HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 161, 19 July 1901, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

An - adjourned meeting of the Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present: .Messrs" Towniev (Chairman), Hepburn, Matthewson, Cooper, Clark, Whinray and Captain Tucker. ■ The Chairman said that the first business after reading the minutes would be to discuss Captain Tucker’s motion, •' That I in the opinion of this Board a harbor such | as contemplated in the Gisborne Harbor Act, 1834, cannot be made inside the river. The Board, therefore, must take into consideration how to procure the construction of a harbor outside the river suitable for yessels of over 12ft draught, ’ which was seconded pro forma by Mr Macfarlane. Mr Whinray: I think Captain Tucker only introduced it—he has not spoken. Captain Tucker said he had nothing j I further to say until making his reply. | Ife had said sufficient to elicit the opinions i of others. I Mr Cooper .said they had sufficient on hand at present. Where was the money to come from '! The district would nut be in a position to construct a harbor of refuge for thirty years. If Captain Tucker would say where the money was to come from it would save time. Captain Tucker: I have said over and over that I have no scheme. Mr Hepburn was of the same opinion as Mr Cooper. Let them finish their present scheme, trying to get vessels up to loft draught, and go in for something larger afterwards. Mr Matthewson was thoroughly in

accord with the motion, hut said he could urge nothing that lie had not urged over and over again for many years. They might let the question of site pass —they knew that was wrong. They had the opinions of a great many engineers. They had taken .Mr Napier Bell's opinion as the leading one. He said they might get a harbor to give a depth of 10 or 12 feet of water.

Mr Cooper : 12.1 feet at low water. Mr Mathewson said they must take the depth at low water to make sure of it. All they could get would be occasional coal vessels.

I .Mr Hepburn : 12ft at low water means I 0 inches more at high water, j Mr Mathewson said he would admit all | that; but they knew that the size of j vessels was increasing throughout the ! world. Sailing vessels were being done j away. Our main exports must be sent in larger vessels. They would find out that in a few years they must have accommodation for large vessels, ff they had (>oft instead of 16ft in the channel it would be an enormous expense to keep it cleaned out; they would not have Union boats coming in. For one thing there would be the loss of time. They should provide against vessels passing by. No matter what depth of water there was in the river they could not have got a vessel in on Sunday. They muddled a great part of the loan. Mr Cooper: And wo will muddle the rest of it if we go your way. The Chairman said that there was Xr>7,ooo in hand, besides the sinking fund.

Mr Matthcwson : We should carefully guard that for necessary future work. Mr Cooper : Have you got half a million to work on Mr Matthcwson : Wo don’t want anything like that. It could bo done for about X'loo,ooo, but you can call it a million if you like —we will require the work in time. Mr Cooper: We have had enough of tliiss tinkering. Mr Matthcwson said they had embarked on the river scheme, and should see what improvement they could make with the new dredge. The Chairman : That is what wo want to do. Mr Matthcwson said they should firmly keep in hand the rest of the loan money. There were always insidious cherts made to release just a little. They should release no more for river improvements. Mr Whinrny said it was quite evident they would eventually have to accommodate vessels that could not call now. There was" no doubt the site was in the

wrong place. For the present they should do the best they could with the dredge, having in view that in the future they must provide a larger work. A committee was to have gone into the charges ; it had been shown that there had been no real reduction, the ratepayers were saddled with a heavy impost. Wharfages charged amounted to .Cs,ooo. As to engineers, they must use some of their own judgment, and not leave everything to engi-

neers. He was going to move for a return as to what had actually been ex-

pended on the river works since they were commenced the balance - sheet only showed money spent out of loan. Though there might be some little less charge in the lightering the ihnposts at the wharf hud brought that up- to double what it was. The work'in hand must be com-

pleted, but they must eventually have in view a larger work. Mr Clark said he would be with the motion to a certain extent. Ho believed the river should be deepened, but at - a cheaper cost, instead of pottering about with the old dredge. The Chairman : Wo have a new one coming. Mr Clark said yes, and they should stop all the expenditure until it did come, and then they should keep that working if necessary double shifts, to carry out Mr Napier Hell’s scheme. The old dredge, ho believed, only gave them 6sworth of work for every pound spent. As to the new wharf that might well be left until they saw the effect of the new dredge on the river. In the Meantime they might, save the interest and the Gost of depreciation of the work. The Chairman said that it was difficult to know how to take the motion, it was so indefinite. He described Sir John Coode's scheme, and said that with the same expenditure on that scheme they would have about 2ft of water on the bar, the river not being improved ; they would have an iron viaduct, the machinery and a little pier with no protection. The trade of the port would have been carried out at ureat expense. The lighters would lia\ c had to go out the night before to tranship cargo. °As it was now, they had erected expensive wharfage, and could get vessels in at 10ft to lift depth, which was very different to what would have been the ease had the harbor contemplated by Captain Tucker

Captain Tucker : I rise to a point of order. I never said I contemplated any harbor ; you should not put such words into my mouth.

The Chairman : Well, the harbor contemplated by the Act. Members say that there lias been no benefit. Mr Matthewson : No—even I will admit there has been some benefit.

The Chairman said that freight on general merchandise had been reduced from 25s to 17s 6d a ton, and lighterage was reduced in proportion. On 15,000 tons of goods that meant £5623 a year. In addition there was 3) million feet of timber imported, the freight on which had been reduced over a shilling, making another clear gain of £’looo, a total of nearly £'7ooo. And then, if the improvements did not exist there would be a great difference made by the present legislation in regard to wages; the lighters would have to go out much earlier, and there would be that difference to pay in overtime. Mr Whinray said the reduction in freight was brought about by competition, and had nothing to do with river improvements.

