HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1845, 28 August 1906, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING,

Too monthly w. cling of tlio (Lbiurnn Harbor Board was held yostc-day Hdornoon, when the Elbowing members were present: Messrs J. Towniey (chairman), Harding, ll«pburu, Giaik, Matthewson, Whiuray, Siovwrigut, and Uaptaiu Tucker, OUTER HARBOR.

Tho following I.tter was received from Mr Marobant in regard to tho outer harbor proposals : " I havo tho honor to return herewith tho agreeuio-it in doplioato between your Board and mysolf duly signed and witnessed, so that it may bs completed by you uudor tho Board’s era'. Tho offer I mado to your Board on July 10. b, tho terms of which woro acoepted, were condi-

tional upon your Board supplying without cost to ms ‘ all labor, boats, and material ’ for tho work Tho dEr war based upon my recent work at Napior, where by ngroeruent the Board there was to find mo in all I - tipuhtad that your B iard should fiud at Gisborne. 0 i perusing the agroo ment drawn by your Boaid's solicit or, I God that tho terms offered and ag'eod to by your Board havo boon departed from,

and mod fiid euii.ely in your Board’s favor. Is may bo that it was considered that tho term, ‘labor, bools, and material,’

was too iodefiuite, r.nd that you were beiug committed to something which might result in an exces.-ivo and unforeseen expendi-

ture. In ordrr, therefore, to e'carlyd.fiae tho term, 1 labor, boats, and material.’ shall be taken to mean, I have speeded wh-t I expeet your Board to God under the original bargain. Further, I guarantee to pay any excess of cost over the sum of i£tO if suo’a extra expenditure should bo necessary. I entirely roly upon your Bjird’s sense of justice to carry out the conditions originally agreed upon between u>, and thus relying have not hesitated to sign the agreement, although ia doing so I know I can bo bold to tha strict loiter of it, and similarly bold the Beard only. So that I can under its terms be made to pay for that I stipulated the Eoard was to pay, and whioh it agreed to do Dependent upon the weather I estimate that the survey and boat work will taka mo from four to six weeks to complete, and shout three mouths after that to work up ih3 plans, estimates, specification?, and report. Cbriatma3 will interfere with ilu progress of the work, and as I shail not be able to begin the survey until towards tho cud of September, I have thus fixad tho d tto of completion of the wh.la thing at six months hence.”

The Chairman suggsßtod th-t Me Merchant's spooifiaaiiois of labor, boats, and material be adopt id as p tri of the agreement Captain Tucker said there wt 3 no neceesitj for this bo'og done. The mafc’cr should remain as Me Mirobant had left it. This was agreed 1 1, and it .vas decided to affix the Board’s ssat to the agreement and attach the latter thereto. THE SEDDON MEMORIAL.

A ccmmuDioation wa-i rtcaived from tbe C m-mtiee cf tbo S dden Memorial at Wellington, invhing the eo-np-ration of the Board and invising eugges.ions. Mr Whiaruy said they might have anOibcr tmaumont aleDgdde of Cock's on the Kaiti. (Laughter.) Mr Matthowsou ; A light at Tuahins Point weuid bs better.

The Board decided to support th 1 W.d licgion oommiitoo in regard to thec-stib iishmant of a technical university and creation of ecbolarnbip-'. CLAIM FOB DAMAGES.

Mr T. M. Lane, managing owner of the

“Ururoa” wrote as follows: I regret to have to inform you that, in consequence of being improperly berthed on a hard bottom whore she was aground at low water when last she was at Gisborne

(loaded) the schooner Ururoa developed a bad leak as soon as she met heavy weather, and we have been put to considerable expense in consequence as well as the permanent injury done to the ship. As I understand she was berthed in the position by the direction of your Harbor Master, I think it only reasonable that you should pay the expense incurred and I will send you particulars as soon as I get the account for repairs. Capt. Tucker said the Board could not take any responsibility for accidents occurring to vessels, whether they took place inside or outside of the harbor. Mr Harding: We will take all care, but no responsibility It was decided to reply denying any lability in tire matter.

