BOROUGH METAL SUPPLY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2626, 7 October 1909, Page 7

BOROUGH METAL SUPPLY.

— —--i— l ■ DISCUSSION ON MR. JARRETT’S REPCjRT. .

The question of borough metal supply and Mr. Jarrett’s proposals in connection therewith gave rise to an animated discussion at the meeting of the Borough Council last night. A report on the committee meeting that discussed Mr. Jarrett’s report last week, was read. in reply to Or. Darton, the Mayor said that it had been decided by the committee that Gentle Annie be approved as a site for obtaining broken metal. If anything better was discovered, notice of motion would settle the matter. Cr. Clayton said that it meant that the whole position would have to be traversed again. It would be unwise to adopt Mr. Jarrett’s report without due consideration, and ho also thought that the suggestion to refer it to Mr. Marchant should bo reconsidered, as it might perhaps be a reflection on Mr. Jarrett. There were many things to be considered in Mr. Jarrett’s report. Mr. Jarrett said that 2s 7d would bo the cost for 5000 yards, and 2 S for 1000 yards. In the supplementary figures supplied, Mr. Jarrett only allowed 5 nor cent interest and 7-J per cent depreciation, which was much below other engineer’s estimates. It should be 5 per cent, interest and 15 per cent, depreciation and sinking fund.. In some instances up to 25 per cent. and 30 per cent, were allowed on the crushing plant (£450). On Mr Jarrett’s estimates, at the end of three years, they would only require 500 yards per annum, and then the standing charges on £I9OO would still be the same and would mean -P3SO per annum. The actual cost of quarrying, etc., worked out at 2s 3d on Mr. Jarrett’s figures, and with 6d added foi 500 yards from Patutahi would only cost them £l2O 16s Bd. The actual cost of crushing and quarrying, less i‘2-i per cent, would be 5000 yards at 2 S *3d, but only 40 working days were allowed for. Add to these the standin «• charges, and 5000 yards would cost 3s~Hd per yard, and 10,000 yards 2s 6|d. With the cost of stripping and blasting added, 5000 yards would cost per yard 4s3'(d, and 1000 yards 3s O-J-d. It did not seem worth while to save a probable £l4l per year for three years and after that face a considerate loss. Miramar quarry, in Wellington, cost 4s 6d per yard for stone, and other large and economically worked quarries cost in the same vicinity. Patutahi cost 4s lOd, and it seemed strange that Gentle Annie could be worked so much cheaper, according to Mr. Jarrett’s figures. Straker haulage was a most expensive system, and according to the report 'the waggon with trailers would have to travel up to 36 miles a day. The Straker -eople only allowed that a waggon would haul 960 yards in tne period allowed, but Mr. Jarrett’s figures were going to haul 1680 yards. The report . made provision for several waggons, and at the end of the three years they would have to sell them when they only wanted 500 varcLs- a year. The actual cost per Straker worked out at 12s s|d per yard if the ordinary standing charges were allowed, which was only prudent. but if the depreciation were halved the price was reduced to 9s lljd per yard for haulage only. The waggon haulage with standing charges added had for six months cost a total of £371 10s lid, or for the quantity of metal delivered 12s o-J-d per yard. The figures were supplied irom the Council office, and were official figures given him by the Town Clerk. Allowing that the machine had not been doing what it should do, and that it had a trailer, the metal brought in should have been 960 yards, hut as a matter of fact only 596 had been brought in, and the Straker Company’s figures would work out at 7s Id per yard. The estimated requirements for the borough were 71,502 yards, and he held that it would be desirable not to dismiss the possibility of a tramway system, as a successful scheme might be evolved. On Mr. Jarrett’s figures, the cost of haulage would work out at 3s 3sd per yard, if the Cook County took ards in addition to the Borough’s 10,000 yards, and it was worthy of consideration to offer to come to some arrangement with the County Council on the question of haulage, as it would then cost something under 4s, even if a sinking fund of 5 per cent, were allowed to wipe off the loan in 15 years. Kaitaratahi shingle required screening before being .at on the roads. Twenty-five per cent of it only was fit to be put on the roads, and it was proposed by Mr. Jarrett to erect the screening plant in town. To do this, and to get the 25,926 yards of screened gravel for the roads, it would be necessary to convey into town 103,704 yards, the difference, less the 13,000 yards of screenings for footpaths, being simply thrown away. He thought that the screening plant should be erected at Kaitaratahi, and that Mr. Marchant be asked to specially report on this matter.

Cr. Dart-on said that he was quite satisfied that the whole- question of metal supply was going to be laid before Mr. Marehant. If Mr. Jarrett’s figures were right, it would pay them to get the whole 71,000 yards from Gentle Annie, hut if they were only to get 9000 yards! it would be better to get it from Patutahi. There were only two ways of haulage worth considering, Straker waggons and tramways, and he trusted to be able to prove that they should want 10,000 yards of metal per year for ten years, and then the tramway would pay them, even according to Mr. Jarrett, but they would have an opportunity of discussing the whole thing after Mr Marehant had reported. Cr. Collins also spoke at length. On the question of haulage he said that engineers had told them that it ’would require 14,000 yards per year for eight years to make a tramway pay, and that would leave them with a lot more metal than they would require. If the figures as stated by Crs. Clayton and Darton were correct, a tramway scheme wound suit them infinitely better, than any other means of. haulage. Every engineer had said that if tli-ey could ge Gentle Annie metal to do all tlieir reads it would be much better than any combined' scheme, say that of Waihirere for pitching. ’ . ~ , Cr. Collins was proceeding further to debate the report, when the Mayor said that all they were doing was the ado]> tion of the committee's report. y going against the report it meant tnar the- report would; not go to Mr. Ma - Ch C n r t - Collins said that the debate should never have been opened up untd Mr. Marehant had reported, but die debate bad been forced upon them. Cr. Petti© said that he had been anxious to put the whole matter aside until Mr. Marchant’s report had been •received. If the motion meant the adoption of Mr. Jarrett s report he could not vote for it. a? he di believe in it. If Mr. Marehant sup-nm-tod Mr. Jarrett’s report be pledged himself to support it.

In reply to Cr. Smith, the Mayor said that if Mr. Marchant gave an adverse' criticism of Mr. Jarrett’s report, the Council could then use its own discretion what to do. The Mayor said he regretted the great waste of the Council’s time discussing the matter. The Councillors who had been speaking on the.matter did not know what they were talking about, and it was not fair to criticise the haulage of the Straker, as it was in an experimental stage, and the real cost had been 4s Hid per yard. It was farcical to say otherwise, and he asked them to accept the figures of an engineering authority rather than a layman. There had been many points raised that it would be ridiculous to reply to. The. figures quoted by him were the actual cost of the Straker without the trailer, and with the exception of a few loads, loaded by hand. There would not be a yard of Kaitaratahi shingle come, in and be wasted, and he would ask them to take notice of the advice that had been obtained. The motion for the adoption of the report was then put to the meeting, and was carried unanimously.