The Chairman : They are largely responsible for it. Mr Whinray : I fail to see it. Continuing, the Chairman quoted Mr Napier Bell’s report to the effect that with the groyne the river would scour to 12ft depth. If that was so, what could be done by energetic dredging '? They could not realise the possibilities. As to wharf accommodation there was not sufficient. The captain of one of the colliers had absolutely refused to come back, although promised a cargo, as ho had been detained two or three days for want of wharf accommodation. Mr Matthewson : That shows wo want accommodation outside. The Chairman : It shows that the accommodation is wanted in the river ; she came into the river. Ho urged that they should push on with the present improvements and get the most out of the dredge they could when it came. Ho believed they should now be having the Omapero in if the dredge were at work. 11c did not want to seo more expenditure until the dredge came. (Hear, hear.) When the. £IO,OOO was allowed for they would have £57,300 yet in hand, in addition to the sinking fund. He was sure that no one would accuse him of wanting to squander the loan money. Captain Tucker said it seemed that after all there was not any great difference. They all seemed to believe in river improvement. He took the Chairman’s idea to bo that lie would not press for further expenditure after the river improvements were completed. Ho was not against river improvement. He desired to go as far as Mr Napier Bell advised. Mr Cooper : iio do I. Captain Tucker, continuing, said that what ho objected to was any attempt to give out that they expected to make some grand scheme out of this river work. But what was the fullest extent ? The Chairman : There is not to bo any limit. Captain Tucker: Well, I join issue with you there. Mr Cooper: I back you up there. Let us stick to Napier Bell —12) feet of water. Captain Tucker went on to quote Mr Boll’s report, stating that it reiterated over and over that that the depth was 12 feet, and lie would not even go the six inches asked by Mr Cooper. Mr Hepburn pointed out that the reference was to low tide—l2ft, which would moan that vessels of 15 to 10ft could

come in. Captain Tucker said he understood. He was simply arguing that Mr Napier Bell did not tell them they could got any extensive river scheme. Mr Hepburn said he was merely pointing that out to prevent there being any misconception on the part of tho public reading the press reports. It should be clear that the 12ft reference was to low water. Continuing, Captain Tucker said he would stand on the sentence that the channel would clear to 10 to 12ft, and there would bo a small bar. What he wished to show was that they could not expect a depth of more than 12ft at low water. Ho (Captain Tucker) was not seeking to decry what had been done. Tho people should be thankful to tho Chairman for his energy and zeal, but all that would not got them beyond the 12ft, and they should make up their minds to do that as quickly and cheaply as possible. As to tho latter part of his motion, ho had no scheme ; he wanted to got the opinions of members, and found that there was very little difference between them. He wished it made clear that what they looked forward to and were aiming at, was that a depth of 12ft at low water should bo given. Tho latter part of tho motion might remain, though he might have drawn it differently had it not been done so hurriedly. It would not call on them to take any action now. But they should get out of their minds such ideas as that of Liverpool, Yarra, etc. The motion was carried unanimously.

The Chairman : All for it. Mr Hepburn : At somo future time. Captain Tucker : Quite right. Mr Clark : Some very future time, I am afraid, Mr Mattkcwson desired to move a resolution that no further loan money be trenched on, but the Chairman said that such a motion could not be accepted without notice. As it was to make such expenditure would require a resolution of the Board and an Act of Parliament. As to the wharf extension Mr Clark thought that the information they had gained since the Committee had reported should bo sufficient to make them leave the proposed work stand over, and thus save the interest and depreciation. The Chairman said that he would formally move that the tender bo opened. A Harbor Board should keep in advance of the trade and not drive it away. Ho instanced the way that Wellington kept in advance of the shipping. Ho believed that in the coming summer the whole of the wharfage would bo required. It might take six months to obtain timber. Extensive repairs were required to the old wharf. Mr Cooper seconded the motion, which, after somo discussion, was carried, -Mr Clark dissenting. The only tender received was that of Mr Trounson, 22s per superficial foot for totara and 16s for kauri (landed at Gisborne). On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Whinray, it was resolved to accept the tender, time of contract to date from the 18tli July, deposit of «Gl5O to be placed on trust in the Savings Bank. Tenders for supplies were left for the Engineer to report on.

Mr Clark asked if there was any further information as to the dredge. The Chairman said ho did rot believe ii would be in the water until the end r f next month. Mr Clark: Cannot we offer a bonus or something ? Captain Tucker said that it apparently would not make much difference, if the penalty did not. As to Mr Whinray’s motion for a return dealing with the expenditure on river improvements from ordinary revenue, it was agreed that a report dealing with the expenditure for ten j’ears past be prepared, to be presented at the meeting alter next.

Mr Whinray explained that his object was to see if they could not gain some reduction of the heavy charges made. In regard to the question of Home freights, the Chairman said that shippers would make no exception in a roadstead port. Referring to the Tauwharcparae, Mr Whinray said that he thought more might be made of that. It-was pointed out that there were only 1500 acres awaiting a tenant. Mr Whinray said he thought they should see if they could get a Government grant. Captain Tucker said they should try and get some reduction of the heavy Public Trustee charges, which seemed altogether disproportionate to the services rendered. The Chairman said that the worst feature was that the money was lying at such low rates of interest. He instanced

the experience of the Borough Council and the trouble it was put to by the Trust Oliiee formalities. The Council had to go elsewhere for the money, and the Trustee would continue to be getting ol per cent, when they could be getting 5 per cent. It was agreed that the subject should be kept in mind,