HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1760, 29 May 1906, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

Tho monthly mooting of the Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon, whon there woro prosont Messrs Towoley (in the chair), Matthewson, YVhiuray, Siovwrlght, Harding, Hepburn, Lvsnar, Clark, and Tuckor.

DREDGE FOR SALE, The Secretary of tho Tirnaru Board replied to a telegram from tbo Gisborne Board asking the oapaoity of their plredgo. The latter was, he said, at present under offer for salo to Geelong for £ 13,000. Tbo hopper oapaoity was 7680 oubio feet and speed 8 knots; pumped sbiDglo at 21 a •on, fitted with twooraoes for grabs lilting 8 tons ; everything was in first-olass order. The Chairman said that ho saw a notice that the dredge was for sale, and had asked for particulars. Captain Tucker: Let us offer them our dredge and ioOOO. I lb answer to Mr Clark tho CbairmaD said tho Tunatu dredgo would draw ten I feet.

Tho Secretary thought it drew twelve feet loaded. Mr Clark, in reply, said that thoy.would probably not bo able to got the dredge into the river. The communication was rooeivod, EXPORT DUTY ON SHEEP.

Mr G. F. Black wrote drawiDg tbo Board’s attention to the excessive tariff on sheep shipped from boro in comparison with other portp, viz., 41 per head on first 50, and 2d por head afterwards, He asked the Board to place Gisborne on an equality I with other shipping port?, and pointed out that an export trade in sheep from GisI borne would benefit the district by main- | taining prions. Tbo obargo at Lyttelton Was 2s per score. The Chairman thought the matter might be considered by a sub committee Captain Tucker said the letter should be dealt with by tbo Board in the first in stance. They should not leave it to a sub oomm'tiee until tboy had discussed the matter and made up their minds as to whether they would or would not alter the by-law. There was too much cf this sort of thing of referring a'l important matters to committees. Mr HardiDg paid that tboy might reply stating that at present they oould not make any concession, Captan Tuoker thought the Board might give an opinion as to whether they ocgbt to make a concession. It was an important matter. Mr Clark said that 2d on sheep was simply scandalous. He considered that the whole tariff required to bo revised After disoussioD, it was proposed by Mr Harding that the whole tariff be revised, Captain Tucker moved as an amendment that the Board should recommend to the committee the advisability of mak- " ing the recommendation a>ked for, so as to be in line with other plaoes. Mr Sievwrigbt urged that it wis the duty of the Board to make provision and provide fnnds soffioient to carry on their business. Mr Lysnar seconded Captain Tacker’s amendment, contending that they should take steps to stop the unreasonable expenditure wbioh was going on. They should do this, and make reasonable reductions on exports so as to bring the oharges on a line with other plaoes. Mr Matthewson said he would oppose any redaction unless it went all round. One product should not be considered j before the others, The amendment was lost by five to three, Messrs Clark, Lysnar, and Captain Tucker voting for it, aad the other members against. SUPERANNUATION BILL. The Harbor Boards Superannuation Bill came up for discussion, Mr Clark asked what the Board had to do with the matter. The Chairman said that the Board was - a member of the Harbor Boards Association, and oil their workmen oame under the proposed measure. Mr Sievwrigbt moved that the matter «k_£hould be oarefully considered by a committee before it was deoided to support it, Mr Lysnar said it was not because tboy belonged to the Association that they wore included, but beoause they were a Harbor Board. It was an impoitaot measure, but there wero several practical poiuls which required attention. The matter was being foroed on by tho employees, aad required looking into. He eeoonded Mr SievWright’s motion referring the Bill to a ’committee. Referring to tho cost of the soheme, Mr Lysnar said the Board would have to pay j£9 10s for eaoh man under forty years of age, and £25 for a man fifty years of ago. The men themselves in eaoh oaso paid a similar amount. The measure was in one way very opposite, | and was a serious matter for the Board. The Chairman suggested that the Board should instead the member for the district to oppose the Bill. Captain Tucker said that Mr Carroll would probably not do so, seeing that the Government were pledged to tbo m<*ror. Tbe 81l was referred to a oommittee consisting of the chairman, and Messrs Sievwrigbt, Lysnar, and Captain Tucker,

REPORTS.

