HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1661, 30 January 1906, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

Tho monthly meeting of tho Harbor Board took place yettorday afternoon, there being present: Messrs Sievvvright (in tho chair), Harding, Whinray, Lyannr, Matthowscn, Clark, and Captain Tucker In response to a requost from tbo manager of tho Westport Coal Company it was deoidod on the motion of Mr Lysnar that in reaeipts for payments made tho name of the rcooivor, on beha'f of tho Board, should bo attached to tho recoipt, as woll as the Board’s stamp. Tho secretary said that if all receipts had to bo initialled an extra olork would be required, but Mr Lysnar said it was neoossoiy to have all jOvO'pts initialled as woll as stamped to know who was tbs receiver. Mes?rs Teat aud Friar wrote pretesting against having to pay storage, 8s Bd, for gtoJs haul od on a Wednesday, for which i thoy had no invoico until Saturday, too | lata to pass entry for same. It was re- i solved that no tofund oould bo granted, f and the opinion was expressed that tho firm neglecting to send the invoice should £ bo applied to for the storage fee. l BATHING SHEDS.

Mr J. C. Nisbott wiote ask'ng leave to eroot a bathing shod on tho river frontage of his property, Whataupoko. Mr Lysnac said thoy should not allow anyone to put buildings below higkwater paark. They should permit tho placing of jetties or wharfs. Ho moved permission bo refused.

Captain Tuoker moved an amendment that tho Board grant tho request on tho understanding that Mr Nisbett should remove tho shed at a week’s notico if asked by the Board. Mr Lysnar said it would shut out the tho beauty of the river. Captain Tucker: Exactly what I am after. It will hide the unsightly, disgusting mudflats. The Chairman said ho would have to vote against the motion. If they established a precedent it would be diffioult to draw a lino. Already they were allowing onoroaohmont on tho foreshore, and perhaps allowing it to slip out of their hands by lapse of time. Tho amendment was lost on tho Chairman’s oasiing vote, Means Whinray, Lysnar, Clark, and tho Chairman votiDg against

FINANCES. Tho Publio Trustee wrote forwarding acoouats for past- year, and advised that of tho reserve fund £I6OO was now available for investment. He wiabed to know if the Board oould recommend eecurity for the inoome balance of the sinking fund available, £3soo.—Referred to Finance Committee.

SAND PUMP. A long disouseion took place on Mr W. aooount for £1193 for the sand pump, consideration of which had been deferred. Captain Tuoker aaid the question was as to whether it eonld be profitably used by them ; be thought it oould, for they must seek some lass expensive means than the present, by which so much time was lost in taking mud ont to sea. Mr Whinray said ho understood tbo obief stuff now to be removed was papa rook.

Mr Clark said they should now get a marine engineer to report as to the spoil requiring to be removed before a certain depth was reachod. Mr Nelson's pump, be considered, was only a toy as compared with a proper suction pump, and even with it they would have to get the spoil taken away, as with the grab dredge. Mr Hepburn held a like view, adding that in worbiDg near the wharf there would be no place to oast the spoil. The Chairman agreed that an engineer’s report should be obtained. He would favor purchasing the pump if it would serve their purpose. Mr Matthewson said they should study their means before engaging an engineer. He did not think the sand pump would be • of much uss owing to the difficulty of ' getting rid of the spoil. Mr Clark it had been decided years ago to getjan engineer’s advice. Mr HardiDg said that the sand pump would be of no use in the channel near the wharves. They had two toys already, and wanted a better return for their money. When the channel was deep enough to briog large boats in, the flat opposite the wharf would be needed for a basin, , - Captain Tucker moved that tho sand pump be purchased, provided the Board had use for it. —-Mr Lyimar said he thought they should not hastily decide the matter. Their aim should be to make the best use of the river. They wanted a better return for their money than would be obtained from the wretched dredge ” John Townley, There ahouli ba no repetition of that dose, and even if they had to pay more they should

get meffctia of doing ibe work properly* Ha did not believe they were going to obtain a big scheme Within the river. Captain Tucker said he had not heard any of the captains of the big steamers holding a belief that large boati would be brought in regularly. Mr Hepburn said that in the Yarrathey bad 40ft depth off the breakwater. The Chairman said that by next meets iog they woald need to consider the releasing of the balance of the loan money to spend on iDiproviDg the inside harbor. It wbs resolved cn the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Clark, that before dealing with the question of purchasing Mr Nelson’s pump the Board obtain a report from a competent marine engineer on the question of river improve- ... TCaptain Tucker suggested that Messrs Grant, Matthews, aod Teesdale have .!l“_ e fj

tions submitted to them. Me consiuoi these.gentlemen were cup ible of making the necessaty calculations. . , 'Mr Whihray held that a ° ol '§ ir I ® Br more extended experience should be on* tained to report. It was evident that they would never be able to get big boats mto the river. He moved that Mr Leslie Reynolds be the engineer appointed. Mr Sievwright moved that the l en SL ne JL r Auckland Harbor Board, Mr W. Hamer, be aeked to report in terms of the resolutions, but withdrew it on learning that Mr Hamer could not come. Mr Matthewaon seconded Mr Wb inray a motion. If they were going “ nt ?‘ de h “! Leslie Reynolds was unioubtedly the best

maria© engineer taae couia do Me Lysaar said' that they wanted advice upon the oheapo3t method ot nan ling the spoil, and the best maobmery available within their means. The Btatd decided to appoiQj Mr Hoy nolde to oome uni report. Me Warwick wrote offering hi. BCtviee. to the Board as a diver.-Reecived. Mr Blakey wrote in reference to toe salo of the “ John Townley.” Th 9 Boa-d decided that bo be autho rised to sell at £7OOO in terms of his aUnmn Khpfiofarmers’ Frozen

The Osborne Bumpiaiuic.. Meat Company wrote complaining of the berthing accommodation at tho w b ftr f, . The Engineer was instructed to attend to the matter. . The New Zealand Mil ers Association wro'.o forwarding claim for flour thort landed by the Wanaka. The letter was a'lowed to ho on tne table, the matter having been dealt with 1 at a. previous meeting. _ _ .

