HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 326, 18 July 1889, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

The Board met on Tuesday evening last. Present : Captain Tucker (Chairman), Members Townley, Bennett, Shelton, and Chambers, TUB HABBOB BILL. Mr A. Graham wrote to the Board's Solicitor as follows ;— I duly received yours of the 3rd instant, enclosing amending clauses. There was no chance whatever of getting the Bill, as originally drafted, through. Mr Bell has been busy all this week with the murder trial. I saw Mr Gully, who laid the matter before Mr Bell. I got the Local Bills Committee to adjourn consideration of the Bill till Tuesday next, by which time I expect to have an interview with Mr Bell, and get him to attend at the Local Bills Committee if necessary. I don’t know whether the clause postponing the payment of the £lO,BOO, borrowed from the loan to pay interest, will be allowed to go through. I will do the best I can for it, but the agitation against Harbor Acts is keener this session than ever, owing to the Premier’s action in connection with the New Plymouth work. He has given notice of motion for a Joint Committee to report on all Harbors and Dock Trusts. I' this motion is carried, as I presume it will be, I fancy the question of the time for repayment of the £lO,BOO loan mentioned, would have to stand over till the report is made. I purpose get ting the Local Bills Committee to alter the Bill; it will save a lot of discussion on second reading. The following telegram was received from the Harbor Bills Committee : —

Will you be good enough to forward to me, at your earliest convenience, a statement showing Ist : Particulars of revenue derived by your Board from rents of endowments, and whether such amount will increase during the next two years, owing to the provisions of existing lease. 2nd : Estimated amount receivable from rents of endowments likely to be leased during the next two years. 3rd : Whether your Board has been declared to be subject to tho provisions of the Public Bodies Powers Act, 1887, and if so, particulars of . any surrenders, reductions, that may have been made thereunder. 4th: A report on the state of any works that are in progress,_ and whether the funds available are sufficient either to complete these works, or to bring them to a position of permanence and usefulness. —B. Olivbb, Chairman Harbor Committee, Legislation Committee, Please forward to me for Harbor Board's Committee of Legislative Council, three copies of Board’s statement of accounts for last year, and same number of copies of any annual report by Chairman, and returns and statistics of port that tho Board may have printed.—L. B. H. Wimox, Assistant Secretary Marine,. . .. It was thought that Mr Higginson's report would answer the questions. The Board decided to instruct the Engineer to have a report ready for Friday next, at 11 a.m., when they would hold an adjourned meeting. committee's bbpobt.

McLoughlin's Contract—We recommend that Mr McLoughlin's half balance deposit of £5O be returned to him, as we find that any extra expense to which the Board has been put, in order to carry on the supply of stone to the time of Mr McLoughlin’s abandonment of it, has been stopped out of the amounts due to him for stone supplied. Mr McLoughlin claims a eum of £3 15s for haulage of fascines, and £4 on sledges, and £3 on wire rope, but your Committee do not see their way to make any recommendation on these latter items, habbob H.uinu’s bepobt. The brigantine Clansman, cleared nt the Customs, left the river, and anchored in the Bay prior to her departure for Auckland. Contrary to my instructions, which were that she should be ballasted with stone, sand was used, the consequence being that during the rough weather on the night of the s:h inst., her pumps became choked, and as she was in danger of foundering, the Captain had to slip her cables. She got in alongside the breakwater on the morning of the Oth, and was afterwards moored further up out of the channel way. I had her subsequently removed to above the viaduct, where she now lies. The river has shallowed very much down by the lower beacon. Arrivals during past fortnight, 12 ; departures, 11, In reply to a question the Harbor Master said the shallow water complained of was just at the commencement of tho concrete work. He considered the silting up was caused by the late heavy rains, and also with the South-east seas.

