WHANGAREI BOROUGH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17956, 5 December 1921, Page 10

WHANGAREI BOROUGH.

A WELL'EQUIPPED TOWN, RECENT RAPID PROGRESS. FAITH IN THE FUTURE. Whangarei, itself, the most' northern borough of the Dominion, and the natural capital of North Auckland, is delightfully situated on the river Hatea, a little beyond the head of a magnificent harbour estuary. The town lies mainly in a beautiful valley basin formed by wooded hills, the luxuriant slopes of which have been secured. to the town as scenic reserves. One of those valuable areas was presented by Mr. Dobbie. The river divides Dobbie j Park from Mair Park, another valuable gift to the borough from the townsman whose name it bears, On the western side lies Mander Park, the gift of the member for Marsden. Through the genorous public spirit of thp late Mr. North and his family, the southern boundary of the borough is completed and beautified by the now Anzac Park, now in course of development, while the northern aspect of the township in- ' eludes the spacious recreation fields, showgrounds, and racing course of Kensington Park. From all parts of the North, and from far distant districts south of Auckland, visitors and competitors will assemble at Kensington Park this week for the popular annual show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society. Water Supply for 20,000. Whangarei has been directed by men with large faith in its future. It possesses two water supplies, gravitating from different sources in the range of western hills. The reservoirs provide a capacity of 800,000 gallons, and the sparkling crystal purity of the water is the envy of all visitors. In the last long drought the water supply was still abundant, and its use for watering gardens did not cease. The water tables of the main streets are kept refreshingly clean by a constant flush of town water. The present normal supply is sufficient for a population of 20,000 people. In addition to this supply there are available springs adjacont to the present source that would supply a further million gallons per day. The excellent quality of aerated waters manufactured in Whangarei by three different firms is due in some measure to the very exceptional purity of the water supply. Electric Light and Power. Whangarei is almost as liberally supplied with electric light and power as with water. The current is generated by the Portland Cement Company's plant at the Wairua Falls, and transmitted under a preference contract, over a distance of some 2o* miles. Agreement between the Borough Council and the Cement Company allows for a miximum load of 500 kilowatts. A concrete sub-station has been erected at Whangarei, equipped with ajl modern appliances. The capacity of the station is 300 K.V.A. Outdoor transformers have a capacity of ISO K.V.A. The streets are well lighted by some 116 lamps, ranging from 100 to 600 candlepower. The number of consumers at present is 942. Motors totalling 362 h.p. have been installed within the borough, ranging from a quarter horse-poW to 75 horse-powej. Municipal house wiring in 1917-18 amounted to £323 10s 6d. Indicating the profitable increase of this municipal undertaking, it may b e stated that in 1920-21 the house wiring amounted to £3826 Is 9d. The maximum load registered last year in horse-power was 252. Tho charge for lighting is upon a sliding scale, from s£d to sd. The charge for power on a similar scale ranges from 3d to 2d. Roughly there are 19 miles of street reticulation. Many consumers have taken advantago of the deferred payment system introduced by the enterprise of the council to secure their installations of light and power. Private and Municipal Buildings. Significant evidences of the borough's growth are furnished by tho steady multiplication of dwelling houses, and tho increase in capital valuations. The capital value in 1898 was £90,000; in 1911 it was £640,319; in 1921 it had grown to £1,089,663. During the last 18 months £135,000 iworth of buildings have been erected in the Whangarei Borough. Twenty houses are now in course of. construction, and six additional building permits have been recently issued. The fine pile of municipal buildings, illustrated in the borough advertisement, was, a fow years ago, looked upon as an extravagant venture. Already, upon several occasions, its capacity has been fully taxed, and proposals for acquiring land for future extensions are being con- ) sidered. There is a very handsome and commodious public library, with additional i reading, reference, and ladies' magazine rooms. On two recent Saturdays the i librarian reported that the exchange of books for the day averaged 400 volumes. The Town Hall has ample seating for • 1000 people, with a largo up-to-date stage ■ suitable for theatricals. Municipal enterprise is particularly marked m the provision of public abattoirs, situated two mnes from the borough boundary, erected at a cost of £5700. A sewage system has been installed at a cost of £38,000, and extensions of the system are rapidly overtaking the growth of the borough, Educational Facilities. Whangarei is deservedly proud of its educational, facilities. It has a primary i school, commented upon by visiting inspectors as a model institution. The Min- , ister for Education on a recent visit was , so impressed with tho growth of the disi trict that he authorised a departmental ' inspection of sites for a new school to . "supply the western suburbs, and'a suitable • site of some six acres has since been , selected. i The town also possesses a well-appointed i technical school; and a new one is being promoted. At the high school there is

an efficiently-equipped agricultural laborai tory, at which, in addition to the regular classes for high school pupils, special classes are organised, at suitable periods for teachers and farmers, at which all the advantages of scientific agriculture and dairying are demonstrated by expert instructors. The Whangarei High, School holds a high reputation among secondary schools, and receives pupils from a very wide constituency of the North Island. The demand for enrollment has so taxed the resources of the board in recent years, that i it was compelled to face enlargement, and [ this year ft has acquired a very pictur- , esque property of 42 acres, bounded by the second of the town rivers, in which ' it is designed to construct a modern awim- ' ming pool. Upon this property it is pro- ■ posed to build a new school and hostel, costing between £15,000 and £20,000. A start upon this project will be made next year, and when completed the now school will bo used entirely for boys, and the old school and hostel, with its own i 10 acres of ground, will be entirely for i girls. It is designed to lay out the new grounds in playing fields, gardens, and recreation park. When finally completed, it is deservedly claimed that Whangarei _ will Eosses a high school second to none in the •ominion. Timber Industry. There are four sawmills operating in the Whangarei • Borough, tho largest of which has a cutting capacity of 2,500,000 ft. per annum. The total cutting capacity of tho four mills combined is approximately 6,000,000 ft. per annum. The whole of the timber produced (building and butter-box principally), is consumed locally. These mills are supplied mainly from forests of kauri, totara, rirau, and white pine, adjacent to the Whangarei-Kawa-kawa railway line, and though some of the timber ha 3 to be hauled several miles to the railway, there is a sufficient quantity in view, if carefully handled, to keep the existing mills going for at least 15 years. In addition to the four mills operating in the borough, there is tho Whakapara mill, about 15 miles along the railway, the output of which is also consumed locally. At Moerewa, 40 miles north of Whangarei, the Kauri Company have an up-to-date band-saw mill, with a cutting capacity of 8,000,000 ft. This mill has supplies to last approximately five years.