PETONE BOAT SHELTER

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 82, 5 October 1915, Page 5

PETONE BOAT SHELTER

IS IT SATISFACTORY? Of late no little criticism has been directed at those who were responsible for the construction of the Petone Boat Shelter (often erroneously termed " Boat Harbour"). Though it is only a few weeks since the structure was completed, it is not uncommon to hear it already branded " failure," while some go' so far as to make use of that ugly simile often applied to the Petone Wharf, in order to express their feelings. It is alleged by boat-owners that the shelter is not a shelter, inasmuch as it does not act as a rebuff to the boisterous southerlies which sweep with such force against the Petone waterfront. On this point opinions appear to differ; in fact, there seems to be an all-round diversity of opinion on the whole question. Questioned by a Post reporter, the Mayor of Petone (Mr. J. W. Tkl'Ewan) had something to say regarding the controversy. Many people, he said, had thoughtlessly placed the blame on the shoulders of the council, and he would remind these people that the work was carried out entirely by the Wellington Harbour Board. As to the efficiency of the structure, he said that the boatowners' complaints rather surprised him, as the work had been carried out according to the plans submitted to the board by the HeTetaunga Boating Club. "The council," said Mr. M'Ewan, "would have preferred to have had the shelter on the western side of the wharf, but we had to bow to the decision of those more directly interested." Asked if it was intended to make any alterations to the shelter, Mr. M'Ewan said it was possible that something would be done in this direction by the Harbour Board, in the event of the latter being satisfied that the structure did not " fill the bill."