OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8664, 28 December 1889, Page 4

OPUNAKE.

[feom our own correspondent.] Deuembeu 24. — After the sale on Friday a meeting of settlers interested in shipping facilities being formed in Opunake was held in Middelton's Hotel, to discuss the best means of proceeding with some necessary works, the estimate of which lias now been brought to an amount within reasonable bounds. Mr .J. 11. Newman, Chairman of the Town Board, was voted to the chair, and stated the position of affairs to be somewhat as follows. Home time fcince Mr Thomson made a survey of the bay on account of the Town Board, since then various soundings, &c, have been taken by the Government, by which Mr Thomson's work has been verified. Lately a report on the matter has been submitted and forwarded to the town from the Government, together with a jjlan and estimate of a jetty, which, it appeared, could be erected to give Bft of wuter at low tide, with free ingress and egress, for the sum of £2,000. Further it seemed that by extending the jetty another eleven yards 14ft at low water could be obtained. The meeting was called to consider Avhat steps should be taken to put the works in hand.

A long and very desultory discussion took place, in which different schemes, either by a Company, or the various local bodies uniting to guarantee the interest under the " Loans to Locul DodieH Act," were discussed.

Eventually Mr S. K. Liunbie mo< r ed, "Tliat a public Company be formed to build a jetty at Opunake, with a capital of £5,000 in one pound shares, of which ten shillings shall bo called up." Before being put to the meeting, it was explained that, in order to get the sympathy of all the settlers, the share* were made ;it £1, while by calling up the 10s the company would havee sufficient fundb in hand to do the work, and to immediately receive an income without going to any jinancial company. Further, the trade of the town had, during the last six months, been 1400 tons in and out, and that the Northern S,S, Co. had offered to reduce the iaiglvtwere a jetty buiU.—Tho reaolytion

Mr Forsyth (Pihama) then moved that, " With a view to causing interest in the company, the chairman of the Opunake Town Board, the Waimate Road Board, and the Parihaka Road Board be requested to call Public Meetings at Waimate, Opunake, and Rahotu, at which delegates from this meeting will attend and explain tho objects of the company, and of taking applications for shares ; the delegates to be Messrs Forsyth, Lambie, and Brenner, to Waimate, Messrs Anderson, Gane, and Elwin to Rahotu, and all the committee at Opunake." — Carried .

Mr Ehvin moved that a provisional committee, consisting of Messrs Newman, Raikes, W. Eeid, Maxwell, Strathan, A. R. Anderson, S. Forsyth, R. Lambie, G. W. Gane. D. McGregor, Brenner, and J. J. Elwin bo appointed ; that Mr H. J. Newman be chairman, and Mr Raikes secretary. — Carried The meeting at Opunake will be held on Saturday, 4th January, and the other meetings as soon as possible.