IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 11935, 24 March 1914, Page 6

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.

FOE AKITIO SETTLERS

W HARK--TO UK BUILT CONDITIONALLY. [By Telegraph—Press Association.] PONG AISOA, Monday. Tin l mutter of a seaport for the East Coast has Jong engaged the attention of Akitio County settJers. There aretwo harbour .schemes- —ono for Aohanga (eighteen miles from, Pongaroa), and the other for Akitio (21 miles). At Akitio there is a good .surf landing, ami over f>oo tons were landed last year. The Hon. F. M. B. .Fisher (Minister for Marine), with Mr Holmes (Chief .Engineer) visited both sites yesterday. The Minister was deputationisod by the supporters of both schemes. Air Holmes said, he considered the Aohanga scheme- impracticable, as it would cost £40,000 to make a harbour there. The locality, he .said, was similar to l.'atea.

The Hon. I' , . Al. l>. Fisher made an important announcement to-day regarding Akitio, propounding a scheme in the direction of a wharf 900 feet long, which would do away with surfing. The wharf would be under the shelter of a reef. Mr Fisher stated that Mr Frank Armstrong, who owned the foreshore, had offorod to vest tho wholo of tho land in tho department if tho scheme was gono on with. The wharf scheme would cost £15,000. The Minister said thoro was a fine anchorage for big linens at Akitio, and tho wharf .schemo would bo undertaken on condition that tho settlors subscribed £00,000 to establish freezing works at Akitio. It was not reasonable to expect tho Government to put in a port if it did not got tho trado of tho district. Ho bcliovod tho money couki bo subscribed, and ho urged tho settlers to got to work at once, in order that provision could bo mado on tho next estimates. Tho aottlors, ho said, at present drove their stock verj long distances to tho works or railways. Soonor or later freezing works would be established at Akitio. Messrs Sykes and Escott, M'sP., oxpressed hearty approval of the scheme. Mr Sykes said ho believe-d tho Waingawa- Freezing Company would bo agreeable to establish works at Akitio. Tho Minister's announcement was received with considerablo applause.