THE HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 4285, 20 November 1876, Page 3

THE HARBOR BOARD.

The special meeting of this Board this afternoon wag attended by Messrs Kcevca (ia the chair), Davie, Reid, Tewsley, M'Kinnon, M'JSTfcil, and Ritchie. The C.ißimittee recommended that apiece of ground, not to exceed in' extant one quarter of an acre, on the line of Castle street, between I.'attray street and Stuart ativet, be granted as a site on which to build a bailors' Home, provided that it does not mt'. rfi re with land that may be required by the General Government for railway purposes, and. that the site be used for a Sailors' Home only, aud for no other purpose or purposes, and not to be sublet without the authority of the Board, and further; that the Sailors' Home Committee binds itself to erect on it a good substantial structure witV out any unnecessary delay.—Consideration of the report was postponed till next meeting.

The Chairman remarked that it was now for the Board to detormine whether they should have a channel 300 ft wide, as proposed by the engineer, and wait, it might be six or eiyht yeais, for it; or whether

they should have a narrow channel, and so endeavor to bring up ships as early as possible, and afterwards dig out the larger channel. He could not see how there could be any danger to shipping in a channel 70ft wide by 30ft at the bottom, because they would be towed up on the top of the tide. He fancied Captain Thomson might possibly modify his views on this matter, if reasoned with. He himself had had some corversation with the captain of one of the largest steamers coming up here, and he gave it as his opinion that a channel 70ft wide, or, at all events, 100 ft wide, would be ample for the requirements of 1 unedin for a considerable time. The point was whether the Board was not justified in now determining to have a channel of the minimum width, or whether it wuuld be better to appoint a committee to take the evidence of some of the captains who came up the harbor as to the workability of this channel if it was made, and if their opinion was'favorable to call for tenders for the work. Every member of the Board must feel anxious to have a channel ulug out within a reasonable time. . Mr Reid was prepared to move a resolution, even at f-he risk of being considered an amateur engineer. What he had to propose was

That the engineer be requested to prepar-.- plana and specifications of the following works, with a view to tenders be'ng invited for the construction of the flame at the earliest possible date, viz.:— 1. Sp&'ific&tioiis for the erection of a timber trainii:sr wall, parallel to and at a sufficient distance from tbv edge of the proposed deep-water channel; the wull to ;>e of sufficient height to prevent tho dredge-1 mt.fceriul, to be deposited behind it, from beine -.gain washed into the channel. 2. Specifications for dredging a channel 18ft deep at low waler, arid 70ft wide at the bottom, the sides to be liroueht to a sufficient slope and the material taken from tho channel to bo deposited behind the training wall, and where the material deposited is above low-water mark to be trimmed to such slope and retained in position as the engineer may direct. (a) An alternative specification for dredging a channel as in No. 2, the material taken from the channel to be deposited within the limits known as the reclaimed area.

Tenders for dredging to he at per cubic yard of material removed, the same to bo measured in the solid before removal, aud the contractor to have tho use of the plant of the Board whilo the work is in progress. Also, an alternative specification (o) for dredging, as in No. 2; the material to be taken outside the Jleads.

That Messrs Beeves, M'Neil, Tewaley, and the a'over bo a committee to confer with the engineer in the preparation of specifications, and to arrange fotf inviting tenders.

Proceeding to comment upon the report furnished by the engineer to the Board at its last; meeting, he remarked that of course the less tidal area that was displaced the ■better. He believed all the engineers who had prepared plans for the improvement of the narbor made provision for a training wall. Mr Balfour's was a full-tide wall, and Mr Simpson made provision for a half-tide wall ; therefore the displacement in each case must have been considerable, though perhaps not to the same extent that this would be. But he pointed out tbat that part of the wall which was above high-water mark would not interfere with the tidal area. What appeared to him to be one of the strongest points in the engineer's report was that; the sand was liable to be blown back into the harbor. Butthatcouldbeprevented, even if they had to bind it with turf or clay. That was one of the weakest reasons that could be given against the proposal. It wou d be very hard to get him to believe that the expanse of protecting the side-slope with piling and fascines, in addition to the cost of forcing the material by shoots off to a safe distance, weuld cost more than the barge plan. In the first place, were they to reclaim they would want expensive works to put the material in. By his proposal, invitingalternative tenders, they would see what the contractors thought of it. If contractors were prepared to do it cheaply and expeditiously, by all means take that plan : but ha thought the difference between the cost of the two plans would be found to be remarkable. By the departmental reports, when the work was done under the Provincial Government under a toller or web system, discharging in shoots as now—the plan he always had in view, though whether shoots were better he was not prepared to say—it appeared that the cost was 3 l-10d per cubic yard of the working expenses. Mr M'Neil : Was that both lifting and depositing ? Mr Reid : Yes ; but were the cost double that for the work the Board were going to undertake, they would not complain of it. ■ With the endless web system, the dredges might be worked day ai.d night by shifts, so long as the piling of the training wall was put in in advance. Recurring to the matter of the displacement of the tidal area, he argued that if displacement was injurious in the middle of the ebannel, it was doubly injurious at the extremity where the whole of the water had to pass. The only prospect of getting this \i ork put in hind at an early date was in taking such a course as hb proposed. He did not say that the contract system was the best course, because he could conceive circumstances in which it might be far better to do the work under careful and reliable inspectors of works ; but rather than have the thing delayed he would agreo to have the work done by contract. °At Mr ? >avte's suggestion the alternative about depositing the dredged material outside the Heads was added. Mr M'Neil : I am prepared to second the motion at the proper time. Mr Tewsi-ey endorsed what Mr Beid had

