THE DOCK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 934, 29 September 1910, Page 5

THE DOCK.

RELEASE OF CONTRACTORS. POSITION DEFINED^ STORY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. FURTHER STEPS TAKEN. New: light ; was shed , upon' the graving • dock question at the meeting of the Hut-. bour Board last night." The chairman : : ■ (Mr. E. Fletcher); outlined what- has '. taken piaco and gave reasons for the indefinite postponement, of tho undertak- . ing. Further steps in pursuance of tho .new. policy were-agreed to after an interesting discussion. Chairman's Statement. -■:-■■■ ' . .. ■ The chairman said hejfelfr. it to bo hia"- " :; duty, to; make, eomie ,remarks ;about',.the .' position the board was in with regard to . • the dock.. Her had gone into the matter - ;.: ,' : most carefully, and-would .outline; the ' ; history of the matter , and his views ae to ' ; .the course which the;aboard should now .: ; . : ; :'s;' ! pursue. He thanked the press for tho ; forbearance, shown .last^ or five months.. When he had completed the statement lie was about to make it " would bo readily realised that the matter .• was a delicate one and had had to treated: with . great.; care..' 'It was also)';. a ■ privato and confidential char- • actor, ; and. , .could not have ' boen -. disclosed without breach of trust. ;;> ■ ; obainnan, then; traced the' history ■''; of . .the dock projcct ; from April 1, 1897, . when-: the aboard, decided .: to : obtain a re--- - - port on the most suitable: site.: for: a dock and: the best typo to bo adopted; ' . . The Contract. , v Ho stated that - dredging" was completed • m 1906 at a cost of £16,378 os. lid., when tenders for" the . construction of tho doclc " >.. were .called, for.. Three tenders were ro- : ' •• •• ceivedFrom Messrs. J.- M'Lean and Son,for JG196,261 ss.- -Id.; Mr. C. F. Puller, 13s. ,10d;i Mr. Jamieson, ,£273,469, 12s. 9d. " Thev contract was let to;. ■:::: ' Messrs. ,J. M'Lean and Son in January, . : - . 1907, for the sum .of : £19G,261 ss. 4d.,.the . ,dato for completion being Dcoember 81, • '' 1910. The above price did not includfi ''' . :-- v jumping machinery, pen--'. '. ' stocks,; etc. The engineer's estimate was ijJKK 17s. Bd., and .ho (the chairman) ; *' believed he recommended the. board to : - accept a tender up to jC200,000. ::j ; The Concrete. No permanent work: was done in the years 1003-9, .tut part 'of. the staging" was ' erected and' plant' installed, and- it . was $ not until November, .1303, that..tho do- ~ position .of concrete - was commenced' and - v . ' -S:v' ; continued till November, -1909, when it was found; that, the concrete in the large \ . \ floor; sections was not setting satisfactor- V - 1 / : ily, and the work was .stopped, v The dif- . ficulty that arose was; ho understood,'.. '. '• largely , due to mechanical washing ,of .tho ' .-. • conorete when 'it from the ; -'i'-'K skips, the silt - in - all probability: : further"• accentuating the ; trouble. At all even'is it " was found difficult to - deposit . large qtian- -: * ' titles of concrete'in deep water and ob- -. '; ' .tarn "sound work, and it was. essential " . / that: this, portion of -the work should:-' bo' : > solid - beyond any . doubt. * .: Experiments ' - '. were made, to': by and find out the: ciluse' :: - : of the.;.trouble more .'or less .success.-' At.the same time had a quicker.deposi-.' ■ tion taken place and • more, up-to-date: ma-. • '.1.. chinery been " employed,' - better results - . '" might, have ensued. - Since ' November.