BEACH SAND.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14522, 18 August 1911, Page 7

BEACH SAND.

GOVERNMENT ROYALTY, I An Auckland telegram states that in consequence of dissatisfaction with the action of the Government in oliaxg.ng royalty on. shingle aud sand from beaches, while giving no protection against prosecution by private landowners, the whole of the craft engaged in the business is laid up. If some solution of the difficulty is not arrived at immediately many b.g works will bo stopped, aud from :. ; JOO to 3GCKI men thrown out of employment. Tho shingle and sand which are used in building operations in the City ui. Auckland are obtained from beaches «a the islands in the Hauraki Gulf uiid on the Goromandol Peninsula. For many years the trade has been a lucrative one lor a largo number of men engaged in running the scows by winch the material is transported. Many of the masters of those vessels are owners or part owners of their seews, and royalties have been levied bv the owners of the beaches on the sliiuirle and sand renewed from them. For various reasons the Department of Marine has decided to exert an active control of the trade, determining that uo material mav be removed without permission, stui imposing a royalty of Rd per yard on shingle and 3d on sand taken from below hiph-wr.ter mark. The Hon. J. A. Millar' stated in the House thatmuch damr.r;? had b-en done to the beaches by the removal of shingle, and the department hnd decided to allow material to he taken coly from beaches where no injury would be caused to the pro]>ertv of nrivate owners. The department w:-s .l.nririinr a royalty of Gd on shingle taken From h-ele.w high water mark, while several owners had without the sl'ghtest compunction charged la a yajd.