HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2618, 28 September 1909, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs John Town ley (chairman), O. J. Parker, F. Harris. John Clark. J. B. Kells, W. D. S. McDonald, M.P., and Hon. Captain Tucker, M.L.C.

THE NEW DREDGE. Messrs Simon and Co., of Renfrew, Scotland, wrote as follows:—“On the 6th August we had pleasure in wiring voii by code as follows: 1 Collect £5850/ which* we now beg to confirm. We sent you this telegram in accordance 'with instructions received from our Mr Blakey, who adrised us that you wished to be informed in good time as to the value of the work done. For your information we may say that your dredger is completely framed, and propelling engines are very well forward in our machine department and one set of them is being assembled for erection • the propellor shafts are turned and finished and the thrust and propellor blocks are in machines. The pumping engine details are nearly ready for erection; the sand pump is riveted and its inner plates are being riveted. The boiler shells are rolled and end plates fitted and drilled, and will shortly be riveted. The furnaces and combustion, chambers are equally well advanced. The ladder hoist gear, pipe hoist gear, and stern winch details are all made and in machines, and are almost ready for erection. Ihe how winch is finished complete, so also is the ladder hoist engine. The bucket, ladder is finished and buckets all and links all forged. From the iore-o-oing you will see that the work on your dredge is all very well advanced. ’ The Chairman said that the letter disclosed a- satisfactory state of affairs. Mr. Clark-: We are paying a good price for it; we ought to get a good article. The secretary of the g»» woks wrote asking the Board to defer altering its present arrangement with Ins company, a G they had in view the introduction of automatic appliances to the Board’s lamps, which would mean economy in both consumption of gas and the cost of lighting and extinguishing the lamps. In the same connection a letter was read from the Town Clerk stating that the Borough Council had taken over the work of cleaning, lighting, and extinguishing all the lamps in the borough from the Gas Company. If it would suit the Board to have the Borough Council’s lamplighter to undertake the work of attending to the wharf lights they would he pleased to carry out the same on the same terms as the Gas Company had charged in the past.

TATJWH AREPARAE LEASES. The following letter, under yesterday’s date, wa s read from Messrs de Lautour, Barker and Stock: “Tauwhareparae leases. —This matter was mentioned in Court thig morning (September 27). His Honor expressed the view that the construction of the leases was of .such importance that it might well have been taken direct to the Court of Appeal. May we again urge tliis upon yon. It is -obvious that finality is what is required, both by the Board and its tenants. This can only be obtained by making use of the Court of Appeal. We hardly need point out that while no more expense is incurred by going direct to the Appeal Court very much expense is saved should cither party interested be dissatisfied with the construction placed upon the lease by the Supreme Court. Mr. Clark asked if a report on the subject had been received from the Board’s solicitor. The secretary stated that Mr. Lysliar had been in Court when the matter was mentioned to Mr. Justice Cooper, who had really said that lie had the power to send” the case straight to the Appeal Court, but under the circumstances, as both parties to the action were not agreeable to this course, h© should not do so. .It was decided to reply to the letter stating that the Board could not see its way to alter its previous decision to have the case heard in the Supreme Court. It was unanimously decided to allow the matter to stand over in the meantime.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT. The following financial statement was presented by the Treasurer (Mr. J. W. Witty,:—Ordinary account, dr. ’712 16s Bd, harbor improvements 1909. dr. £4BBB 16s ld;total, dr. £5603 i2s 9d. Bank, current account as per bank pass book, dr. £5593 11s 4d, add unpresented cheques, £8 Is sd; overdraft. dr. £5601 12s 9d. Outstanding, wharfages current £25 8s 3d. rent £49 11s Bd. Contractor’s deposit account, Overton’s contract £IOO cheque, less exchange 2s 6d; cr. £99 17s 6d

HARBORMASTER’S REPORT The Harbormaster (Captain W. Camming;) reported as follows: — We now have telephone connection with Tuahine lighthouse;, and the contractor for building the lighthouse-keeper’s house i» getting on ivith the work as fast as possible. It will be necessary to get a good glass and set of signals for the signalman. The lower part of the channel is improving a little, but along the wharves is still silted up very much. Shipping since last 4 meeting : —Steamers. arrivals 35, departures 33; sailing vessels, arrivals 6, departures 5. Moorages 14s 2d, lighter dues (40 at 2s 6d) £5. Soundings taken during the month were as follows: September 7th. end of breakwater 7ft, third to sixth bollard sft, Snark's landing 7ft, big crane 7ft. mouth of Waikanae 6ft 6in. new wharf 2ft to 3ft, half-way along wharf 4ft to sft, crane 4ft to sft, along Kaiti wharf 4ft to 6ft. Remarks: 9ft 50ft- out from breakwater. September 13 th: 6ft 6in, sft 6in, 6ft 6in, 7ft. 6ft Gin, lft to 3ft, 4ft to Gft, 4ft to sft. 4ft to Bft. September 21 : 7ft, oft, Gft, 7ft, 7ft, 2ft to Bft. sft to 6ft, 4ft to sft. 4ft to 74t. September 25th: 9ft Gin, Gf. 6ft, 7ft. 7ft 6in, 2ft to sft, sft to 6ft, 4ft to 6ft. 4ft to 7ft. Remarks: Bank outside going away, bank outside groyne 13t. September 27th :11ft, 6ft, 6ft, 7ft Gin, 7ft, 2ft to sft. 4ft to sft, 4ft to 6ft, 4ft to 7ft.”

The report was adopted, and it was decided to request the Harbormaster to purchase the necessary signalling apparatus when in Wellington.

OVERSEER’S REPORT. The Overseer (Mr. D. A. McLeod) reported as follows: “The dredge John Townley has this month taken 43 loads of spoil to sea, and the small dredger has been constantly dredging spoil oyer the breakwater. The spoil now being lifted by the suction dredge was deposited by the late freshes over ground that we liacl previously dredged to rock, and is in bulk neatly equal to the original bed, but very much easier to dredge; consequently good progress has been made this month with the reclamation. The new extensions for dredgo •berths is well advanced, 350 it of main piling is in position. This includes the new coal storage bin, which this week will be far enough advanced to have the coal shifted into it from the old bin to make way for continuing the extension to the Kaiti wharf. Evans, Niekl and Co. have completed tljeir timber supply contract satisfactorily. The slip channel and about 80ft in width of the river abreast of it were so badly silted up by the last fresh that it took seven days dredging to clear it sufficiently to put the Tuatea on the slip. She was taken up on the 21st and launched on the 23rd. Mr. Spencer has delegated me in terms of the interpretation clause of the general conditions of the contract to supervise the construction of the hopper punts in his absence. Stone and gravel removed from Kaiti beach this month, 135 loads, as per tickets.” The report was adopted. DREDGEMASTER’S REPORT.

Captain Solvander, dredgemaster, reported that the dredge had been constantly employed with the exception of three days, owing to bad weather and the fresh in. the river. The amount of spoil taken out was as follows: _ISOO cubic yards of mud from abreast of and in the slip, 2300 yards from various places along the town wharf, 500 yards of sand from along the breakwater, in all 4300 cubic yards. Mr. Kells: The best month’s work she lias done fo r a long time, i The report was adopted. The dredge engineer reported that everything was in good order m regard to Hie machinery. Accounts amounting to £7430 Ss lid were passed for payment, and the meeting concluded.