EVANS BAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1908, Page 3

EVANS BAY.

THE RECLAftiATiQ^ SCHEME.

COMMITTEE'S PROPOSAL ADOPTED. TIIS Harbour Board in committee yesterday considered the report moved by Hon. T. K. Macdonald to tho effect that the report of tho Evaii3 Bay Committee presented to the board on the' 20th. January bs now adopted, and whjch read as follows : — "That the board obtain the spoil required for reclamation purposcr. at the head of Evans Bay from land to be purchased in block A, Miramar. between the Old Farm-road and th:> Miramar cutting, and for that purpose authorise the of tho sections held by privato owners, and the continuance of the negotiations with the Miramar Borough for the acquisition of certain road areas, and with the Gas Company for the removal of spoil from th'ir section?.. That tho committee bo authorised to purchase forthwith those sections which arc under offer at prices which can' be. approved by the committee, and to give instructions for the necessary > steps to be taken for the acquiring of tho other sections under the provisions of the Public Works Acts." CONDITIONAL OPPOSITION Mr. Bollon said ho would oppose the scheme unless- assured that it was going to bo a commercial success, and wos actually necossary' to be immediately parried out. He recognised that land was always, approximately, worth its money, but ths question was whether the board, by agreeing to the proposal, was committing itself in auy way to a policy of 'reclamation. If it cbd not rhen the resolution simply meant tint tha board acquired certain lands, and pleased itself at what thna it would reclaim th-3 land. Then he would not oppose the adoption of the report; but he would oppose it if it was intended to immediately undertake a scheme of reclamation, believing it to bo, r.t present unnecessary. .Nor was there any proof that it was likely to bs a scheme commercially sound or < immediately dcsiiable. A NON-COMMITTAL STEP. Tho chairman, pointed out that tho resolution carried by the committeD did not in any way compel the board to a policy of reclamation. The board could not rucluim until they went' to Parliament to obtain and did obtain thi necosr..iry powers. It was desirable to take this step because it would allow tho board to obtain land in Miramar Borough without any expense ; and also to acquire "spoil" from tho gas works site Mr. Bolton then withdrew his opposition. ACQUIESCENCE. Mr. M'Ewan pointed out that the report on ihc Rclißine 'lid not say it would be a commercial success. He for one, ns a new member,' would like to know more about it. He realised, however, that the board was committprl to tho scheme that all remaining to be done was to work it out. lie could not so? his way, however, to move a rescinding resolution ; but would en deavour to york as well as possible with the board in this (as in otlirt matters) to' make the schema •'' r .ufcc^3. Hon. T. X Macdonald did not think tho members of tho board need hesitate about this mattov. Every step the boftrd' had taken during the past year had been cautiously and prudonlly 'alien. and thore v.as no -reason to doubt that attitude wculd ho maintained. The board had to take legislative powers, and whatever others powers wero necesraqy to enable them to got along with tho undertaking. Ho hoped they wore not going ■to halt half-way in the scheme that had been so carefully gone into by the engineers. 11 o did not think, ' looking ai, their actions in tho past, that they were going to make any blunders Tho resolution was agreed to. Other motions moved by Hon. T. K. Macdonald in conneelion with this matter were also consul eied in committee, and were carried and adopted in open meeting. They were to the effect that the Evans Bay Reclamation Committee bo empowered to nego- | tialo for the purchase of the I I,'ikls lyint* h'Jwefn Sp^toun-joad and I the foreshore *. that tho solicitors be mii structed to include in the Bill powers 1 to reclaim at the head of Evans Bay ; 1 that plans bo prcpaicd and dcposiled i with the Marine Department after ap- ! proval by the Legislation . Committee, ' of the reclamations proposed at the head of Evans Bay ; and that the solicitors be insti acted to 'include in tho Bill tho vesting of f-o much of tho bed of Evans Bay adjacent to the existing foreshore and proposed reclamations as will enable wharves to bo constructed on land vested in the board Messrs. Harkuess and Bolton were added to the E\d,nr. Bay Reclamation Committee.

Tho ruthless manner in which Dr Peters pursued his work of colonisation is well known. Tic himself has furnished an amusing instanre of the way in which German colonies were founded. "When we came before any sultan whose fiicndsli<" we desired, we used to tako h'.m between us on a couch, and throw our arms around him. oe mixed a good glass of grog, and thus soon put ins highness in the best of tempers. Then present were exchanged, and when dinner was over the treaty was made. • his done, "flags were hoisted, and I formally took ovei our ne^ possession with a i.tiecr for his German Majesty."