West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 19 January 1904, page 3


In Parliament rec~ntly, wlenthenloan Estimates were under considerationithe item of £18,900 for the Albany Harbour Works was questioned. The Minister for Works answered that.the money was provided for to complete the original dredging scheme sanctioned by: the House, but he was making inquiries to ascertain whether it was necessary to carry. out the work in its entirety. It is now officially stated, as a result of these inquiries, that the scheme is to -be finished. Towards the close of Sir John Forrest's last year in office, a sum of £47,700 was voted for; the improvement of Princess Royal Harbour, and a-dredging scheme based on what work could be. done for the money was devised.. Year by year provision has been made on the loan Estimates for the expenditure necessary for the current year, arid the sum nassed .in December exhausts the amount allotted. The dredge Governor started.onerations at the commencement of ?April, 1901, and she continued in- mployment. here until .relieved by 'the dredge Premier last May. UTp to -the present, 2,800,000 yards of material have been removed from the harbour, but there still remain some 500,000 yards to shift. - Attention during the past year has been solely directed,. to deepening the anchoragnearea. Prior to that; the entrance was widened and-dredged. The area covered inside comprises 364 acres, and the balance to receive attention extends over 30 acres. ' It is expected that this will be;finished by the end'of March. Then'a detailed survey will be made of the entrance and the harbour, while tho dredge will stand by to remedy any'. do-: feet that may be discovered. The anchor-. age, when finished, will measure a mile from east to west, and three-quarters of a mile from north to south and over 30ft.- will be given at dead low water. The dredge, swuce the Christmas holidays started; has been- lying alongside the town jetty her machinery being overhauled and her. pumps re-cased;- All work in connection with the latter, has .been done locally, and, seeing that sheets of iron as.much as Iin. in thickness and lft. by 4ft. 6in. in size ,have bad to. be rolled and worked, it is a performance of credit to the port. The dredge Governor ivas.; similarly refitted iefore leaving, and the fact that it has been pbossible to do the work at Albany has beeniiresponsible for a'considerable saving in expenditure. .Mr. Hooper Chief Inspector of Fruit in., the Agriciultural Department, paid, a visit .to the town recently .in connectiiin with reports that have been made;of the prevalence'of codlin moth. On:.'Thursday" night, he was interviewed by a- number of gentlemen interested in orchards in 'the district,-.when the whole'; question; was informally discussed. The ,Albany advertising commiittee has, ,for- the.:time being. completed its labours. Posters and pamphlets- have been circulated for the ben'efit of the-pre-' sent;season;,while,;.forthe purpose of permanent advertising" groups of local. photographic, views are being framed for d istribution in Perth and on the! goldfields. •When the exact cost of this work is ascertained, the subject will be gone into further. -At the cldse- of the fortnightly:meeting of the Albany branch' of thi Anstralian' Natives' Association on Wednesday night, Mr. CO Lowe, M.A.' president: of the Clifton Hill branch of the A.N.A. of Victoria, delivered an address on "Bigland and. her Colonies.",' Mr; -Lowe. is a fine speaker, and his lecture,- which had a strong Imperial flavour, was very . favourably. received:It It is understood- that' the -. vote of £31,996 on:lte. loan Estimates for water supplygfor towns includes an amount of £5,000 to be. spent 'at'? Albany: The sdheme formulated is.to .bring water- to .the - town' from Limeburners' .::Creeki which is situated- on, the south side of the harbonir. Eighteen months ago sur veys were made;; and it was ascertained that by daniming the creek hi?hiup the -water could be gravitated to the town and'delivered.;to te: leiveloftlie T6wii Hall.: It is stated.that the money now available will make the darm and finish .all work at the creek: The:Minister for Works isiformed'.Mr. :Hassell, M.:L.A.,that, the project is to be.put in' 'nand forthwith. For some tiime the: Railway ' Departinent has' had under consideration the: gquestion of"strengthening the Deepwa= ter Jetty; Recently a bunch of piles was placed at the end. for the convenience of the harbourmaster in- handling such big ships as the-White Star liners, and dur ing the' past ye-' the main structure' haes been' supported by new pile's. It is, however, still recognised that there is room to' better the condition of affairs.: Mr: :S: Bone, En'igineer for Existing Lines wa?.in: Albany last week, inspecting ana making a detailed survey of the.jetty to ,see .the' iextent of.: tLe :decay that:naha s taken. place,-- ascertain ':the. repairs that are necessary, and what it will cost to earry them out. - -:' •:The second batch of children from the goldfields arrived .by Tuesday night's train. On this occasion the contingent comprises 103 girls."Mrs: :Clarke' is again in-charge." :Immediately on a' arrival the children :were taken across to:the quarn anritiiie:station in the launci Bruce-- :All wai in readiness to receive ; thlem 'an i 4-1t .nr.?,4?a- ..'?: C--? ; a???: " . _ .' .

