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Western Star, Issue 347, 1 May 1880, Page 5

The action of the Harbor Board in prohibiting gravel to be taken from the foreshore of the harbor within the area under their control is beginning to press with severity upon the town generally. The reason assigned by the Board for the prohibition was that, in view of probable harbor improvements, the material might be required for such an undertaking. This was considered quite a satisfactory reason, so far at any rate as it applied to the foreshore of the harbor, and no fault could be found with the object the Board hat in view. Apparently, however, the conservation of the interests of the harbor was only a secondary consideration, as at a subsequent meeting a motion was passed that gravel be allowed to be taken on payment at the rate of ninepence per yard. Clearly t! en the deportation of material was not the important matter with which it was sowght to be invested, and that the real object was to derive a revenue to replenish the Board’s exhausted coffers. The Board was not to blame for this laudable effort, if legitimate means were taken to that end : but when the action took the direction ot a tax upon the community, we think it time to draw attention to,the inconsistency. The matter was brought under the notice of the Town Council in a disagreeably prominent manner at last meeting upon a letter being read from the contractor for gravelling road in South Riverton, stating that the harbor authorities had mada a demand upon him for payment of ninepence per yard for all material taken by him from Frew’s beach. The demand in this case is a most arbitrary one, and the sooner the motion passed empowering it is abrogated, the better it will be for the town. Since the Board was called into existence it has not done much to forward the interests of the district —no blame, by the way, can be attached to them on that account, as it is but fair to say that they have done all in their power to obtain from Government the means to enable them to improve the harbor. If, however, it has been unable to advance the interests of the harbor, its career should not be marred by any action likely to retard the progress of the town and district. That the charge referred to will have such an effect is beyond doubt, and we trust the Board will, at its meeting on Monday, reconsider the matter. It is doubtful if the Board can legally interfere with any parson taking gravel from the beach outside the foreshore boundaries ; as to the judiciousness of doing so, there is very greatdoubt. The cost of gravelling the streets of (he town will bo enormously increased if such a charge is insisted upon. It is well known that the interests of the harbor will not suffer by the removal of gravel from either the foreshow or beach, as the deposit quickly ocecumulates. The resolution of the Board on the matter was passed without considering that it would detrimentally affect the interests of the town; and on this account the question might fairly be reconsidered.