PATEA HARBOUR AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1930, Page 6

PATEA HARBOUR AFFAIRS

MONTHLY MEETING HELD. The monthly meeting of the Patea Harbour Board was held yesterday, Mr. A. T. Christensen presiding. There were also present Messrs J. R. Corrigan, \V. JI. Watkins, A. Pearce, A. N. Williams and A. 11. Hodge. Leave of absence through illness was granted to Mr. S. Blake. The report of the harbourmaster and pilot (Captain W. Tinney) stated that I the channel at the end of the walls and | just outside was not very good at present as it had shoaled up at Nos. 1 and 2, also on the bar on the western side, with the deepest water on the eastern side. Through so much southeasterly and easterly wind the tides had been very low. With good spring tides a considerable amount of the shoaling would scour out. He would say that there”was 12ft between the walls, 13ft on the bar at high water spring tides, and Bft 6in between the walls and Oft 6in on the bar at high water neap tides in the channel. There had been 16 arrivals and 18 departures since the previous report was submitted, 11 proceeding outwards on the lights. Every-thing-at the station was in good working order. Since the previous meeting the dredge had not been employed,, stated the report of the dredgemaster (Mr. A. 11. Mercer). The drag plant at the heads had shifted 926 cubic yards of sand, and shingle. Recent unfavourable weather had considerably reduced the output. He had been unable to get out on the eastern wall for a week owing to heavyseas. During that time he was procuring a stock of wood, and carrying out maintenance work on the dredge. The best dragging so far had been 52 hauls in a day. The outhauling wire had carried away on April 14. This necessitated the pulling in and overhauling of the gear to guard against further breaks. There wore seven splices in this wire, but the drag wire was intact, showing little or no sign of wear. He had assisted Captain Tinney to sound the baton April 3, and the poorest sounding obtained showed 2ft Gin more than indicated on the tide gauge. The reports were adopted. The chairman was appointed to attend meetings at Hawera on May 23 and at Wanganui on May 26 in connection with town-planning matters.

The tender of Mr. J. Peachey for the lease of sections 120 and 121 was accepted. An application for perraiss’o:-. to remove ■ fittings from the wreck ei the Waitangi was refused. TURUTURU SCHOOL, IIOUSEIIOLDE'RS’ MEL'i ING. The third annual meeting of householders of the Turuturu school district drew an attendance of 12. Mr. R. C. Wilson, chairman of the retiring committee, presided. The number of pupils on the school roll did not show any great variation in comparison with the previous year, stated the report. Early in the year Mr. Fyson resigned from the committee to take up his residence in Hawera. Mr. Fyson was a very capable chairman and an enthusiastic,committeeman and left his mark behind in the progressive work he did for the school. Mr. Eden was elected to the vacancy. Mr. Stenning, another enthusiastic and hard-working committeeman, found it necessary to resign on account of urgent private business. Mr. Hancock was appointed. With the grant made by the Education Board a now classroom and teachers’ room were erected. The cloakroom was now used as a lunch room by the pupils. Other interior structural alterations were also carried out. The see-, ond school picnic was held at the Te Ngutu Domain and proved «% most successful and happy gathering. The -parents responded well to tlie request for donations to defray the expenses incurred in connection with the outing, the donations received being ample to meet all the expenses. The committee thanked the headmaster (Mr. Mason), Mrs. Gerard, Mrs. Ramsay and Mr. Pepperell for the able, efficient and courteous manner in which they had carried out their duties. The appointment of an extra pupil teacher had enabled a satisfactory distribution of the classes among the teachers. Mr. Pepperell left during the year to Secopt a higher position and Miss Hodder was appointed. The euchre parties and other entertainments, proceeds from tlie sale of lambs, and donations received had increased the funds by £55 Is s<l. This, with the Government subsidy of £33 6s, plus the balance of £26 Is in hand from the previous'year, (gave the committee £ll4 8s s<l to spend. Out of this surii a gramophone and books for the school library had. been purchased and an amount of £47 9s Gd expended in laying out and improving the school grounds, leaving a balance in hand of £ll 0s Bd. The° chairman thanked tlie members of the committee for their co-operation and loyal support during his short term in .office.