WAIROA HARBOUR BOARD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19038, 11 June 1936, Page 16

WAIROA HARBOUR BOARD

. ANNUAL MEETING : MB. CORKILL CHAIRMAN (Herald Correspondent.) The annual meeting of the Wairoa Harbour Board took place on Tuesday. I'resent: Messrs. J. Corkill, chairman, V. E. Winter, R. Steed, F. L. Joblin, A. T. Carroll, H. L. Harker, R, Tapper, jun., and W. Taylor. The chairman and Messrs. Winter. Joblin, and Harker welcomed Mr. R. Steed, Nuhaka, who had been elected vice Mr. K. B. Crombie, resigned. In returning thanks, Mr. Steed regretted ,the reason for his election, the illness "of Mr. Crombie, who was leaving shortly for .the Islands during the winter and he hoped be would soon be restored to health.

The annual report of the retiring chair man stated:

• "The total loans raised bv the board amount to £117,000, of which £87,000 was dealt with by-conversion, leaving,the net public debt'at September 30, 1935, as follows: Wairoa harbour "works, £52.023 19s 8d; Waikokopu harbour works, £25,970 14s Id; total, £77,999 13s 9d. There is also a loan of £4OO which was granted for 'five years free of interest from January 30, 1932, for repairs and reinstatements of earthquake damage. "The revenue account has shown a steady improvement during the past three vears.- Revenue for the year ended September 30, 1935, was £l9lß, , as against £1759 for 1934, and £1444: for 1933. The expenditure was : 1935, £1792 ; 1934, £1542; 1933, £1503. (Included in the 1935 expenditure are two items of non-recurring nature, tree planting £lOl, and a report on Waikokopu Harbour, £B9 12s). ' , ■

"The Public Works Department account also shows a steady increase. During the three years, the net revenue paid to the Public Works Department for the vear ending September 30, 1935. was: 1935. £603; 1934, £313; 1933, £l4l. .-...-•

"Imports and exports'were : —Wairoa : 1933, 4378 tons; 1934, 4889 4ons; 1935, 3756 tons. Waikokopu : 1933, 3294 tons; 1934, 3981 tons; 1935, 6610'.tons. \ "The shipping through the Wairoa River has fallen off during the past year, due to the opening of the freezing works, live stock now being dealt with at the works and shipped through Waikokopu. The use of small registered tonnage vessels has resulted in a decrease in pilotage and berthage dues.

"Seven overseas vessels worked Waikokopu during the year, taking 29.657 carcases of mutton, 61,810 carcases ot lamb, 399 tons of beef, and 85 tons of pork, besides sundries, tallow, pelts, casings and hides. With normal seasons and shipments the port should show a decided increase in revenue. Steady work in strengthening the breakwater by making and placing of concrete blocks has consolidated the work to a great extent.

"Work to repair the damage to the Wairoa River banks by erosion is being taken in hand by the Borough Council and the board. The Public Works Department has been approached to protect the bank of the river at North Clyde, the erosion there being a source of danger to private property, the main highway and the town bridge. "The members are all well acquainted with the move taken by the board to amalgamate with Gisborne to develop the deep sea port at Waikokopu, and 1 am sorry to say that up to the present, the Gisborne board is not inclined to consider the proposal, but I feel sure

with tlie'altered conditions and' the advent of the railway that the two districts .will yet join hands to develop Waikokopu, and wheu this happens the East Coast will play a very important part in-the export trade of the Dominion, and tjie port will rank as one of the leading ports in this country." The report was adopted.

On the. motion of Air. Joblin, seconded by -Mr. Tapper, Air. Corkill was re-elected chairman. Mr. Darker said they must take into consideration at an early date the fact that the Wairoa expenditure was growing with a falling revenue and they should make, some arrangement for part time pilotage. The- chairman said there was a good deal in what Air. Harker said and the time might have arrived for a review. Although the revenue was falling, the pilot was always doing something else and that should be taken into account. A lot of the goods which usually came by ship now came by lorry and when the railway came it would take still more. Air. Joblin suggested that they should defer taking action until the railway was opened, and the matter then dropped. A deputation comprising Messrs. H. IL. O'Loughleu, J. S. Wilson and J. Rodda waited on the board on behalf of the gymnasium club for permission to use the B shed, slating that it would not ciash with occupancy by the basketball girls. On the motion of Air. Harker, seconded by Air. Carroll, it was decided to grant the request, providing the lighting was not at the expense of the board and the shed was open to all who were willing to join the club, the dressing-rooms to go with the permit. Mr. Taylor suggested the provision of a county class for Saturdays. This, Air. Wilson stated, would be attended to.

The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. Ri. Semple, advised that he was unable to promise to visit Wairoa during the coming recess. The commissioner of Crown lands forwarded a statement in reference to the Taramaraina Reserve account.—The statement did not appear to make things much clearer and it was decided to appoint the chairman and Air. Harker to wait upon Air. Nolan, the Wairoa representative on the land board, on the sub jest/ Basketball clubs wrote asking for the use of the B .shed and were referred to the Gymnasium Club to arrange ' the matter.

The Department of Labour wrote advising the subsidy to be paid for labour on tree planting" namely 45s per .man week.'—The chairman said that the board's cost would he £1 14s. The secretary staled that Air. Hislop had given a number of used sacks for tree protection, but he had not yet received word from Tuai.

Air. Harker moved according to notice:—"That the following resolution passed at the meeting of the board on April 21 be rescinded, 'That the question of restoring salaries be held over for five months,' and if carried to move 'that the salaries be restored to the 1931 level.' " The chairman seconded the motion pro forma. Air. Darker said he had given notice of the motion, so that (hey should not be waiting for the 'Government to tell them to act. It could bo done better by Wairoa than many other places because they had not really imposed "cuts," but had dispensed with members of the staff and re-engaged them at a lesser salary. Last season had been good, enabling people to meet their commitments, and Wairoa should not lag behind. After considerable discussion the motion was lost.

The commander of the motor vessel Durham wrote complaining of the harbour lights.—lt was decided that the chairman and Air. Carroll and Air. Steed should be a committee, with power to act. in the matter of electrifying the beacons.