—;-- '' - 1909, the work had been practically at ; standstill, S...<:y Contractors Asking for Concessions. >v;.v.. ; j. . "In April, 1910," confaniied • the chair* man,,-"tne,.contractors wore directed bv : tho, board to. proceed with: tho work. In- ' June, 1910, the contractors applied" for a :. seven; months' extension .of timo to en- . able them: to instal ..new plant .and ma- " chinery of 1 a type,', different -to that pro-. jvioiisly.; in use. The extension.'asked '• for'fvj was granted by the board on July 17,, , •. subject to certain conditions being' en- . : • tered into. • Those conditions wero not ' ; '. complied.:with by .the contractors.' On-:'; '-: -. : : . July 13-' the contractors ' -u-rofce ■ to j . .the;' ;;v \ board asking . for certain | - :;; .:; which -were refused.; Again, on August-'" • 5, the board was" approached, by letter :' : asking that tho contract be -' terminated, .: ; the contractors being, of 'opinion that thp- - \ w'ork oould not be carqed ont, and .that ' .'• the ' board pay -'half: the' c ontractors' esti-: ''";: 1 : mated loss of ' On 'Aiigust 2o thG.' i ':\ ' could: not accedo to tho request. ' Several Interviews. . "Several , interviews ' took, plaoe- between :■' Mr. M. M'Lean and myself,:'always' his^^•request,' r :inx which. herargued. that: it S ,'was\impossible' .to carry out. the work -m .: ' • tho manner prescribed, , and that the con-. ' . - -.• tract., should'"-'bev determined. aMia-;c6n^ : :-:;fy;"i----promiso arranged between the contractors'. : '. : and tho board. On each and'overy oeca— sion, both: privately and when' he inter- . •' viewed.tho board in, committee, I strenu- . • ously opposed'anj such compromise.; I';' could not: recognise .''any.:-money claim i ' . against-the board -or compensation of '..'.' any kind whatsoever for non-fulfilment' .. . of ..the- contract. I pointed out to Mr. ■ M. M'Lean that to my mind it was .. ." question of compensation frou. the^. contractors , to,; the • board ■ if the. con- ■ v/JSJs tract was determined. . • . ■ The Chairman's Attitude. " Tho attitude I have , taken up all through tho proceedings, although sur- ' rounded..with Mnsiderabie.:,difficulty,:has';V. ;; been in tho best interests of tho.board, ... - and :I trust' will- meet", withrthe-approval : of the-members.;: ! have maintained that ' . ' any.ideviation'''.or/ variation' of-: th©; tenns;:: ''":! of tho'contract.'or even the determination' ■' .. of- tho work must oome' from'.tho con- ' ' • tractors themselves, and must bo. uncon-.. ; . ditional. Further ' interviews . followed,, , . and on ' September:' 2: the' : icontractora"'.wrote to tho board abandoning the. con- . ' tr'aot;'.'" :/i J:- ' The Board's Recent Decision. "A special meeting of the board'was ""V-.. summoned to consider, this letter of aban- .'. . doiiment, and on September-.20 the board .-' -i' passed the. following resolution:—'While-. .. •. the board has been advised that-the contract entered into by the board and the .'; contractor is quite capable of perform- .- . . ance, tho board resolves that in view of ' • tho letter received from tho contractors, . •:. the boird mU > ''it..^e''hec^i7;'l^laHve't > authority be obtained'-freeing the board" ' •; "-. from all responsibility and liability, re- ;y ::J.'®S lease tlie" contractors and' their sureties;' -. • tho contractors making' no claim against -V S'.?i tho. board, such release to be immediately : . . entered into and hold until the necessary : : ■ • • .. legislation, is passed... S-'Si-M:;:;?, Total Expenditure. — . "The total expenditure on account of tho -; . '• dock to dato is .