WESTPORT HARBOUR.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 2024, 13 September 1913, Page 5

WESTPORT HARBOUR.

INVERTING ITS ADMINISTRATION (Preta Association.—By Telegraph. Westport, Last Night. Messrs Evans S.M. (chairman), Ferguson ant Fitzgeralt, sitting as a Royal Commission to day, took evidence concerning the Westport Harbonr Board affairs.

Mr H F. Minro (the present chairman) gave evidence m\inly to tiie effect that the administration in the past had been or a very loose natore and with much wasteful expenditure. Comparatively little had been accomplice! out of ti:e loan of £200,000 raise! for specif c purposes. The engineer had informed him the cost of the breakwater was about £BO a foot, bit his inquiries showed it cost £176 per foot. Witness was told by the engineei there were 22 men employed on t e maintenance of t ! :e permanent way of the Cape Line of eig it or nine miles; twenty maintained the Westport Mokiuinui (Government) line of 28 miles. Witness got dissatisfied with the a ministration of the gr up of officials, alleging incapacity and extravagance, and replaced the inspector of works by another man, who reported there were 83 men em—ploye J on the Cape line. He detailed the waste in other directions and claimed that for the past six years there was absolutely a lack of supervision.

Evidence was also given by Captains Lobb, Barron, Poorley and Cain to the effect that a mistake bad been made in constructing the eastern" breakwater beyond Western, making it mere difficult to work the port, and that the entrance to the floating basin under construction wouli be difficult and dangerous for large vessels.