HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1709, 27 March 1906, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Board took plaoe yesterday afternoon. Pretest: Messrs Sievwright (in the ohair), Harding, W. D. Lysnar, Hepburn, Matthewsen, Whinray, Clark, and Captain Tucker. Mr Sievwright was olectol acting chairman during the absenoe of Mr Towoley at Rotorua, with authority to siga oheques. An adjournment was made on aocount of the funeral of the late Father Mulvihill, and at 3.45 business was resumed.

The Napier Harbor Boa-d, on Maroh Bth, enquired what steps the Board wire taking regarding the Exhibition at Ohristchurob.

The secretary said the Napier Bsard had voted £IOO, but unless there were validation the Public Revenues Aot only allowed them to vote £SO.

Mr Lysnar said that anything that helped the trade of the district should be enoouragel by the Beard. He moved that the Board vote up to £SO for any deficiency.

Mr Harding seoonded the motion, but preferred to have a definite vote ; they oould be assured it would not be used unless necessary.

Mr Lysnar agreed to altar his motion, jo that ap to £3O would be voted. “ Hook upon exhibitions as the gtoateat 'rand ever invented,” said Mr Matthewsou, I

“ bull am not going to oppose it if it will help people to send exhibits.”

The Chairman wanted to know to whom the money was to be banded over. Mr HatdiDg said that Messrs DeliauSour and Whioray were the leading epiri ts in the matter.

Mr Matthowson said if people wanted to exhibit their goods they should bear the expense.

Mr HordiDg said a number of people oould sake a good representation wboreas individuals urght not be able to do so. The motion was carried. Soundings token by Mr G. Grant for Mr Reynolds were supplied to the Board. Mr Grant wrote, staling Le took his observations of the tide readings on the Haiti gauge, and a'so levelled across the river from that gango to the one on the town wharf, tho latter bemg Ift 6in below the Haiti gauge. The tides appeared to be normal, and for the purposes of bis report he fixed the low water mark at sio below the Haiti gauge zero. This would make tho town gauge Ift llin too low. He gave this information at the secretary’s request. The Chairman said he supposed they

'be Chairman said he supposed they would do nothing iu fcbo matter until they reoeived Mr Reynolds report. Mr Leslie Reynolds, on March 20tb, wrote regrettiog ho could not furnish his report on harbor improvements by the 24th. The plans aod data of soundings ody oamo to hand from Mr Grant on Wednesday. Ho was pushing the work forward, and hoped to forward the report in eight or ten days. Mr Lysnar moved that the letter from Mr Grant bo submitted to Captain Cum ming for a report. Captain Cummiog said he bad found the PeDguin gauge in every way the most satisfactory and reliable. Mr Lysoar : Then why have the two ? The Harbormaster said the old one had been left. He did not go by it, but it was useful to make oomparisous, and no harm wa3 done by leaving it there. Mr C. T Hamilton, on behalf of those interested in clearing the Waimata rbev of snags, acknowledged receipt of account from the Board for £2B 9s Gi, whole co<t of clearing the upper Waimata river. Mr Hamilton continued: " The intention of the promoters of tbo scheme iu approach ing your Board was to get the Board to carry out the work as a publio work, and they, having made tbemsalr Bt into - r rated in the matter, would guarant o half ' tte oost pereooa'ly, but ns no doßti a estimate of the cost bad boon madr, tboy inited their guarantee to £3O. It is oar intention, if we oan raise sufficient funds for tbo purpose, to do further work io the way of marking the ohannel up the river, as there are still several dangorous plaoes to be avoided, and with this objeot iu view we would ask your Board to adhere to our original arrangement, and aeoept one half of the total oost (£l4 4s 91) as our aharo. This amount lam

now able to pay you.” MeFg-B Hepburn and Lysnar said the spirit of tbo resolution was for the Board to receive half the amount. Mr Lyanar

moved that the offer be accep od, which Mr Matlhewson seconded.—Carried. Messrs Williams and K9ttle wrote call iog attention to a demand by the wharfinger for collection of wharfage from them ex s.s, Ruru on February 14th. They received two consignments of rams on separate boat notes, one of 130 and the other of 85 rams, both lots beiDg shipped by tbeir firm at Napier, and consigned to them here. The firm contended that the proper method of payment would be 4d per head on tbo first 00, and 2d per head on the 165, this beiDg in accordance with tbo Board's regulations. The whirfinger, howover, demanded a division on each beat note, namoly, for one boat note of 85 rams he demanded 50 at 4d and 85 at 2d, and on tbe 130 rams 50 at 4d and 80 at 2d. It was at the wharfinger's request that the firm brought the matter before the Board. Af.or discussion it was resolved to approve of the aotion of the secretary in (he matter.