£32,957, made up as -fol-~- ' :lows:—^V: £ e d. Dredging 16,378 - 0 11 . :- Payments ,13,632 10 0 ■ :' . Other expenses, supervision, :.•;; ;:Js}? plans, etc 2,916 0 0 Total £32,957 0 To which has to : be added about £5902 : 'y for: contingent liabilities, making a total of .£38,557. and the. liability on the con« .. .". tract is The contractors' state ' . .:■ that their books shoiv a debit up to the- : . present of, in round figures, .foO.GOD. • '.- . Novel Method of Work. "I do not know that it is necessary for' - me to express any-opinion "as to whether it is "possible to carry • out tho work in: with: the conditions laid down, •: i e is -rather a matter for exports toy consider .and decide, but I may say that . • the method adopted is qnito. new A and novel. We have no experience to guide : , ' us, and it must be largely'speculative as ; i to .the. results, no work of: the kind being. carried out:: under similar conditions. . -. I'hat 'being so, one cannot help syinpa-. thising lvith tho contractors, who hav<lost a very, largo sum of money over the -. '~ transaction. I have my. own opinion on the; subject, and liave all".;along been" op- . ; -. ■ posed to the site at Clyde Quay, which" T.- -' ■ believe' to be tho most unsuifablo that could have been selected -in the whole •• ' harbour. -> Agreement Signed. "In ..terms of the resolution passed by : •' : : r " tho board on September 20 in regard to' :. ..'. releasing the -contractors: and ■' their':sure^ ties, they making no olaim against tl^e

/ ■' boaid, ; the/agreement has been duly on- ;:. . tered into and signed by/the parties cori- . corned, and .will bo hold pending legisla- /."/ tiori, the terms of which I trust the board will approve, and is herewith submitted:— - , "1. Postponement of tho work for / the -///./present/ '/-. "2. Malting the'/building of. the . dock ://.optional, instead of mandatory.. ."3., Vesting certain lands in the board.- .= / -/■ Setting, , free / for other works the balance of the unexpended: dock moneys now ■hold in that fund. /-" "5./ Provision ifor reserving and setting ./aside .£250,000 out of ,the-million loan'au- ' .thorised by the Act of 1908 for the con- (( /('.; itruotion of a' dock, when necessary. / What Might Have Been. "Under the "VWellington Harbour. Board "Act,.; 1902, Airiendmcnt Act; :%/ 1i)03,/the board was directed/to set aside I: /;. out of the total sum authorised to be bor- - . rowed; under the .1902 Act .£250,000, to be :'/.'■; placed to the credit of a- special account, •to : be called the 'dock fund account,' ,/ (- .whioh/sum was/to bei spent exclusively in /.,- 'the 'ycbnstruction/ -of/ a graving dock;, '(//Therefore,/presuming that.Messrs. ; M'Lean /(-' and'. Son had carried out their contract, the cost of tho dock, apart •: from'-work-■V,/ shops',: machinery; etc., would/be, close, on .V/f/i300,000. v -: Approximating 'the/total cost .//■with. the annual '.- charges would be:— / - / v :/> ) r ,( / Interest/ on .£350,000, ".at 4i ; per /•:/'• /(/(/ .Vcerit.' : per.aimum ; -■W,875 'f;; Sinking^Fund at .1. per cent, per annum '. 3,500 Depreciation.. ,£350,000, at 1. per' / y cent. per annum .../ 3,500. \ . Total at GJ per cent, per .-' / ' /■*(/;.,.. ..annum..-:.£21,875 - ■ To'.this .would proljably have' tO'be added ' /Z? th& loss on working, which, at a low esti-' ' , mate,; would -be a further per an•"'num. ; The board would'theri'ibe" I ,called, Z upon'to find,from J;20,000 to per annum with, the' dock' complete/ and ' in ■:.;/ ; working order. : //(/:'/.