WELLINGTON HARBOUR ACCOMMODATION.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 19, 24 January 1899, Page 6

WELLINGTON HARBOUR ACCOMMODATION.

"" ANOTHER STEP FORWARD. £150,000 FOR IMPROVEMENTS. In January of last year, it will be recollected, an important and extensive scheme for the improvement and extension of the present? wharfage and other conveniences of the port was put before the Wellington Harbour Board by its Engineer and Secretary, Mr. W. Ferguson. That scheme, which was extensively quoted and written, about in these columns at the time, tembodied proposals for the construction of a new "\vharf to the north of the Railway Wharf, where reclamation is now 'in progress, the reclamation of 100 ft seaward south of the wool jetty and outside Waterloo-quay, the widening of the outer tee of the Queen's Wharf, and an addition to the middle tee of the same wharf (now in hand and almost completed) the widening of Jervois-quay at thejower end to provide additional shed accommodation, the construction of a new wharf at the foot of Taranaki-street, and the necessary reclamation, etc., to carry ie into effect, and also the plan for dredging in. connection with the whole scheme. The juoard approved the proposals, and immediately sought Parliamentary powers to give effect to them, including authority to raise £150,000 to be expended on the. works. The Wellington Harbour Board Reclamation and Empowering Act was in due course passed last session, and ! besides authorising the raising of the money, by its 10th schedule it permits the ' Board — "To construct, execute, and per- : form the following works and powers within the Harbour of Wellington, or of such of them as the Board may in its discretion think fit, with such modification or amendments as to the Board may j seem meet: — 1. The reclamation of any ' lands authorised to be reclaimed by this or anfy other Act of Parliament. 2. Dredging, and the purchase, hire, and maintenance of dredging appliances, and other expenditure connected therewith. 3. The construction of quay -walls, pitched slopes, extension of sewers, and works of a like nature. 4. The extension of existing wharves and stores, and the constructiion and erection of new wharves, jetties, sheds, and stores, and of cranes, and of other machinery, plant, and appliances in connection therewith. 5. The construction and formation of streets. 6. The purchase of any lands to give effect to the provisions of this or any other Ace of Parliament. 7. Other harbour works." Proposals have been made to the Board for the floating of the loan locally, and the Board, in committee, at its last meeting, decided to leave it in the hands of the Chairman to close if certain terms could be arranged. Those terms have now been arranged, and the forma] resolutions in confirmation of the arrangement made for raising the loan will come before the Board on Thursday. The only portion of the Engineer's scheme which has as yet been begun is the addition to the middle tee of the Queen's Wharf, on the northern side, but the plans for the necessary reclamation at Waterloo-quay and at Te Aro, and for the big nejv wharf north of the Railway Wharf, which will be known as the Glasgow Wharf, after our late Governor, are ready. The Act does not impose any limit of time within which the harbour works are to be finished, except in regard to the reclamation of Waterloo-quay, half of which is to be completed within three years, and the remaining half before the expiry of another three years.

At a meeting of the Hospital Trustees this morning the tender of Messrs. Kirkcaldie and Stains for linoleum required Avas accepted. At the same meeting it was decided to make a charge for the use of the X rays apparatus at the Hospital. Merars. F. H. Fniser, C. E. Willeston, C. Luke, J. Collins, and G. Webb Avere the Trustees present at the meeting.