WAIHEKE ISLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21716, 3 February 1934, Page 15

WAIHEKE ISLAND

REQUESTS TO MINISTER POLICE SUPERVISION Several requests from Waiheke Island were placed before the Minister of Lands, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, in" Auckland yesterday. Members of the Ostend Road Board waited upon him to ask that a police officer should be stationed on the island. The chairman, Mr. F. H. Brown, stated that there were between 600 and 800 houses on the island, and during the winter many of these were empty. Instances were occurring o? these being broken into and robbed. Another matter requiring police supervision was the costumes of bathers, which in some instances were too scanty. Such people would heed a policeman where they would take no notice of a member of tlife Road Board. A section was being offered to the Police Department. Mr. Ransom said he would be glad to support this request before his colleagues in Cabinet. A deputation consisting of Messrs. F. H. Brown, T. Joll and J. Kennedy was introduced by Mr. F. W. Schramm, M.P. The speakers made the request that an area of 11 acres in Ostend Bay, mainly consisting of mangrove swamp, be proclaimed a reserve, as the Ostend Road Board proposed to fill it in at some future time and make of it a playground and a landing place for aeroplanes. The deputation also asked that the Road Board be given a share of the petrol tax collected from the buses run on the island. The speakers anticipated that the revenue from this source would be from £7O to £IOO annually. Mr. Ransom said that the setting aside of the area was a matter for the Minister of Marine, but when the application was made to his colleague he would be pleased to interest himself in it. The question of unemployment on Waiheke Island was raised by Mr. T. Joll, who represented the Matiatia Land Company. Mr. Joll said that his company was prepared to spend money on roads, but was not allowed to use ths unemployed men on that work. A main road right through the island was badly needed. The Minister said he would bring the request to the attention of the Minister of Employment, but he stated that the company would have to bear overhead and other costs.