The Harbormaster reported as follows : — ll Daring last week we have had a very heavy saa in the bay, causing a very confused and dangerous sea at the en« trancs to the cbaanol, and for three days vessels could not get in or out of the channel. Soundings taken on 27th inst. at high water were 10ft 6ia from the Bnark’s landing to the beacon. Tbeee were the lowest soundings in the obaonel, would mean 6ft at low water. I A think a barrier shonld be plaoed across the top end of the groyne to stop people from going on it during bad weather. 1 had to turn several people away during last week. Shipping sinoe last meeting : —Steamore, arrivals 32, departures 29; sailing ships, arrivals 3i departures 9.” The statement of mooring 3 attached showed that the various vessels were 74 days at tbo wharf, 41} being working days, and the amount collected totalled £33 153. It was deoided to plate the barrier across the top end of tho groyqo as suggested. The report was adopted. OVERSEER’S REPORT.

Tho Overseer in bis roport atatod : 11 Tho John Townloy has taken 62 loads of spoil to soa this month, and the small dredger has lifted 25 loads of spo 1, consisting of 595 yards of rock an! 210 yards of mud from Kaiti wharf, 35 yards of sand from punt berth, and 35 yards of sand in channel below slip, in all 875 yards, which has been deposited at the back of the viaduct. The rock-cutter con tinnes to do good work. The alterations to weighbridge are oompleted, it being now in good working order. The roadway leading to upper end of town wharf is in hand. I am getting four 10 ion screwjacks for tho slip, which, along with the jacks wo have, will do away with tho expense of lifting with wedges, eg hitherto. Forty-throe and a half-yards of gravei were received from the carters this month, and spread on reclamation back of town wharf. Again I would urge on your Board the importance of having another punt to deal with the spoil lifted by the small dredger, whioh now costs 2s lOd per yard, but oould then be done for 2s 61 per yard, and when the y shell grab now being got ready is in commission, I hope to still furthor reduce the ooßt to 2s 21 per yard. Those prioes include cutting, dredging, lifting, conveying and depositing spoil behind tho viaduct. I beg to bring bofore your notice two vary necessary woiks which should be put in baud with as little delay aB possible. One Is the renewing of 240 ft of the lower end of town wharf, the other repairs to 100 ft old portion of Kaiti wharf. This part of the wharf require- one row of f<oot piles and new decking. For the ordering of the nvoc-ssary timber for the above work- I respectfully await your instructions. For provides the necoeeary shelter at tho