kindly 'afer having been provided with a li ht imeal.:,. :.ot to be behindhaind in. the social enjoyment of life, the settlers in :this vicinity recently came together and formed the Torbav Junction .Marbellup and Grassmere ,Distridts =Picnioa and .Sports; Association. The first outing'un'der the auspices of the new organisation was held close to Torbay, and' proved most enjoyable. -Upwards. of 200, people participated ini the fun. Sports for. the gentler as well .a` the sterner sex occupied the day, and at night a-dinner wh? held under the presidency .of 'Mr;- J Mowforth. 'A large number,of ladies sat down. and took a hand. in the toast-list gone through h with much'' spirit. The Schief racing event of the day was a Sheffield Handicap, which was won -by, J Butler, of Denmark, with; A.: Stirling and N. Peels in second and 'third places respectively. Mr. A. -Flanders is secr -tary of the Association, and under his energetic control the institution promises to flourish. Bishop Gibney has' decided, to close' the Christian Brothers' Higli School. As a consequence, the institution will not he re-opened and the Brothers are to be transferred to other centres. The Albany Town Council,-in consequence of the recent fatal. accident to Mr. Lemon, has renewed its efforts to secure improved conditions at the Deepwater Jetty while vessels are lying alongside. At its last meeting the foie lowing resolution was carried:-"Tnat the matter of the danger to pedestrians on the Deepwater Jetty be brought under the notice of the authorities, the Council to ask that a footbridge be built and the system of lighting improved, and that a brakesman bq instructed to walk in front of trains whilst steamers are moored there." It was also resolved to ask that a policeman be'toL off for duty while the Jetty is in use. Since the beginning- of the year the position of quarantine officer at albany has been abolished, and the duties of the office allotted to the Government Medical Oficer, without extra pay. This arrangement is regarded as a menace to the town, and altogether unworkable. Already the Government Medical Offices has his hands full with the hospital, ana this increase in his work cannot but re sult disastrously in delaying shipping, should the plague restrictions be revived. At the last meeting of the Town Council the following motion was carried:-"That strong action be taken in protesting against the Government appointing one medical man to attend to all Government duties at this port; and that the members for the district be written to, asking them to support the Council in the matter." Last Tuesday evening the installation of Bro. Robert McNie as W.M.- of the Plantagenet Lodge, No. 1,454, E.C., took place in the new Masonic Hali. Wor. Bro. John Norman, I.P.M., acted as installing master. The following offl cers were invested:--S.W.. Bro. T. H. Barnett; J.W., Bro. J. E. Angove; treasurer, Bro. A. J. Prince: secretary, Wor. Bro. A. E. Bailey; S.D.. Bro. H.

Dixon J.1 Br.io J. Cowan; DC. :Wor. Bro '. :Johnston organist, Bro.: N. Phillips; I'G.r Bro; . Check; tyler, Bro. H. B; Brooiikhall...At the conclu-. sion. of the. usual business, . Wor. Bro. John Norman was presented with a pastmaster's jewel, reference being made to the good work done during his term of office, which included the erection of the new Masonic Hall. Diiring'last year there were 179 births in Albany, which is egual- to. 53.4 per thousand of the population. The deaths totalled 56, or 16.7 per thousand of the population. . .. At the next meeting of -the. Albany: Town Council the following motion, of which notice has been given, will be submitted:-- That ,uis Council woull be prepared'to favourably consider a proposal from an electric light or engineering company to light the town with eleotricity." BOULDER. Last Sunday. night the premises of Mr.. J. H. Stephens, storekeeper, at Boulder, were broken into,.and goods.to the -value of £10 were stolen. BUNBURY. In thq Bunbury Police Court yesterday morning John Woodall . on' a charge -of having trespassed, on the :property of

0. E.E. Clifton iearii Colie briyge, was fined £1 8s. e' le was-fishing in the Collie river, and wheni ordered to )eave he refused, his contention ,being that he had a right to'be there, as there was a chain reserve to river frontages. The evidence showed that Clifton's boundary went right down to the water'sedge.