GISBORNE HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3588, 30 July 1912, Page 7

GISBORNE HARBOR BOARD.

ORDINARY MEETING

The Gisborfie Harbor Board met yesterday. Present : Messrs J. Townley (chairman), C. J- Parker, T. Holden, G. K. Humphreys, A. S. Wachsinanm B. J. Holdsworth, G. Smith, J. Brown, A. Sawyer, G. Witters, H. White and R. Sherratt.

The Engineer reported inter alia that the John Townley had .been constantly employed during the month at dredging with the exception of two days, one day being laid up for repairs to the crane, and one day due to bad weather. She had lifted and deposited at sea five laods of clay from alongside the Kaiti wharf, and 35 loads of silt from between the slip and the wharf, in all 40 loads. Owing to some confusion having arisen in the past in regard to tide gauges, he decided to abolish the old “Kaiti Gauge” and have all gauges fixed to the Admiralty Standard Gauge on the town wharf. Ho'had established 15 stations all referred to the Admiralty datum and each fixed by a brass plug in the face of the wharf. Graduated gauges were being fixed where required. The contractor for the extension of the breakwater has taken up, overhauled, and relaid the whole of the rails on the breakwater and added two new loop lines- Tho order for timber for decking the . t aduct was placed by the contractor on June 26, but in order that the decking might proceed 'ponding delivery of the new decking, he had relaid the deck for the length of the block yard with planking which was on the works for building a ,punt. An advance had already been made on the punt timber, but this had been adjusted on attached certificate. The Harbor Board punt loaned to the contractor had 'been fitted with cradles for dumping the concrete blocks in situ. The (ontiacu>r had placed the damaged 5-ton crane in the hands of Messrs Davys, Third and Mitchell for re-instatement to my instructions and satisfaction. ' The locomotive had been taken over by the contractor and was 'being overhauled and repaired at his cost. He had not made any deduction on account of this locomotive 'on his present certificate as the adjustment will be made when the repairs are completed. The contractor had purchased a seven-ton crane, in Nelson for use on these works but owing to the rough weather it had been delayed in Wellington. However he now expected delivery here on the 26th iust. He proposes on receipt of the crane to work two shifts each day to make up for lost time. He submitted a fifth progress certificate for work done, materials delivered, and for 336 feet of viaduct completed. He was certifying for the decking of the viaduct without deductions as portions were completed, as there was no necessity to retain a percentage on this item as security once the work was passed and measured up. The deductions on the main contract were ample security for the continuance of the contract to completion. The alteration to the water mains on the wharves in accordance with the recommendation of the Government Auditor and as approved of at the meeting of the Beard on May 27 was in progress and should he completed this month. The tendered price for this work was £44 10s or 10s below his estimate. The Harbor blaster reported that there was a small fresh in the river on the 19th and 20th insts., which caused a little silting up in The channel near the beacon, .but the lower part of the channel had improved a little. Shippin 2 since last meeting was as follows: —Steamers: arrivals 52, departures 50; sailing ships: arrivals 6, departures 6; lighter dues, 41 at 2s no, £5 2s 6d.

The report was adopted. Tlie balance-sheet- for the six months ended June 30 last presented by the treasurer was as follows: —Receipts: Wharfages £IO,OOB, port charges £1609, harbor Blaster’s feds £696, pilotages £143, berthage of lighters £6B. river improvement rate £224 — £12,812. Harbor improvements: Sale of material £l3, hire of -plant £ll- - .accounts: Weighbridge £SO. water* £7B, licenses £63, royalty on gravel £39, slip charges £2l, storage in sheds £51—£305. Rents: Tauwharparae £9OO, Gisborne Freezing Works £169, pilot’s house £10 — £1079. Expenditure, interest account: Interest on £200,000 loan, £SOOO, commission a ncM trie rest on overdraft, £566 —£5566. Harbor improvements: Salaries £221, Maui, additions, repairs and supplies £485, blasting_£24, wages, including overtime, £1337. interest account Auckland £2OO, John Townley wages, including overtime, £502, general account £9ll, materials £lsz6, breakwater extension £16 —• £5226. Harbor maintenance account: Salaries £1244, gas, timber and sundries £383, advertising and printing £65. office expenses £l2l, stamps, telegrams, etc. £25; property account £33, revision of rolls £96, payment under public revenues account £4O, uniforms £25, oil launch £l7. Borough Council water supply and meters £62, maintenance of bridges £46, electric lighting 8s Sd, Tauwhareparae surveys, advertising, etc.. £761, Tuahinc £32 surveyors’fees £35. Contracts: Langlands and Co. progress payment and 'deposit £1982. W. Howard, pamtino- sheds £3B. Debit balance June 30? £21.459. , , . The Chairman said that the increases in the princinal sources of revenue (shillings and pence omitted) for the six months, January-June period. were as follow: Wharfages (1911) £9107, (1912) £lo,o6B**port charges, £l4-88—£1609; harbormaster’s fees. £549 —£696; pilotages* £l40 —£143; berthages, £sß—£6B: river improvement rate. £l6i —£224 j* totals, £ll,0i1—£12.812; increase, £I3OO. Tin's lie thought was very satisfactory.