month of tho river, I am plnolng beforo I you two sohemos foe your oousidoratiou Ono is to oxtond tho breakwater 200 ft, tho otbor to pluoo a bulk at right (ingles to tho lino of wnvo travel, filled with eo ioreto. In order to loop tho coat of extending the breakwater as low as is consistent with making it sufficiently substantial, I proI poso nsiug half oonoroto nud half rubble I stone filling, nil tho timber to be white pine, it beiug tho cboapoet prcourabD, durability not boing uocossarv, as it would only bo requirod to last until such lirno as tho oouoreto would bo fu'ly sot Tho wooden portion of Blruotuio shall oonsist of five rows of main piles 12 x 12in, braced together, as shown in plan, and four rows of sheet piling dividing the ft] 1 width of s>oft into three parts, the hvi outer divisions to he each Oft 6in in width and tilled with concrete, the centre divi sioti of 15ft wide to be filled to within lSin I of tho top with rubble stone mill covered I over with ItSin of concrete ; the outer span of lOtt to ho all concrete ; the whole to be bound together with tie rods, us show T estimate the cost of extending the breul water in the manner shown and describe at £7510. In the other scheme a ltui would be required that would be at lea: lt>oft long and about 55 oft in depth, with beam ot not less than 2Sft. To fill a lull d this size with concrete made from, su\ , !, P‘ c r shingle, with a proportion of one lourth of large stone, would cost aboi £llOO. To this would have to he addt the initial cost of hulk, together with tb cost of towing her to this port, I mat however, point out that the placing of he in tho desired position would be attendoi with a certain amount of risk. 1 tliiul tho extension ot the breakwater is tin Jetter scheme of the two, and I wouh 'eeomtnend it for the reason that not only ran it ho carried out without much risk, but also that it is capable of being further extended if at any future time it would be tound desirable to do so. If the oxtcnsioi of the breakwater is decided upon, it wil be necessary to at once stop any furtlio: carting of stone and gravel from the Kait beach, as it will all be required.” DREDGE JOHN TOWXLEY. Captain Solvandcr, master, reported:— ” The spoil taken out by the dredge John Town ley since your last meeting is 2100 yards sand from along breakwater, 800 yards mud from between the town and Haiti wharves, in till 8200 cubic yards, c had two day*’ delay on account of a breakdown to the crane, and three days through bad weather, The Inspector ol Machinery is expected early in June which will require the dredge being placet on the slip for annual overhaul.” The engineer, Hr Mackie, reported that the dredge had not been working for 2.J lays this mouth owing to a breakdown on he crane, some of the teeth in tho pinion breaking ofl. The other machinery was giving satisfaction. Hr Sicvwright suggested that the over .eur s report should be considered when Capt. Tucker’s motion was dealt with, Hie Chairman said that a good deal of the report dealt with detail, Captain Tucker thought there was hardly sufficient time to deal with the matter that afternoon. A special day should be set aside for the question to be discussed. Mr Sievwright said there was also the question of Messrs Nelson Bros.’ punt to be considered. He asked what the Board intended to do in the matter. In this oonoection the following letter was read from Hr W. Nelson, of Messrs Nelson Bros, : 11 1 beg to remind you that I have not yet received any reply from you to my letter, dated February 6th last, enclosing aooonnt for £1193 for 8“ dredge. I shall be glad if you will give the .matter your attention.” Captain Tucker understood that the puat was to be returned to Messrs Nelson 8.03. if the Board did not require ils further use.

I Toe Ssoretary said there was no oon* I tract to buy. The Board only agreed to oonlribute £IOO towards the work, He read the two resolutions dealing with the matter, It was decided to write to Messrs NelI son Bros, asking them to remove the I sand pump. In regard to renewing the Haiti and town wharves, the question of whether ferro-concreta or totara piles should be I used, was discussed at some length, and it was fioally decided that the work should be done with the wooden piles, tenders to be called forthwith, HARBOR WORKS. Considerable disoussion took place as to whether Captain Tuoker’s and Mr Lyenar’s motionp, dealing with harbor works generally, should be discussed that afternooro. Captain Tucker thought the Board was hardly in a position to discuss the matter, and do it justice that afternoon, The question deserved several hours’ oonsidera'

tion, and required to be very oarefully gone into. At the same time he did not want to see it adjourned for more than a few days. Mr Lysnar urged that the matter should be prooeeded with right away. Several propositions were put forward for a suitable day during the present wefk, but no day was suitable to all the members, Some bad other meetings and other busioess to attend to, whilst others had to prooeed to Auckland to attond the railway conference.

Mr Clark thought the best course to adopt was to postpone consideration of the motions for a fortnight, Fooplo were, he said, getting too hysterical over tho recent experience of the boats, and they should be allowed a little time to get over it. Daring the last fortnight the wind had been from one direction and ws should allow if. to go down, aad also tbo offsets of the boat to die down, Ho proposed that oooeideration bo deforred for a fortnight. Mr Whinray : I will secondJhat. Mr LysDar objected, and moved an amendment that the matter be gone into straight away. Tois was seconded pro forma by Mr Harding, but on being put to the meeting was lost, Cr Lysnar alone voting for it.