said He only "wanted to mention that the Board had always at hand the plan proposed - to the committee by Mr M'Gregor, of taking oft the top*: of the sandbanks. Mr M'KlS>o N wished to move an amendment, though he had no hope of finding a seconder for it. The resolution seemed to be a very carefully Ctflde up thing among the Board. [Several Membbes : No.] At all events tho members all seemed to know pretty "Well about it. Mr Davie was not aware of what was in-

tended. Mr M'Kinnox : Seeing that the Board has sat Lere for three long years and never don fi anything, it is not right at the eleventh hour, when it is almost about to be out of existence, to take this step. I think we should be doing goinething we had no right to do. The Chaibmak : This does not- bind the new Board. Mr M'Kinnon : It does to a certain ex. tent. J move that no new work be undertaken by this iioard.

Mr M'Nbh thought a fleet deal of what foil from Mr Davie At the last meeting. The new Board might possibly thank this Board for taking the responsibility on their shoulders in. moving in what, -whether it proved well or otherwise, was certainly a step towards petting a channel. If they did not do this before they vacated their sea: b, it wa3 perfectly possible, as Mr Davie predicted, tbat the new Board might take twelve months discussing what should be done. It waa melancholy to see the Board sitting week after week and fortnight after fortnight, yet doing nothing. He was convinced that calliag for tenders for the work was the best plan. By that means they paid for what they got done and for nothing else. As to the thing being concocted between the members of the Board, it was nothing of the kind.

Mr M'Kinnon : You admitted yourself that you arranged to second it. Mr M'Netl : Since I came into the room.

Mr Ritchie contended that the Board, even at the eleventh hour, was entitled to do something which was an unmistakeable sign of worth rather than bequeath to the new Board the serious disadvantages and ills they had labored under.

A discussion here took place as to the proposed depth of the channel, Messrs Davie and Ritchie arguing that 16ft was sufficient, the latter stating that the majority of the ships that came into this port during the past two years had only drawn 16ft.

Mr M'Kinnon : The average is about 17ft. I think it a great pity to do anything, because the new Board might come to the conclusion—which I think would be a wise one to turn its attention to Taiaroa Head. To deepen that end of the harbor is where you should begin. Mr pointed out that from the inception of the Board its object was understood to be to make a channel from Port Chalmers to Dunedin and not from the Heads to Port Chalmers. * The Chairman was in favor of the motion, because the probabilities were that the smaller channel would be done in a short time. The. alternative tenders got over a difficulty he had. He thought a channel 50ft at the bottom would be ample. It would be made quickly, and so long a 9 it suited the requirements of trade here he did think anything else was needed. He failed to see that because the Board was _ about to expire it should do nothing ; and he pointed out that the resolution bound neither the present nor the new Board to anything; it only asked that tenders should be called for.

Mr Reid : I would like to add that, so far as I am concerned, if the tenders come in within the time, and are reasonable and satisfactory, they are being called with the full intention of them being accepted, otherwise tenderers will not take the trouble.

The Chairman : That will be distinctly understood. The Board will not simply rest satisfied with the information it gets, but will take action immediately if the tenders are considered reasonable.

Mr M'Kinnon waß just afra ; d of that. He repeated the Board should not do such a thing. The Chairman : I am quite of Mr Reid's opinion. If the tenders are reasonable, 1 shall make one to accept them. Mr M'Neil : I will make one. Mr Tewsley : And I another.

The amendment of Mr M'Kinnon not finding a seconder lapsed; and the resolutioh with the reduction of depth of channel from 18ft to 20ft passed, Mr M'Kinnon dissenting.