FOXTON WHARF

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 18, 22 January 1916, Page 8

FOXTON WHARF

OF THE PORT

'AN: IMPOETANT. DECISION.

For some years agitation has been succeeding agitation for harbour ; improvements at Foxton. The united commercial interests of a large district, including Foxton, Palmerston, Levin, Marton, and even Wooo'.ville and Pahiatua, have been at work, but up to .the present all efforts have been in vain. A deadlock has existed between the districts concerned) represented on the Foxton Harbour Board, and the Railway Department, which owns and controls the wharf. Th© board has offered to purchase the wharf, and to undertake the improvements to the harbour and channels, which the Department lias declined to do. The Department agreed to sell the wharf, but at a figure which the -board consider©! exorbitant.

Since Mr. W. H. Field became member for the Otaki electorate, which includes ' Foxton in ite boundaries, he has devoted characteristic energy to the matter, and yesterdiy he received from the Government intimation, that it had been decided to submit the whole matter to a Commission, consisting of Sir Bobert Stout (Chief Justice), a.nd Messrs. Cyrus Williams (Engineer of the Lyttelton Harbour Board) ■ and W. -M. Hannay (late General Manager of the Wellington Manawaftu Railway). Mr. Field had asked ths.t the Chief Justice bo selected as sole Commissioner, but apparently! the Government have deemed it wise to add two colleigues, both of whom are men of unquestioned capacity. The same Commission will also report upon the question of constructing the deviation of the Main Trunk railway from Levin through Foxton to Marton or Greatford.

Mr. Field said to-day that he would have preferred to have had the Harbour Board and wharf matters settled first, and'the .other,s later, but as the Government was setting up a strong commission, it was considered wise to entrust all three matters, which were of great' importance to the district, to them for consideration.

Mr. Field also stated that Messrs. E. Newman, D. H. Guthrie, D. Buick, and J. H. Escott, M.P.'s, had also materially assisted ir- the direction of securing a satisfactory solution of the wharf and Harbour Board difficulty, and Mr. Newman had all along shown the deepest and most active interest in the railway and tramway questions.

It is understood the Commission will commence its sittings on or about 7th February. .••...