WHANGAREI HARBOUR BOARD.

Northern Advocate, 17 October 1918, Page 1

WHANGAREI HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

At the monthly meeting; of the ; Whangarei Harbour Board yesterday j there were in attendance Messrs J. D. McKenzie, Jas D. McKenzie, D. A. J McLean, A. McLeod, W. K. Patterj son, A. McLennan, J. R. Mclnnes, A. Drever (harbourmaster) and J. McKinnon (secretary.) Mr Morey, late chairman, having resigned, the secretary took charge of the meeting and called for nominations for the position of chairman. Mr Jas D. McKenzie proposed Mr John D. McKenzie. Mr McLean seconded. Mr J. R. Mclnnes, in supporting the nomination, said that he trusted the business of the Board would go on as smoothly as it y had done in the past, and hoped that what was done would be done round the table and not at the street corner, as was the case in another local body. No other nominations being made Mr John D. McKenzie was unanimously elected, amidst applause. Mr McKenzie, thanked the members for the honour they had done him in placing him in such a responsible position. He looked upon the chairmanship of this body as most important because the harbour served not only their own district but all neighbouring districts as well. With very little expenditure they could have one of the best harbours in the Dominion. Shortly they would have a report from Mr Blair Mason .stating what in his opinion should be done to improve the facilities for getting cargo boats to the town wharf. The Board would be wise to spend time upon that report which he hoped would be before them at the "next meeting. He understood Mr Blair Mason would be here tomorrow. Reviewing the past policy of the Board, he could say that everything - had been characterised by carefulness and all matters had been well considered. Its work had been mainly confined to marking out the channel and making it safe for yes- i sels to come in day or night, and he could say that they now had one of the best-marked channels in New Zealand; it was a credit to the past Board. After the engineer's report came to hand the Board would then have to determine how far his recommendations could be adopted. There was, however, one thing certain, and ; it was that before Whangarei would j be made the port it should be, roads j and railways would have to be constructed so that produce could be distributed more expeditiously than at present. Native and Crown lands would have to be opened up and settled; then when that was done the revenue accruing to the port wouid make the financing of improvements to the harbour easy and certain. He welcomed the new member, Mr McLennan, who had been appointed to fill Mr Morey's place, arffl trusted that his sound common-sense would assist the Board's deliberations and hoped the work would prove interesting to Mr McLennan, He also wished to extend his sympathy to Mr Mclnnes for" the trying ordeal he had recently ' been through on another local body. To have a man's word doubted is not a pleasant thing, especially to a man of Mr Mclnnes' standing in the community. He felt it the duty of the chairman of the Board to express these views, which he was sure were endorsed by every member of the Board. He had known Mr Mclnnes for the last 40 years intimately, and would say there was no man's word he would take before him. .

Mr McLennan returned thanks for the cordial welcome he had received to the Board. He would not have accepted nomination for the position if he had thought the work would not prove interesting. He had the strain in his character of wanting to see everything done well. Mr Mclnnes thanked the chairman for the kind remarks he had made. He had been a member of local bodies practically all his life. ' The business of the Harbour Board and the Charitable Aid Board had always run smoothly, and up till last, year the County business had been carried on without trouble and it had been a pleasure to be on it, but lately that body had drifted, too much of the business being transacted at street corners instead of round the Council table.

HONORARIUM. Mr Mclnnes moved and Mr Jas. D. McKenzie seconded that the chairman's honorarium be the same as that of the last chairman. —Carried. Minutes. —The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. DEVELOPMENTAL WORK. Mr Blair Mason wrote confirming the verbal arrangement made that a full report on the harbour should be made embracing the various points as set forth in the order of reference. With this object in view he would visit Whangarei about the 15th October and commence the necessary local investigations.—Received.

REGATTA AFFAIRS. The Onerahi Regatta and BoatingClub wrote acknowledging receipt of Board's letter conveying the gratifying information that the Board had decided to present the Club with a challenge cup valued at about £10, and thanking them for their generous and helpful action which would be of much practical assistance to them in their endeavour to make the 1919 fixture the great success they hoped it to be. They would have much pleasure in appointing a representative to act with the Board in framing conditions for competition should it be the wish of the donors. It was decided to appoint a sub-committee at the next' meeting of the Board to deal with the matter. PORT OF ENTRY,

The Controller of Customs,' under direction of the Minister of Customs, wrote acknowledging , receipt of the Board's letter and in reply stated that owing to the war and the large number of enlistments the staff of the Customs Department was at its lowest ebb and it would 'be distinctly inconvenient to take away a competent examining officer from any of the larger ports. The work of dissoctincr invoices for soft hardware," ami general stores, and of classifying such goods under the tnrjft', "was not such as could be properly done by a coustwaiter, and unless the revenue to be received on coastal transhipments of imported poods could reasonably be placed tit £10,000 per annum, it was not considered that Whangarei should be opened a& a port of entry. If they could give any assurance that £10,000" per annum would bo collected the question of opening Whangarei as a port of entry would be considered at the close of the war. — Received,

