HARBOUR AFFAIRS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, 31 March 1905, Page 2

HARBOUR AFFAIRS.

COST OF DREDGING,

The following statement was placed before the Harbor Board last night : Return showing cost, repairs, maint-en ance and wages of dredger, John Towoley —lnitial cost, 418,300, 1902 ; wages, £874 ss; coal, ,£327 16s 7d ; Williams and Kettle, 41147 6s ; Davys" and Third, ,£132 15s 7d ; miscellaneous, £lO7 7s 9d ; total! £1389 10s l!d; spoil, 4385yds rock, 19,000 yds mud ; total, 23,385yds at Is 2Jd per yard. 1903 : Wages, £986 14s 9d; coal, £603 6s 4d; Williams and Kettle, £l9l 9s 9d ; Davys and Thirds £402 18s 3d; miscellaneous, £344 9s 7d; total, £2528 18s 8d; spoil, 10,095yds rock, 23,395yds mud ; total, 33,490yds at Is 6 1-Sd per yard. 1904: Wages, £9lO 33 ; coal, £709 10s; Williams and Kettle,£2s4 6s 3d; Davys and Third, £123 0s 8d ; miscellaneous, £440 11s 6d; total £2437 11s sdspoil, 1350yds rock, 38,345yds mud; tctal, 39,695yds at Is 3fd per yard. Note: This 'includes total paid for coalj but does not include anything for depreciation, blasting material or share or blacksmith’s expenses. .- " Small dredger, total expences for 1904 Wages, £329 Ss Id; Williams and Kettle, £23 6s 3d; Davys and Third, £43 17s 9d; Brown, £l9 9s 3d; miscellaneous, £8 4s 6d; total, £424 3s lOd. Waikanae reclamation—Wages for 12 months, ,£316 7s 3d; grand total, £740 11s Id. Amount of spoil, 4600yds rock, 375yds mud; total, 4,975yds at 2s Ilfd per yard. , Blasting punt, 1904.—Total of men’s wages, £504 2s lid. Explosives. —Paid Messrs Williams and Kettle, 1903, £234 4s 5d ; Messrs Williams and Kettle, 1904, £266 7s 9a ; total, £SOO 12s 2d. Blacksmith’s shop, 1904.—Expenses : Amount of wages 10 months and a week, £278 4s 3d; paid Messrs Williams and Kettle for materials, £389 73 61; paid Messrs Chambers and Son, £3 15s 2d; paid.smithy coal, £lO 2s 6d ; total, £BBI ,8s sd. Air Sievwright said he did not suppose they intended going into the statement now.

' The Chairman said he would read it, and then members could make any comments or suggestions or take time to study the figures, a copy being supplied to each member. ; After the .statement had been read, Mr Whinray said their thanks were due to the staff for the trouble taken to present the position to~ them as clearly as possible. The statement gave him pleasure, as the figures showed that the position was not so formidable as they had been led to I believe by happenings at different times. Mr Clark said the statement gave him j

| no pleasure." They found that in“ 1904 the John Townley, which was obtained specially for the making of permanent improve-' monte, had taken out 1350 yards of rock; the small dredger had lifted 4600. When the various expenses were charged up they would find the amount came to considerably more than Is 2Jd per yard. It seemed to him the figures were quite misleading. ' . ; •• •

The Chairman explained that the differonce in the amount of rock handled by the two dredges was accounted for the fact that rook was kept specially for the little aroagor so that it could bo used for re« clamafcion work. *

Mr Clark: Our idea was not to make reclamation when wo ordered the John Townley.

The Chairman said they could not | “'ways do as they liked. 'The idea, no doubt, was to commeuco towards the mouth of the river and work tip, but that was found impracticable, as when the rock was covered with sand, sometimes to a depth of several feet, blasting could not ho carried on ; then the dredger had to be -kopt at work to the best advantage. Xn reply to a question' the secretary statod that , tho expense of blasting, etc., had .been kept separate from, tho otho’r

expenses given. It was agroed to let tbo subject stand over until numbers had had more time to examine the returns. The Chaiamaa said one disappointment to him was that toe dredger had to ioso bo much time in going so far out with the spoil.