SALT MANUFACTURE.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14587, 14 December 1917, Page 2

SALT MANUFACTURE.

PROPOSED WORKS AT .NEW

BRIGHTON

At a meeting of the Lyiitelton Har-

hour.Board, the ..engineer, Mr C. Williams, presented a.'brief report on the proposal to establish..salt .works, in the Avon estuary r.ear, New Brighton. Mr Williams stated that the .New Brighton Borough Council had applied to -the.Marine JJepartnient for authority to lease 300 acres of the -flats in the estuary,, vested in that body, ior the purpose of constructing Marine Jilectric Solar Salt Works, the intention being to enclose 50 acres with an embankment so as to.isolate it from the tides, and to increase the enclosed area later on. The Minister of Marine had asked for the Harbour Board's views on the matter. He considered that any reduction of the tidal area must ;have some slight detrimental effect., on thei,Signer Bar, but such effect would probably not be appreciable. There was no trade over.tno bar at present, nor was there likely to be any unless works were carried out. for the improvement of the bar and the channel mside it, and any such works would certainly be accompanied by. reclamations in the estuary, r/or these r ; cnsons, and. to encourage a manufacturing industry in the neighbourhood of Ohristchurch, he recom-1 'mended that.an area of 100 acres be approved, to be extended afterwards ti no .appreciable damage resulted. J.Mr F. Horrell moved that therocom- : mendation of the engineer should be agreed to. He thought that the Board i would be very foolish to stand in the iway of the 'establishment of any kind of local industry ..which, was calculatsd ,to make for the "progress of the district, f The motion was seconded, and carjriod unanimously..