WAITARA HARBOUR BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1927, Page 2

WAITARA HARBOUR BOARD

PROTECTION OF TENANTS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Waitara, Oet. 17, 1927. The monthly meeting of the Waitara Harbour Board was held on Friday evening, Mr. Jas. Hine presiding. The board’s solicitors wrote stating that the solicitors acting for Messrs. T. Borthwick and Sons were now ready to proceed with the consolidation of the leases in connection with W’est Quay, adjoining the closed road, and while they asked for ths surrender of the old leases and the granting of one new contract for the whole of the leased area, the firm desired that one clause should be modified or deleted This clause referred to the maintenance of the river bank, the onus of which they desired to place on the board, as they contended that the protection work now being done to protect a lessee of the board, might prove to be a menace to the foreshore onposite the firm s works.

The chairman, commenting on the letter, said it was a most extraordinary attitude to take up. The iifoa that the protection work now being proceeded with by Mr. Lund’s property should so dell;st ths current as to alter the course of the river and thus be a menace was ludicrous, as the work done was simply along the river bank and therefore could cause no deflection of the current. If it did, however, it was all the more reason why the board should not relieve the firm of its liability under the lease. The firm had agreed to take up the lease from the board as it stood, and they were bound to do so. It was erroneous to say that the work now being done by Lund’s was being carried out for the protection of any one tenant. Other members concurred and the motion that the old leases be surrendered and a new lease granted for the balance of the existing term with permanent right of removal, was approved. The board expected the company to fulfill its lease on these terms. It was reported that £4OO worth of Goveminent bonds were shortly to mature. Th# treasurer was authorised to purchase new bonds. • It was decided to electrify the rivet guiding lights at a cost of £22, and to have the secretary’s office rewired. The harbour-master reported that soundings were taken on October 3, showing a depth of eight feet. At the spring tides on the 11th. the depth was 12 feet. He suggested tiff removal of the large amount of gorse and blackberry growing on the river bank by the boatshed. The matter was left in the secretary’# hands to secure labour. The board’s engineer, Mr. C. F. Dowsett, reported as follows: —Progress of protection work during September advanced in proportion to the fine weather experienced. The bank had been protected to Mr. Lund’s northern boundary, a total distance of about 10 chains. The average output each day was about 85 cubic yards, the maximum on one occasion being 87 yards. The quality of the stone had been maintained, and the placing was costing in the vicinity of Is per cubic yard only. The quantity supplied and placed during September was 663 cubic yards, and the total output up to that period amounts to 2526 cubic yards. Mr. E. A. Dugdale gave notice to move at the next meeting that a groyne be erected on the river bank on the south-eastern side above the bridge, with the object of protecting property at the-.base of I’anukoriki hill. CYCLE AND CAR COLLIDE. A serious accident occurred this morning at the inter section of McLean and Cracroft Streets, between *. motor-cycle ridden by Mr. J. McGonnell, of the firm of Messrs. Gaustad and McGonnell, and a oar belonging to Miss Harper, school teacher at the Waitara School. Miss Harper, who was just arriving from New Plymouth to take up her duties, turned off the main road to the school and apparently Mr. McGonnell was following behind. He, it is though, was trying to pass the car at the moment it turned. However, the cycle appeared to get out of control and collided forcibly with the car, neither vehicle being extensively damaged. After receiving attention by Dr. Adamson, Mr. McGonnell was removed to the New Plymouth Hospital, and it was fout j that he had sustained a compound fracture of the left leg, besides other minor injuries. Miss Harper was unhurt. INTOXICATED SPEEDSTER. A motor-cyclist who had ridden his machine while intoxicated, was brought before Messrs. W. H. Nosworthy and L. J. Rattenbury, J.P.’s, at -the Court this morning arid was fined £5, to be paid within 14 days, and his license was cancelled for a period of three years. The young man’s name was Albert Therkleson and he was charged that on Saturday last he drove his cycle whilst intoxicated through Waitara at an estimated sjteed of 50 miles per hour. The Bench pointed out the seriousness of the offence, which called for a substantial fine. However, defendant being a married man, the Bench took a lenient view and inflicted a fine as above.