbour Board the several gaz- j etted landing places and sections of Crown lands set forth in the schedule produced ; and that the Executive Committee be instructed to draft the accompanying letter giving cogent reasons for the same.—Seconded by Mr Grant and carried. Mr Adams proposed—That the Marine Department be notified of the fact of the destruction of the bench mark on a rock at the Mount, by which the datum of the survey of this harbour was fixed as referred to on the Admiralty/chart ; and a. request be made to it to obtain the necessary professional assistance to find its true position and erect a substantia! substitute. —Seconded by Mr Grant and carried. Mr Adams said he considered the Board should make an effort to secure control of a certairj portion of the foreshore. He moved- 'That application be made to the Marine Department, asking that a certain area at the Spit be vested in the Board.1 Mr Stewart seconded. Mr Grant advocated that application should ibe made by the Board to have all the foreshore vested in it. He pointed out that the local bodies had offered no objections. A letter previously received from Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister of Marine, was read in regard to the clauses in the bylaws in reference to taking shingle, sand, etc., from the foreshore. The Minister pointed out that these are ultra vires, as the foreshore is not vested in the Board, but belongs to the Crown. The power of granting licenses,to take material from Crown foreshore is vested in the Minister of -Marine. The Minister said it was necessary for the Board to j take the earliest opportunity of \ repealing these clauses, otherwise it will be necessary for the Governor io disallow them ■ under the provisions of section 50 of the Harbours Act, IDOS. Mr Adams said he ameea with Mr Grant, hut the Miuis- | ter of Marine was adverse to [ the proposal, fie suggested • that the question be brought I before the Prime. Minister when he visited the district. Mr Grant moved an amend--ment —That. the Secretary write to the Minister of Marine rei questing that the whole of the foreshore (except reclamations made by the Borough Council) be vested in the "■Board.-—Mr

Lally seconded.-. The amendment was cairied. Mr Stewart eomptimented M Adams on the excellent repor which he had presented. ant moved —That Mr Adams be thanked for the services rendered- by him on behalf of th< Board. Mr Grant seconded. The Chairman said that th< Board recognised that Mi Adams had gone to considerable trouble on its behalf. The motion was put and carried unanimously. Mr Adams brieHy replied and said he was at ail iii..e< piepar!ed to advance the interests of the Board.