BXOISEBB'S REPORT. During the past fortnight we have had very bad weather and heavy seas. The section of breakwater on hand at last meeting has been completed, making a total length of 781 feet. The biigantine Clansman left on the sth inst, and bad tn run back on the 6th fcr shelter. She carried away two mooring piles and broke a strap of a third, damage about £l3. One of tho tubes in the locomotive boilers gave out, and we have been obliged to got some new tubes from the Railway Department. These are now being inserted and the locomotive will be in working order again in three or four days—meantime we have enough stone on hand to go on with the foundation of next section. Sections have been taken along the line of proposed training wall on Waikanae beach. I estimate the cost at about £llOO. As this sum wou'd only build about 18ft of the breakwater I think it would be well spent on the training wall. With regard to the piles which had been parried away by the Clansman, Mr Shelton thought it was a matter which wanted enquiring into, to see whether or not the piles were properly built into the concrete. The Engineer said the piles were built according to the plan suggested by Sir John Coode.

Mr Townley considered that if the piles could not- stand the strain of a vessel on them, they were practically useless, Mr Chambers thought it was a question as to whether the vessel was properly moored, Mr Bennett said he had been shown some samples of the piles, and they were completely rotten, Mr Johnston designated the timber as honey comb. The Chairman said the matter could stand in abeyance. ” ’ ' . Mr Bennett said it was impossible to hold the ship’s owners liable for the damage. The Engineer was instfuetej to (report to the adjourned meeting on Friday next as to the liability of the owners, XHS GROIX. With reference to the training, wall, Mr Chambers said he was in favor of having one built. He would like to see the present work carried on, but there was no doubt but that the Board’would have to take some steps at once to confine the’ channel, and stop the flow of sand from the beach. He considered the plan proposed by the Engineer to have a wall built from the wharf the most suitable one, as it would always keep the river scoured. It would also be a great saving in the future, as the works proposed to be run out among the sandhills on the Waikanae, would only be of a temporary character. The Board would have to adopt the present scheme, and carry out the work, Mr Townley thought it was rather presumptuous on his part to doubt the work of the Engineer, but he did da te. The schema that was preposed was merely for the purpose of deepening the river, What the Board should do was to go on with the breakwater, and get into deep water. Whatever was intended to be done with this training wail, would be of ho great advantage to the permanent work. He contended that the breakwater should not be stopped for any other work, so that natufe could show itself as it was doing now. Nature would show in time, where the protective work was required; in the event of sand lodging along the pier it might be they would have to abandon the'idea of mooring vessels alongside the breakwaUf qnd put out a wharf from tI?P Waikanae side. Advantage could then be taken. of the most suitable site, As to the question of scour he would like to ask why the river did not scour out alongside the wharf where the river was of about tire same width as it would be between the protective works? The Board should not take oils penny away from the breakwater to spend on other work', They wmild Lave to be very cautious, adit? ri'hema was merely jin expwftnant, Jfewpaid iilm to uuo • why

the river did not scour itself now. The Board should not allow a yard of sand to be removed from alongside the breakwater, and then they would see the effect on the works, Mr Chambers said he did not say the sand was not accumulating. What was wanted was a confined entrance so that there would be a scour in the river. The sand was now being drifted about by the tide in places that had never been thought of. He considered it was a pity to interfere with the river which had always proved itself a very good harbor. He urged on the Board the necessity of the work being carried out. They would probably waste more money in law than the wok would cost, by the people claiming for the land that was being washed away.

Mr Bennett said if it was only an experiment he would have to uphold it, as if they carried on the work as it was now going, the river would be stopped up altogether, He quite agreed with Mr Townley, if it were possible, to see wbat nature was doing with the river, as the Board could not keep dredging it when their functions ceased, There was no doubt but that the Engineer was dredging the river to keep it clear.

The Engineer said he required all the sand for the block making.

Mr Townley said the groin was not a part of the breakwater scheme, and it was doubtful if it would increase the scopr. The work had not gone out far enough to prove itself. They might tinker as much as they, could, but the result would be the same. What was wanted was a breakwater and not a. river improvement. If they went on in tbe way that was intended they would find in a very short time that they wauld have a “ b eak water ” on one side on dry Imd, and a groin on the other He contended that it would be throwing the money away to build a groin. The Board had quite enough on hand without entering into fresh works, Mr Bennett drew attention to the fact that the Maitai stuck when coming a'ongside the breakwater.