((/;/' :;li(i/.-, / - //'//'/■, 1 An Emphatic "No."' ■/// /"' : '^he'question ii"theni port af-. V:l ford-at the 'present .time .to carry, such a ; ■/.' burden 'as' I have/depicted? -In niy; °P:,nioii,: I /say emphatically, 'No,' and .while. : /"I'quite/.agrM; that .a doek' ; is/a .necessary^ ; ;if:./ adjunct :■ to awell-equipped/port,;io/build/ . a. dock at the •• present time/.wo.iud; ba to /. //'crush /the ./port ; /and . retard 'its [progress, ' )e g'//.well;-to. "seriously/consider /the/whole -quesr '■ tloii - and -tho -. advisability -. : of .. a >/: postponement / of i the , 'work,, : and / thereby , .rectify, what must surely , now /frecognised as ;a work' both costly, fi'-'travagant,, and /beyond the<ineans of ~tho v/:.V board. / / Let . us take last: year s opera- - " tions./ .'There was --a -ismall-. loss, .which /'had to be met by. aniincTeasiß of/chaigesi' >/rr-Theteit/surely;.:follows;H;hat'the .7 amount : -/ : ; 'Teqiiircd ; to meet the charges I - have quoted can only be -found iby/ stiU fur- -/,- ther -' increasing ; the ./dues on consignees '/" /.goods and • shipping tirid would be detri- //;■ mental/to/ every /interest, , fhe iboard not /,.,:; having, any rating /.area / or; /endowments. Against Higher Charges. : /:>'^^iiis : /;harhcuriof/,;ours'^ becomo' a great commercial and shipping centre, not a'.ono from its .vast' expanse '' of .water,;but from its/ gebgraphiciil situa- - ition, for nature - intended it to be one , ,',of .'tho finest harbours , iu the Southern //iiHemisphere;" ought,/ as/ the; ■;/ ; eentativ'es of ; ;tho/' people's / trust, • to bo /./ •careful' in; our administratiori ,of '.'their' /T:Wifaire./;.Thei : ] present; gen-;-";,v- ,-eraUy/ considered/"as/high; as/they should': / /and/ any further increase must, mili-; /.Z/|tate yfery//inaterially./against/. the reputa-; '■/ tion/ and , advancement of the. port' and ' city." ' - The Chairman's Motio'n. 1 In' conclusion;--tho' chairman .'moved: fc? /That the .prppo'sed.. legislation- ; re-// /'i •/• jard" to' .the gravi rig /dock, .as' set forth . : - .in the draft Bill. submitted by the :i&.'/;ioard's-. : solicitors,-\"be/ :^'appfoved/by;/the/.. ''S;///VoMd/arid./forwarded. .to./the//-Prime/.,; .' Minister, arid that ho bo asked to • :i^6tV'the;ibqa^d;.iin./'obtairiing 'during • • -i//?/:'ihe/prtMnt/session' -the/'legislation'dri- A :////sited// ; Z >/«//A : /Z W /,/.;: '.' . .'). - ', - /:"•/ . ■ , -V *'' A Point of Order. ; ■//£/giv^/'^:-. ; /'?,';//V Zc J ' ! '• "//';.:;//// '/'f '/' /'.'. 'The point ofV order';.WM •disallowed/ byithe chairman. 'A Word for the Contractors. /../'/ ■Mr. Mi/Cohen seconded the motiou. Ho ' said /he'; had from tho outset been a strong /opponent of. the. dock- project. Tho / /public would /now- l r'ealisß ; that tho board / Shad been .'.right in. keeping very; close :'' J :;!ieomt 'raising ;:fof/ pdrt;-. : cliargfes'' - to : tHe/ 'Teinarked ; /'i'/rof/fithei/same/ kind . /would/ .'follow,- ; ifthe! . . .work were, still to -go';on. : He thought , wis... on - the /wrong 'site. The lioard would have •tho opportunity, later/of. purchasing tho • - Patent-Slip,Zand, that would ' be the i ■1} proper/ place; for/ a -graying dock, '/if one v requiredi / He ,was satisfied- that the hardship arid • their' request to . bo' relieved of'the con-/-toact'iVasduealtogetherfco-tliat- circum/' / etance. ' •■ Ho thought, the board should ; -jiot go to the ' bitterest end and claim , tho i^VMiate®idlilrft ; '''by^the?coritractord'./''6ii/ : the; -' . jground, as'proposed.' The material would' '. ibe. of.rio present u<x> to the board,' but. ;/Z/)might be : useful:.'to:'. coritractore; //.The: ///"jpubliij/had;-pound : for/satisfaction in bejj;: ungrid -of an. incubus. • ' . An Objector. /z 2 Mr. . P. 