REPORTS Tho Harbormaster (Captain Gumming) reported : 11 Tho soundings in tho ohonnel, takon lon 22nd inst., with tido gaugo at zero, are !as follows: End of breakwater Bft Gin, second to third bollard from end 7ft, Snark’a landing 6ft 4in, big orano 6ft Sin, Waikanao 7ft, off stockyard 7ft Gin, halfway along wharf 7ft. Tho barquoDtino Ssnorita, with 676 tons ooal, drawing 71ft 2'n, uioorod at Kaiti wLarf on this morn* inp'a tidr. This is tho largost oargo by about 100 tons that has corno into tho river. During this month wo had a fresh in tbo river, with a heavy southerly roll outside. It caused tho ohaunel to silt up a little. Tho tides have been running low, and with tbo heavy roll outside, oausod a | very oonfusod sea at the entrance at times. Tho buoys have been overhauled, oleaned, painted, and replaoed in position. Aooording to your instructions last meeting, I have plaood lifebuoys and linos on broak> water and groyne (three eaoh Bide). Shipping sinoo last meeting : Steamers, arrivals 30, departures 30; sailing ships, arrivals 11, depsrtorrs 11." Tho attaohed statement, showing the time spent by vessels at the wharf, gave the total days as 56, and the vessels were working 44 days. The amount reoeived was £24 2i 6d. The Overseer (Mr D. McLeod) reported for tho month ending Maroh 24th, as follows :—" The John Townley has taken 37 loads of spoil to sea this month. The small dredgor has lifted 20 loads of reck and sand this month, wbioh has boon deposited at tho baok of tho viaduot. I beg respeotfully to again remind your Board that tho punt lent to Nelson and Co. is very urgently required for this work ; for if wo had it this month the number of loads instead of beiog 20 would havo been 40. Having now given the rock-outter a fair trial, I havo come to the oonolusion that the further use of it on tbo seaward side of the slip would bo unprofitable | owing to the ranging of tho sea making it very difficult to guage the proper distanoe between tbo outs ; also tho wear and tear on the lines is very considerable. But from this point upwards I am satisfied that it will oompare favorably with blasting. The Heroules crane has been dismantled, and stacked on the inner end of the brot-kwater at a oost of £lO4 lie. The erection of the 10 ton oraDO on the town I wharf wili be proceeded with during tho coming month. We have constructed a coal depot at tho John Townley’a bertb, out of white pine staging t'mbor, of whioh we had sufficient on hand for the purpose. This, as long as it lasts, wi.l be a great convenience, not ooly as beiDg much handior for ourselves lo ooal from, but also much better for vessels to disoharge at, as they will not now need to go to the groyne, Sixty-Dine yards of gravel havo been received this month. ’’ Captain Solvander, drodgemaster, reported : Sinoe your laßt meeting the amount of spoil taken out by the dredge John Townley is 200 cubio yards sand from along the breakwate-, 8500 yards mud mostly from abreast of the new wbaf on tho Kaiti side, and 50 yards rock, iu all 3750 oubio yards. One day wa were not able to dredge owiog to bad weather, and one and a half days’ cleaning and painting buoys in tho bay.”

SALARIES, Captain Tucket said sooh a period time bad elapsed sinoe he had proposed hii motion (in Janaary) as to fixiug the salaries of the offioers, he felt ioolined to ask that the motion be postponed. He was not prepared to propose any alteiation at present. Mr Harding said there should be some finality in the matter, and the matter had gone on so long that he thought if they were going to give any consideration to their ofiioers they should give it. He suggested the matter be reported on by a committee. He referred to the valuable services of the secretary and the overseer, and said he could go' on to others, but preferred that the Board should go into the whole matter. He would not like to see the Bubject settled at that small meeting; but they should decide to take up the matter in a definite way. Captain Tucker said he would agree to the matter being gone iDto by a oommittee of the whole Board. Mr Matthewaon said they were touohiDg on dangerous ground. Mr HardiDg : Yes; but we have to face

Mr Xjyscar said he would agree to an adjournment because of absent members. It was resolved to adjoorn the meeting until 2 p.m. on April 9>h, information to be supplied in the meantime by the score* tary.