WAITARA NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1926, Page 10

WAITARA NEWS.

HARBOUR BOARD. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Waitara, Sept. The Waitara Harbour Board held its monthly meeting on Friday, Mr. James Hine presiding. The secretary of the Clifton Rowing Club wrote thanking the board for its offer of assistance in the protection of the river bank by their boat sheds. It was hop'ed to have the work in hand during the month. A renewal of lease to Messrs Gaustad and Marlowe of the cement was granted. An assignment of the sub-lease of the Waitara Hotel from D. MaePherson to S. F. Mockett, also a transfer of lease from F. Letts and Clements to A. W. Ogle was granted. A plan submitted by Mr. J. Hughson for a beach cottage was approved, and Mr. T. J. Carter, of Ohakune wrote stating that he intended building his beach cottages before Christmas. Mr. T. B. Ewens waited on the board respecting trees that were shading his property and therefore causing dampj ness. He asked the board to consider their removal. He also asked permission to fence in a piece of land for grazing purposes in the bay of the flagstaff.— Left to works committee to report. Mr. Nos worthy moved in accordance with notice that the wharfage charges on sheep be reduced to Id and pigs to 3d. Mr. Spurdie was not in favour of Id ' for sheep, and moved an amendment that 2d be charged, which was seconded I by the chairman and subsequently- cari ried. Mr. Henderson reported that the repairs to the south wall had been extended 54 feet and now overlapped the old wall by seven feet. He had inspected the north wall and found a number of blocks undertanned. Repairs had been effected in concrete to this wall at a cost of £5B 10s. The board’s solicitors forwarded their opinion as to the boaixFs rfsponsibility in the matter of the recent erosion of the river banks above the bridge. They stated that at first sight it might be supposed that as a portion of the borough was threatened with damage by floods, the borough should do the required protection work, and while the Municipal Corporations’ Act authorised such works it was merely permissive and not obligatory. Under the Harbours’ Act there was no liability attaching to the hoard, but the foundation of the board’s liability lay in the Crown grant of 1879, wereby 100 sections were conveyed in trust to the board for the purposes of supplying means of maintenance of the bridge, the maintenance of the river banks, and the improvement of navigation. The lands therefore were not granted as an ordinary endowment for general harbour purposes, but for the specific purposes mentioned. The trust, however, had been varied by an Act of | -910. which vested the bridge in the ; Borough Council and allowed the coim- | ell half of the net amount of the rents

from the endowments for bridge upkeep. "We- are therefore of the opinion that the grant of 1879, varied by the Statute of 1910, constituted a valid and binding trust, and that the board is bound to expend half of its net income in maintaining the river banks and improving the navigation, but could not be compelled to expend money for such purposes from its ottßnary funds,” concluded the opinion. The chairman stated that the position was as he had Anticipated. The board must spend something on the protection of the river bank, but the question as to whether a liability had been incurred in the past was one for the solicitors to decide. Since 1910 the board and the council had half each, and" the amount the board was liable for had to be determined. He had interviewed the member for the district re the possibility of an inspection being made, and Mr. Rolleston had .stated that he would endeavour to get an engineer of the Public Works Department to inspect and report. Hopes of a Governanent grant might also be entertained from the flood damages fund. GENERAL. 7 The Seaside Improvement Society met on Friday evening to discuss in particular as to whether the erection of the bathing sheds should be gone on with. It was considered that the society would not be justified in utilising the offer received without some support from the community generally, and it was decided to hold the question over until the annual meeting. Unless a good attendance is accorded and promise of support given steps will be taken to disband.