SLOT TELEPHONE AT TOWN WHARF. The postmaster, Mr Geo. Levy, wrote acknowledging receipt of the Board's letter with reference to the installation of a slot telephone at the town wharf, and stated that the.matter had been referred to the engineer's branch and that advice of the Department's decision would be received in due course.—Received. NORTH AUCKLAND DEVELOPMENT BOARD. Mr Allen Bell, president of the North Auckland Development Board, wrote stating that the annual meet ing of the Board would be held in the Chamber of Commerce on Saturday next at 11.30 a.m., and urgently re questing the Board to send a representative. As none of the members expressed an intention of being in Auckland during the week of the meeting aru. •none seemd prepared to go, the chairman moved that they reply to M ; Bell regretting their inability to sen a representative. Mr McLennn seconded.—Agreed to.

HARBOURMASTER'S REPORT. The harbour-master reported that he had filled up the mud holes in the Oakleigh cattle yards with fern which had proved satisfactory; thai: an unusually large number of cattle had been shipped. from Oakleig during the month; that men we; , now engaged in the construction o the new yards; that in order to facil: tate the handling of cream and othe: produce he had erected a davit. Under instructions from the committee he had sown a part of the reclaimed land at Limeburner's Creek. The ditch along the railway line was silted and required cleaning out and extending for about 15 or 20 chains. The gorse on the endowment at Mair's landing and that on the island opposite Mr J. Reyburn's property had been cut. The cylinders on Nos. 1 and 2 flash lights had been renewed, a spare full one landed on the Frenchman, and three empties sent away for recharging. The buckets, links, and tumblers on the dredge had been dismantled and sold. A Home boat had called at Reotahi for frozen meat and on that account he had replaced the Home Point buoy. The third buoy had again dragged and was now below the turning buoy.

Captain Maxwell considered that the new anchoi'age beacons should have been erected. A blackboard had been provided for the use of launch owners. Five mooring piles had been drawn and would be re* driven immediately. Arrangements had been made for the disposal of surplus cement. The public convenience had returned 5s Id. The report was adopted, and the harbour-master was instructed to have the draining work carried out. GRASSING THE RECLAMATION. Mr Mclnnes reported that Mr McLeod and himself had arranged for the surface-sowing of five acres of the Kioreroa reclamation with the best of English grasses, and he understood from the harbour-master that the grass was now through, BEACONS. The chairman reoprted that last Saturday Messrs Patterson and McLean, the harbourmaster, and he went to Reotahi to meet the officer? of the boat now in port as well p. c the freezing works officials. Thou.eV they did not meet Captain Maxwell they were given to understand that he was not pleased with the delay in the erection of beacons. The chairman stated that there had been difficulties in the way, principally on account of the weather, and the difficulty in getting the timber, but by the time the next boat came in the beacon would be erected. PRIESTMAN DREDGE. Mr Patterson read an advertisement offering a Priestman dredge for sale by tender. After discussion Mr Mclnnes moved that no action be taken until after the engineer's report had been received; also that the advertisement be handed to "%he engineer.—Agreed to.

WHANGAREI SCHOOL

HEADMASTERSHIP QUESTION.

It will be remembered that soma little time ago Mr MacGregor, headmaster of the Whangarei School, applied for and was appointed to the headmastership of the Northcote school. At Tuesday's meeting of the Whangarei School Committee the visitor for the month, Mr Moore, reported that Mr MacGregor had written to the Board of Education asking for the concellation of his appointment to the Northcote school. The board replied stating that the subject would be dealt with at the next meeting and asked Mr MacGregor to support his request with reasons. Mr Moore thought the committee should also give reasons why it was desirable Mr MacGregor should remain here. The Chairman said he was pleased to hear that Mr MacGregor had asked for the concellation of the appointment, and hoped that he wouldn't want to leave later on. He had pleasure in- moving that the board be written to emphasising the fact chat the committee were anxious for Mr MacGregor to remain here.

Mr S. Walker, in seconding, said that if an additional reason were required he would say that public opinion in Whangarei was distinctly in favour of his remaining. Mr Horn sad the committee should do its utmost to prevail upon the authorities to allow Mr MacGregor to stay here, as it would be difficult to get another man as good. The pupil teachers, he said, were great in. their praise of the help he gave them year in and out. In Mr Horn's opinion the whole of their weight should be applied to getting the board to grant the request. The Rev. J. R. Clark said the only thing to do was to recommend the board to accept the cancellation of the appointment. Mr Moore said it would be a great pity to lose Mr MacGregor from the district. The secretary was instructed to write to the board in the terms of Mr Clark's suggestion.