A petition was rcoeived from the Westport Coal Company, Kennedy, Evans and ' Co, and eight other merehont and carting grma, asking that a • eductions be made in the prohibitive obarge of 6J por load for woighing ocal and goods passing over the drawbridge to 3d. They considered the Board would be amply repaid by tho extra use which would be made of the draw bridge in consequence. The secrotary statod that lest year the , , Ir. ,<?rq in. fil

woighbridge fees amounieu i 0 *uo iuj uj. 'The weighbridge keeper was paid £lO4 a year. On Mr Lysnar’s motioD, the Overseer was authorised to report to cost meeting, on the cost of a now weighbridge suitable for weighing waggons, or to shift the other bo that if* would take a waggon. The Ha r bor Board Association wrote acknowledging the Board’s letter ro Tua* bine lighthouse. If they could give any assistance they would fce willing to do so. The Government had taken up a strong position in regard to coastal lights, con* they should be kept up by JSfc ’(s&*** -nder whoto juriadt\est I I M&TAW- .rOBFS

(pojftod : "Soundings taken In the channel oa the 27tb inst., with now tido gauge at zero, aro—Bud of broakwator 10ft Sin, third bollard from end B't 2n, Snark’s landing 6>fc Olu, big crane 6ft lOin, Wa!» kanao 7ft, off stookyard 7ft 2ln, balf-way along wharf 7ft. The total shipping working in tbo port for the 12 months ondod December 81st, 1905,-were—Steamora 899, nett registered tonnage 524,850; sailing i ships 121, nelt registered tonnage 12,869; total, 620 vo'sols of 687,219 nett tonnage, boiug an increase on last year of 10,451 tons. During rho 12 months to Deoembtr I

Slst, 1905, tho moorages oollootod by no from vessels using the wharves totsllod £365 2s 61, and small boat lioonses £1 s'. I Since last mooting tho stoamor arrivals I wero 5-1, departures 61; sailing ships, I arrivals 18, departures 16. Stmo of tho I oartors have been takiug sand from above high-water mark o t tho Waikanaa beach. I Most of them have boon spoken to about I this. I thiuk if they wero compelled to I

get an order from the Borough Oounoil or Harbor Board thoy would lake tho sand from whero they aro told to gat it.” A statement was attaohed showing that 69 ships had usod the wharves since last meeting, tbo amount collected being £47. Mr D. MoLaed. Oversoer, roporlod:— I “ The John Townley has takon 12 loads of spoil to sea during tho, month, five

IU out* UUllUfif «iv loads of which wore rock. She was taken on to tho slip on Dooomber , 22nd, and lauuohed on January 19tb, having undergone a thorough overhaul. The dismantling of tho Hercules crane is in hand, and should be woll advauood during tho coming month. Tho rockcuttor is working I satisfactorily. Wo are cutting the rock down to 13ft 6iu below our low water

mark, and are now working 500 ft in,from the end of tho broakwatsr, loaving when dredgod a straight channel of 50ft wide. The work of clearing snogs out of the upper reachas of the Waimata river, as

ordered at your list moating, ia finished; cost of whioh is as follows: Wagoa £2O 14s 4d, 11 days’ uso of punt and tools at 5s per day £2 153, explosives 40s, super' vision 60s, £5 ; total £2B 9j 4d. The

boiler for small drodgar sent to Niven and 00. for repairs is to band, and is being got roady for work. The grab has been thoroughly overhauled and strengthened. The small dredger will thus in two or three days being in good working order. The punt lent to Nelson Bros, is urgently required to keep small dredgor constantly lifting brolson rock. Savonty-throe yards of I

beach shinglo has been received and spread on road back of town wharf this month. Soundings as ordered at your last meeting have been taken as follows ; From outer end of breakwater to inner end of western training wall, three lines of soundings within a rad,us of one chain in a straight line, one-half a chain apart, showing depths at low-water to sand and to rock ; also from top end of groyne to upper end of town wharf one line of soundings half a chain apart; showing

depths at low water. Altogether a very substantial improvement has taken place along the outer end of the river since your last meeting, apart altogether from dredging, showing, as I have already twice reported, that the groyne has effectually cut off the sand, and, as I said before, the sand will continue to diminish until there is none left. When in Auok- , land I bad a good look at the 1 Fero concrete ’ work going on there. I was very Toll IVf v fTomo, tka Rmr.l’o

w uii ueuuiicu uy iuc uumur, tuu duuiu o engineer, who gave ms a letter to Mr RobertaoD, general manager of the FeroConcrete Company, and was introduced by him to Mr Moore, their chief engineer, who showed me ail over the worke.” The Harbormaster’s recommendation that the Borough Council be asked to take steps to prevent carters taking eand from above high water mark wa3 adopted. Mr Harding gave notice to move at next meeting that the Board deal with the question of salaries.