'G.z Bolton said he. considered . //thiat sb;'imj)ortant"a/inatter .re.quired'more'- //■! deliberation 'than/it had;received;;- .'.lt-; /. ' (been, rushed. /Neither-he, rior/as far as ■ •ho knew, any other'member of-the board r !had / had / 'rio'tice that the : question; . ~ -would come- up at' that meeting, until . that evening's paper came out. Apart ~ from the point- of order, the;motion'pro-: ..'posed- was one of,such, a nature that : /. members /should/have ■ had / full' notice of j itrv/ .He/ considered;'that the chairman's", statenient-that the'trouble at tho Works • '-was/iricreased; by' :silt was ill/advised,.:and • s io-did not agree with it. It'was un-,;/"'j-wise';to:?say - 6\ich'Va thing/ while/the/matv .Her /was still sub judice. . :/v /;:•:■ >. / :. The chairman: I'm prepared ; to - take / "the responsibility. // // ;';/ /.- /, Mr. ; Bolton went on to reiterato liis dis- ./'. Bent, from the resolution, passed, at the' ;./'; iast/i'-mefifirig;'.,to /contractors;/ . •. The board:had;gone the wrong way about ;-;//jit.-'//Befdre; deciding./whetherto; release'/ ■ : .,/ ; ;!thei'coritractors",or/not,, the '.board should • 'iave decided whether they .wanted tho // Vrfock.-/or/not.//They/ had ..not'/faced'' that. ; ';Z -iquMtioni - / The/ position of the / sureties—: (KHwo:/ substantial' geritlemeri at'^BlOiOOO: ' eachhad n'ot.-.beeri/fully ; cphsi4ered. In TOr ; v; / ileasing. the .contractors,/the'Vboard/, had, /. /practically decided /.against;; /having 'a dock. . /-■ </// /:'/' Jlr. Tewsley: No. ' : ■ */ ////Mr.; Bolton :/ Then we/ are riot doirig-: our. duty .as trustees, for - tho public. He had ,liimsell zMmewhat ;of /an iopen mind on : : : question,- and I ho would liavo liked: to 1 fall/the expert/ evidence, -that Oould ; .'have been got. ... ... .' /' The Concrete Difficulty. ' -It .wasznot .proved /that the. method of /: - coristructiori emplpyed/' was impracticable. . ' -'/A dock 'had . been laid down in the Detroit River,-;-Wft. under; water/ (instead / . of .40 at ...Te.. Aro),' and - quite' 'successfully. The difference between fresh'" and/ salt, water did not: matter'. ,"/-,' ,■ '/ // . ' ' The; chairman../ Messrs- ■ M'Lean/' .were / . "using jiist the same/method a few' months ago. Mr.'/Bolton. qaoted nuriierous; details as' '.?.->;-W-what'';yis.z,doii« ; i Jn'-'thei-ilteJ6reit;-BlTer,'- / /: and ; . said - he did: riot- believe . that the, same methods',-we.ro/emplbyed' hero. Thoso who v ;condemned, the (lock/policy on / tho r'ty expeHence . of other :ports did not mako '• ' ';/-allowances for, natural differences .and the (/-'-.-/.-possibilities: of. the future.; There were three parties 1 who "had .not been. ; fairly considered in'this matter—(l) tho general i public of /Wellington,:who always under- : .//stood/that a/dock.was to be erected; (2) -. the people whose lands in- Grainger . '/. Street were taken for! "a public purpose"; and '(3) .the Harbour Board lessees, who had been induced to take up land in the / vicinity by/the prospect of the dock. He was one of the latter, but it happened that his land would'be more valuable /without the dock, The. board would lose all thei money it: had spent. .Ho.supposed the hole would be filled up, 'and what had been done would be of doubtful / value to the /board. . Tho plant, /which Mr. Cohen wished the 'board to abandon ,- to the contractors, was valuable,"and included electric motors, derricks, and valuable piles. Tho article about. the ■ Detroit deck,' which he -had already . quoted from a technical journal, had