The Engineer said that was through the heavy sea that was running. A motion, proposed by Mr Chambers and seconded by the Chairman, to the effect that the Engineer be instructed to prepare plans and specifications and also show what would be given by ths expenditure of £2,203 on the groin, was carried. Mr Townley voted against the proposition. PAYJtEXTS. Ths following accounts .were passed :—II. E. Johnston, £2OB 12s Id; Weighbridge Keeper, £1 ; J, Mullans, £4 4s 6d.; Stewart and Co., £2l 19s ; Gas Company, £1189; W. King, £6 Ss 6-1 ;W, Morgan, 8s; Wingate Burns and Co., £l2 7591; P, McLoughlin, £5O 2s Id; General Government, £5 ; Wag’s, £237 19a 9d ; C. A. DeLautour, £lO Ils 9d. On the accounts coming up for payment Mr Shelton objected to the large amount which had to be paid to Mr Johnston for timber, as a great part of the timber was, ho considered, not required. Lat?r on, when tho wages sheet was preiented, Mr Shelton asked how it was that the Hercules driver was put down for 86 hours and the Engineer said at last meeting that only three days’ work was required to finish the section 1 Mr Chambers could not underst md these insinuations of Mr Shelton’s. If he thought that any fraud was committed by the Engineer, let the Board hold an enquiry into the matter. He did not think it was a fair question, and one of public interest, Mr Shelton eaid no work had been going on, and how was it the man was employed 1 It only look throe days to finish tho section. What was dono.durlng the remainder of the fortnight? Mr Chambers : Why do you not put the question in a direct manner and ask if tho river was not being dredged ? Mr Shelton: I am not going to put an answer into the Engineer’s mouth. Mr Chambers said the Engineer's time was being repeatedly wasted in making reports ia answer to such frivolous statements, Mr Shelton said that before any account was passed the members should be satisfied that tho amount was correct. Mr Chambers thought that notice should bo given to allow the questions to be answered by the Engineer, Mr Sheltqn said this was tho principal machine on the works, and the Engineer should know what work was being done. Tho Engineer said he could not say how the machine had been employed, but he would be able to answer the question at the next meeting. The man might have been repairing the machine. Mr Chambers said it was impossible for the Engineer to arrive at the exact amount in the abstract of accounts.

Mr Shelton thought that if the man was employed on other work he should not get an engineer’s pay. Mr Chambers said that his opinion of Mr Shelton was that he cavils over each small pavment which is not of public interest, The Chairman thought that it was a pr per question. Tho Engineer was not able at the moment to enter into full details, but sufficient time should be given Mr Thomson to reply. Mr Chambers said that if the Hoard had not sufficient confidence in the Engineer they should dismiss him. Mr Shelton raid he believed the machinery had been working, but that it had not been doing the work provided fop. He would ask that the information be supplied at the next meeting. The work was progressing very slowly this year as compared with the corresponding months of last year. From May 7, to June, there was 113 feet of the breakwater finished, but during that period this year o ’y 60 feet had been done. The Engineer was not making good progress with the work. _ Mr Chambers said they were getting into deeper water, and they had also to contend with rougher weather, He considered this was very unfair criticism, and would tend greatly to bring the district into disrepute with tho outside public. The question wcs not worth discussing, Mr Shelton said the weather wag far worse last year than it was this, and there was more work done ; they had only to refer to the Engineers reports. In reply to kjr Shelton the Engineer said the diver could work with more freedom in deep water. After some further desultory discussion the matter dropped. The Clerk said he had received an ecoount of £lB from the Sydney Mail for advertising the Tauwharaeparae Block, The Board decided to withdraw the advertisement in the papers outside the colony, as it was estimated the whole cost of advertising would amount to about £l6O, ' A motion proposed by Mr Shelton and seconded by Mr Townley, that the Board instruct tbe Engineer not to.tb'moVeTtny sand from alongside the breakwater, was carried, The Chairman in supporting the motion said it would no doubt settle a matter of great importance. The meeting then adjourned till tomorrow morning at 11 a.m.