THE HARBOR WORKS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 422, 27 February 1890, Page 3

THE HARBOR WORKS.

WINDING UP. At the meet log of the Harbor Board on Tuesday night the following report from the Finance Committee was read Having examined the statement prepared by the Secretary, showing available balance out of loan, and also tbe estimate of the Engineer, we find tbe position to ba as follows Available balance at Bth Feb. £7923 Estimated cost of finishing training wall as at present intended £ll6O „ ~ To continue breakwater out to 1180 feet, and to use up blocks, cement, etc., at present on hand .. •• .• 2304 „ „ Of laying np plant .. 500 3954 Balance .. .. .. .. £3969

Out of thia balance provision will have to be made for settling compensation for land, etc., extending training wall if found desirable, and for doing any work which may be found necessary to make the present works of service. There is the existing contract for cement, £2726, with Messrs Duthie and 00. to be provided for, which if paid will leave no funds in hand to work the cement up with. We reootqmeiid that the Board should arrange with Messrs Duthie and Co. for the disposal of the cement, and should stop making any more blocks ; that the Board should use up the stock of material on hand with the view of terminating the breakwater at 118 Q feet on the estimate shown by the Engineer, which point, It is stated, will be arrived at about June next.

g. D. Rsnxbttl Members of Finance F, J. Shzltos j Committee, The Engineer reported The section o< the breakwater on band will be finished on Thursday, making a total length of 1060 feet; the time occupied in building tbs section of 80 feet will be just a fortnight. I lay before you estimates showing the cost of work done, and to what distance the present funds would earry the breakwater. It will be remembered that after deducting the coat of raising the loan, legal expenses, getting Acts passed, buy ing land, d'cl, that tfe arp'-oqnt Mt'is only £lOO,OOO instead of £105,000 for breakwater construction, and that after deducting expenditure up to the Bth of February there is only a balance of £7924 to go on with. This amount after providing for ths training wall would construct the breakwater to 1256 feet. There are almost enough blocks on hand and cement to build the pier 1180 feet, leaving a balance unexpended of £4,500, and it is for the Board to say how this will be expended. It would be sufficient for about 76 feet in addition to the 1180 feet mentioned aboye gnd would make a total of 1258 feet. If op the other hand it is not deemed advisable to expend the whole £4500 on the breakwater a section of 30 feet extra would cost £lBOO or two sections £3600. Of course, in this estimate, nothing has been provided for extending the training wall beyond the point decided on at first, and a small sum will be required to lay up the plant in good order.

Mr Chambers contended that the Board had got authority to expend an additional £40,000 for extension of tffe piey, apart ffoul any other expenditure. He would favor going on until £40,000 had been actually spent in extending the breakwater. Dr Pollen considered provision would have to be made Tor current liabilities. Mr Sievwright considered that £4,600 would be allowing too much forcontingenoies. Mr Arthur said allowance should be made in case it should be found necessary to extend the training ‘ Mr Shelton considered they should have sufficient in hand for contingencies, and be thought they were running it to a fine enough point now. Mr Thomson had informed them that it was not certain how far ths training wall should be taken out. They must have a shed and railway line it they were going to use the breakwater.

Mr Sievwright moved that the report be adopted, provisionally that i* they found on going burlifrtyer ! W"«q margin would not tie required, the work tie further extended. Mr Clark said they would have to came to a decision as to Duthic’a contract. Mr Chambers aaid the Board was in a most absurd position, having to pay sinking fund on £200,000, when they had only received £lOO,OOO. It was time the Board took up a stand in thy matter. Ha moved that the expenditure' pe continued until tpe £40,000 had been 'expended In extending the work, and any other accounts tpit oatue in lqtgr be referred to the government, As Jong gs they knuckled down to Messrs Whitgiase gnfi Ormond they would get lower down. No seconder was found tor th* motion. Mr Clark would like to see a smaller section gone on with. He would be against storing away the machinery, and if they found they could not get on any further they should dispose oitye pjgnt, yetaiuteg u;0 of ft until they had finished. Mr DeLdutoqr agreed that the pier should be extended as far as possible, aqd said tpaf to adopt tbe motion meant they could net go further than 1080 feet, because the motion would necessitate the disposal at the cement. He did not see why they should commit themselves that night. If halt tbe cement could be placed without loss he thought it should be flpne, Hi d|d pot ?e« why the Board should itentsruplats the isrsaawotgr riot being ootaplMh' Its’ utility had been Suretionri, but he assutoed that the Board onaidared it would be successful and should be completed. 'When th**, was donq would depend' ifpoh the gdlqAy'iq poeitiob. The district** necessities entitled It soma relief, He d|d not see why Ihs Boftrd should stultify itself, hwipg drdprpd wmeqt and obtained it oh tamable terms, then to it was to be sold. He moved asAn amendment thdt if half the cement now under order can be placed without loss by Messrs Duthie and Co., the Beard authorises its disposal in terms ot the Finance Committee’s report, but not otherwiee *nf to no further extent, Mr Clark seconded. Dr Ppllen supported the proposition. Probably the groin would want to be extended a great deal further, but to spend .all the money on tbe pier might simply make it useless. He favored a euffioisnt sum of money being retained to improvs the present accommodation. Mr Shelton considered it would be better to faca the position. * McArthur agreed with Dr Bollen, that* few feet of the pier would not be much us* to them, whereas the training wall might be "Hr diark said (the plant could bs tnorU

In reply to Mr Clark, the Engineer said he considered a short extra section could be made, and a sufficient balance left for contingencies, allowing for 300't of training wall. In reply to Dr Pollen, the Engineer said that the further section would take them into deeper water, there bring a dip al that spot. Dr Pollen said the Engineer’s advice made things appear in a different light from when tbe discussion started. The motion was then withdrawn, and Mr DeLautouFs amendment carried, the details to be left to the Finance Committee.