WAITARA HARBOUR BOARD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144351, 16 March 1914, Page 4

WAITARA HARBOUR BOARD.

■MONTHLY MEETING

FROM OCR OWN COBBESPONnENT. The monthly meeting of the above board was held on Friday evening. Present: Messrs. IV. F. Jenkins (in the chair), Birdling, Hicks, Hine, Vaughan. SEASIDE IMPROVEMENT. A letter was received froin Mr. A. J. Arms, the secretary of the Seaside Improvement Society, offering the sum of £1 for the old punt which is lying close to the road to the beach. The writer stated that if the board had no further use for it the society would bo glad to have it for making scats round about the bathing sheds. The Chairman asked if the punt was any use, and the secretary said that it was no use excepting for the timber. As a punt a good deal of money would have to he spent on it. and ho did not see that if it was repaired there would be any use for it at present. The Chairman said that the society was for the beautifying of the place, and if it was no use then he saw no reason why the society should not have it. Mr. Hine thought the board should have the value of the timber. The Chairman thoughi that it was wanted for scats, and therefore for the public benefit. It would cost a good deal to take it to pieces, and then it would he difficult to say what good timber there was. If. however, the hoard thought it best they might eal! for tenders for the sale, if there was any difference of opinion on the matter. Mr. Birdling: 1 think the board had better let them have it. Mr. Hicks; 1 don’t see that the board has any use for the timber. Mr. Hine: I doubt whether it will lie wise at the present juncture to part with punts. I think it might ho as well to hold the matter over so as to sec whether it can be made seaworthy. The Chairman: She will never he seaworthy again. Do you tLink she will ho of any use at all to us (addressing the secretary)f

The secretary: If we are doing any work at the walls she would be very useful.

The Chairman: Then I think, perhaps. the matter had better be left over for further inquiries. The secretary ot the Seaside Improvement Society to be informed accordingly. MR. KLENNER AND HIS LEASES. An application was made hy Mr. Stead, on behalf ol Mr. A. Klenner. for the sanction of the hoard to transfer certain blocks of land now leased by him from the board. The secretary slated that he had seen the board's solicitor, who had advised that the sanction of tho board should Ik- given provided all hack rents wore paid. Mr. Vaughan moved that the sanction bo given provided that all bark rent and charges are paid. This was seconded by Mr. Birdling and carried. Mr. Ilinc said that if the rents were not paid then the six years’ lease would certainly be worth more than tho arrears. RAMS DELAYED IN SHIPMENT. Mr. A. G. Clarke wrote the board stating tltat he purchased tl-.c right of grazing on one of tho board's shipping paddocks at ”12 Ills and complaining that stock was kept there under the hoard's charge in Mich numbers that the paddock was useless to him for the purpose for which he leased it. He used the section for his horses. Mr. Birdling said these rams wore put in the paddock hy Mr. Newton King's agent for shipment to Mokatl, and it appeared that owing to Mr. Ogle not being able to ship, some 3o rams were left there for ton days on an aero and a half of ground. Tho Chairman; I think that was hardly fair to Mr. Clark.

Mr. Vaughan: The paddocks were intended to bo for shippers, and it was an act of carelessness that these, rams should have been left there. The time that the animals were 101 l there was quite unreasonable. The Chairman: The sheep ought to have boon moved away to a paddock whore there was feed and water. If the S.P.C.A. ofticor had seem those sheep he would have brought the shipper tip before the magistrate, and it would hare served him right. Mr. Hino thought that in the cir* cumstancos Mr. Clark ought to have a rebate on his rent, ns there was no grass. Mr. Hicks thought that Mr. Clark was entitled to a refund, and moved that at the expiration of the time the hoard should consider a refund. This was seconded by Mr. Birdling and car* ried. Mr. Hicks.stated that the accommodation paddock would be very much used now that the works were going to be enlarged. There would probably be a lot of rams going to Kawhin district. Accounts were passed for payment. A CRANE FOR THE WHARF. The secretary said that ho had supplied particulars of the requirements of the board to different firms for a steam ernno for the wharf, but at present he had not received replies. Ho hoped, however, to he able to supply particulars at the next meeting of the board. This concluded the ordinary business, and on the chairman asking whether there was any other business MR. OGLE’S SPEECH. Mr. Hine asked that the secretary should bo instructed to obtain all particulars of the rateable value of the board’s rating area, in view of the speech made by Mr. Ogle at Mr. Beckbessinger’s farewell. Ho had seen in the Waitara Evening Mail that tho speech was described as official, but so far as he was concerned he wished to dissociate himself from that speech in so far as it was to be regarded as official, for he had no idea that the speech was to be made. He certainly thought that the press had no right to describe the speech as an official exposition of the views of the board. He made no objection to the speech- itself. The Chairman: I may tell you, Mr. Hine, that a e chairman of the meeting I knew nothing about the toast being put in the list until five minutes before it was proposed, and I may also state

that Air. Ogle had no idea that he was to be called on to speak in reference to it. I consider that Sir. Ogle is to bo complimented upon his speech, and the way in which he dealt with so important a subject at a moment’s notice. Mr. Chappell proposed the toast of the Port of Waitara, and coupled with it the name of Mr. Ogle, which was the first that we heard of it.

Mr. Vaughan: It is just ns well that the speech was made, and the matter put before the public. Mr. Hine: I say nothing about the speech, but I object to the local press having put an official interpretation upon it. However, it is necessary now that we should have all the information available so that we should know where we are.

Mr. Vaughan': Members of the board must not go to Wellington unprepared; besides which, we want all the data for our own use and information as well as for the members of the board who are going to Wellington. The secretary should now got all the information necessary with regard to the Harbour Board rating district. The Chairman: I have no doubt that the secretary will be able to got all data of the valuation. Mr. Hine; It will not be a very easy matter, as I know from experience. After some general conversation on the subject of the rating district, the matter dropped, and The board adjourned until the Friday after Easter, the usual date falling on Good Friday.