FOXTON HARBOUR

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 22, 21 December 1929, Page 18

FOXTON HARBOUR

REPAIR OF WHARF. CONFERENCE WITH RAILWAY ENGINEER. (From Our Own Correspondent.) FOXTON, Doc. 20. A special meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board was held in Foxton on Thursday to meet representatives of the Railway Department in connection with matters rolative to the repair of (ho wharf. Thoro were present: Messrs W. E. Barber, R. Bryant, M. E. Porreau, R. Edwards and the secretary (Mr R. Rangiheuea). Mossrs Beok (assistant traffio engineer) and Rouse (clerk of works) represented the department. Prior to the conferenco Messrs Beck and Rouse made an inspection of the wharf, the sheathing of which is in urgent need of repair. Mr Perreau said the wharf was in need of repairs and in going into the matter it was discovered that the sheathing under the structure was in a very bad condition. Whilo the board recognised its responsibility in connection with the maintenance of the wharf propor, it was of tho opinion that tho Railway Department should assist with the repairing of tho sheathing as it was in reality a boundary wall protecting the Railway Department’s property from erosion by the rivor. Mr Beok said that the position in regard to the local wharf was the same as that obtaining in Wanganui. The wharf had originally belonged to the Railway Department, but had been taken over by the Foxton Harbour Board. The repair of the sheathing was, therefore, a matter purely for the Harbour Board. Mr Edwards contended that the position locally was not tho same as that in Wanganui. In Foxton the sheathing supported a filling which protected the railway yards and was actually a boundary fence. Without tho sheathing there was nothing to prevent the whole of the yards from falling into tho river. Mr Beck: Yes, but without the port there would be no need for the railway sidings. Mr Edwards: If we shift the wharf the Railway Department will be faced with the maintenance of tho protecting wall. Mr Beck: There is not much chance of that. Continuing, ho said that the board’s request for assistance in tho repair of the sheathing was an unusual one, but he was quite prepared to rofer the mattor to headquarters. Mr Perreau said the position with tho board was that it had spent all the money it had and had none in hand for this extraordinary work. The port was a means of bringing traffic to tho department and it was only a fair thing that they should assist them in this instance.

Mr Rouse expressed the opinion that the proposed work would entail considerable expenditure. Mr Barber suggested that before anything was done an estimate of the cost of the work should be prepared. Mr Beck said that tho department would be prepared to furnish an ostimate of the cost of the work which would in no way commit the board, but if tho work were to be proceeded with the board would have to “put the money up.” It had been suggested that failing the department assisting in the matter the wharf might be shifted. In that case the board would require a line to be run to their now wharves and the expense for this would havo to be borne by the board. This was the policy laid down by the department and it had obtained in connection with tho New Plymouth wharves. When they were constructed the Harbour Board had to bear the expense of running tho line to the port. Mr Edwards: A parsimonious policy recently adopted by tho department. Mr Beck: No, that has always been the policy of the department. Mr Perreau: I don’t think the board would consider such an expenditure for one moment with the number of lorries now on the road.

Mr Beck asked what volume of shipping there was at the local port. Mr Edwards said thert was every_ prospect of a twio-hundred-fold increase in the near future. As the port was at present, without any attention, thoro was good water for coastal shipping. In the past there had been obstacles, but they were now being overcome. Recently, two good sired boats had worked the port on an ebb tide and the river was really in good condition and capable of doing big business. The port served a district comprising a population of over 60,000. Mr Perreau said that he had been informed by tho manager of the Canterbury Shipping Company that it was tho intention of that company to make the local port a second Wanganui. As-soon as it was found that two boats were paying on this run tho company intended putting on another boat. Mr Beck raised the question of the river “cuts” and the possible effect on the port, but Mr Edwards replied that the scheme was only “in the, air and as dead as Julius Caesar.” Mr Beck asked for the tonnage figures during tho last twelve months and the anticipated figure for the coming twelve months, and these are to be provided by the secretary. The secretary intimated that three-quar-ters of the cargo which came through the port loft Foxton by rail. Thtv cargoes were chiefly from the South Island. Mr Beck considered tho port came into competition with the railways by taking cargo from tho south to Foxton which otherwise would have gone to Wellington and then on by rail. Mr Perreau expressed the opinion that such cargo would go to Wanganui and not Wellington, and that Wellington cargoes to Foxton would come up by lorry in preference, to rail if the boats were not running. Mr R. Bryant also pointed out that there was a good cement trade through the local port which all left here by rail. After a further discussion it was decided to request the department to prepare an estimate of the cost of renewing the sheathing, same to be submitted to the February meeting of the board. The engineer was asked to recommend the department to meet half the cost of the work, such work to be carried out by the department. RAILWAY CATTLE YARDS. Mr Barber also drew the engineer’s attention to the state of the Railway Department’s cattle yards at the southern end of the wharf. They badly needed filling and extending. Farmers trucking sheep at Foxton found them very inconvenient in their present state. Mr Beck promised to give the matter his attention and noted a proposal sketched out by the secretary for the extension of the yards.