I been .shown by liim to somo of tho largest firms dealing with-concrete, and they.had agreed that it throw a'new light on the subject, ami showed that/tho method of construction was practicable. He also referred to expert evidence in favour of the site. He was strongly against tho motion. : Not "Rushed," • Mr. C. W. Jones protested against Mr. Bolton's statement that the question had been rushed. It had been moro carefully considered than any ■ other/subject that had been before the board whilo he hod been a .member.' He supported tho motion. '-. ■ ' Mr. J. W. M'Bwan also supported the motion./,Ho .thought"/all.i,the members, except Mr.. Bolton, who had stated, the contrary, knew 1 that the- subject would come up that night. / The board would be : justified, ; from every possible, point of .Wow, in postponing tho building, of a 1 dock. /; ' 1 ' ' ' /•Mr: 'J; G. Harkness said , ho- had \long desired, the aboard .to . take/ the- step it was now taking. It: was conferring a boon ,on the community. Ex-Chairman's Views. , , Mr. T. 51. Wilford, M.P., said, that, during: 'his > two years'- chairmanship," no question gave him so muolr concern as the statutory .'obligation to ; construct a dock .which he. and ; the members " saw, would entail standing charges. The question; as it' appealed to them at the time was- how to '-abandon'/the 'work■'■.without approaching tho contractors. To go to the contractors Would/have weakened the. board's position, and; the board therefore stood . firm upon (,the engineer's'/report. When the "laitanco" trouble, arose, theboard, rather;.- reluctantly allowed, a sus-' pension. •/ One result of. the present policy l would be that\that-: suspension, 'would have cost the, board nothing. Mr. Fletcher was now able to carry' out what lie. (Mr. "Wilford)/' woiiM have .liked to do, and, he .' was /doing/it in; a: manner .that rejected . credit upoii-rliim; ; He { regretted the loss . to. Messrs,'/ M'Lean 'and Sons. -.Probably 1 .£30,000; would not cover it; but the board had to mako the best bargain it/ could -for the ,/ public. The / money, set -aside : for the . dock' had been earmarked for , tlie/purpose, and it was "a .proper' arrangement,' as proposed ; ih/the ' Bill, ithat. that /money,.: which' had' :been : raised.' on; excellent/ terms,. should -be - devoted' to other.' necessary.; purposes,/and the board / should; be / allowed to ' dsjoto,, ■^250,000/of/the//loan'/moneys-authorised; by; Parliament, but :-not yet" raised,/to the/construction/of za\dock, if "such' were, decided upon'at-some future'time. >'i Chairman's Motion Carried. • ' Tho chairman,' replying to Mr. Bolton, said .that, the/'present'/ board 1 had,' not'' had to consider .whether a dock should ; .'l^''' l /cpißtrt'cte'd//V;'The.:;'jqiiesti6n:.<that'^hiwl i and"-'decided-',■.■was'--', thatof postponing the work.! He /realised .tho: value, of a dock' to .a/ port, "but if tho Wden/would; .'as .;'he held; 'cripplethe board and tho port, it was/ undoubtedly wise to 'postpone it. • ;■ . -■/;//'/' . Tho motion was carried, Mr. Bolton dissenting. -. //'•:/ ■' //.'./:■'./ ->"/"/ ;■ / : ' ■■/;', ■/..'/