ACCIDENT INS CHANCE

The following tenders were received for

insuring the employees of the Board: New Zealand Insurance Company (G. 11. Norris agent), Is per hundred for the clerical staff and 9s Cd for the workmen; Government Life and Accident Insurance Company (C B. DeLautour agent), Is lOd per hundred for the clerical staff and 36s for the workmen; Ocean Accident Insurance Company (W. Miller agent), no charge for the clerical staff and 3s lOd for the workmen; South British Insurance Company (W. A O'Meara agent), Is per hundred for the clerical staff ana 12s fid for the workmen. Members exp eised surprise at tbn gnat difference in tbo amount of the tenders.

Mr J. Clark said he had paid his insurance that morning, iho rate being over B'. Ho ccu'd not understand the low rate quoted. Tee Board dreided to accept tho tendar of the Ocean Ace djnt Cjmpany, provided all risks weio covered by tboir rater, List year tbo Board paffi 6s for the, olerioal staff' and 40s for !ha workmen,

Mr Hardiog thought the Board should tako steps to s’curo a rebato on the amount paid the previous year.

REPORTS.

Tho Harbormaster repoited 03 follows

’ I have tho honor to report to you thut he sounding) in the lower put of the

channel have improved very much sine: last Board meeting Sounding) taken on tbe 25ih lost., as follows, new tide gauge at

ziro: Abroad of end of breakwater,

6 n ; abreast ol third and fourth bol atd from end, 10ft Girt ; abreast of ninth bol ard from end of breakwater, 7fs 6in ; big crane Bff, NVaikaoas 7't Gin ; b’g crane eff aicckyard, Bft; half-way along wharf, 6ft 810. Tho channel slang the wharf has silted up a good bit, and is now very narrow and shallow, The d odge should work along boro when unab'o re work in tho lower port of the eh moo’. I beg to call the attention of the B invd to ttenecossityforthoearlyrimov.ii of the stockyard, as it is an obstruction to tho navigation of tho river and a source of snnoyonco, and troub'o to the masters a id others connected with tbo larger class rf vessels now using tho wharf. The. Frank Guy lest a day enl dil d imago to ar» other ves?o! at ihe wbatf by not being shin to got round it quick enough. Mo.e wharf accommodation is wanted to meet tho requirements of tho increased sh-p-

Tho engineer of tbo dcodgo reported that tbo tiMiporator fitter find feed-writer mix o' (rroonmuivii-d by L'\ W. H tikoy, of Auckland.) bad airivtd in good order and erudition, and would be fined in ai soon !H pp9>ib]o. Mr D. McLeod, Ovorsccr of Work?, io» ported aa fo lows : —" Tiro John Townley uaa taken db loaia of spoil to sra this nioiilb, 14 loads of wbioir was rook takon from tbo shallowest p irts of tbo ebannob

Tbo small urodgor has lifted 10 loads of gravel, equal to about 500yds, wbioh has boon delivered to iho Borough Council a la per yard ; alto th.-oo loads of rook lifiot: at pant berth, which has boon deposited til tho back of the viaduct, Sho baa just | undergone a work's ovorbaul for repairs to her cylinders, friction gear, main drum and grab. Tho rock-cutter has been dismantled, and her crow is engaged ,11 blasting until piles arrive for wavo traps, Thera are now throe blading punts at work, which just about ke op the Townloy going lifting tho hrokon rock. The river is now quite free from marine sand out to the oud of tiio breakwater and groyne. Ir nce.irdar.ee with your instructions ro stock-

yard, I have prepared a sketched plan showing wbat I thick to bo tho most sait* b!o podiion for a shipping yard for live ■•u ck, kerphig iu view iha probable future improvements bein' ea the stockyard and si p. Tho plan shows tho position t f tho present Harbor Bo mi sheds, Mr Bouiki’s section and store, p.-;d A. to Is, repairs to whaif, togotbor wiih 100 f extendon, [n tho repairs to vvhatf a'rotdy hutboris.d by your Board is involved tho removal oi No. S shed and present stockyard shown in red. Ii ordoc to get a yaid that tvoii d fit in with future itnpi os emsnts und to have sn'i eiit capacity, i< will bo ntoossnry !o t:. ood tho wharf 100 # t beyond tho p.osent stockyard aid in the a:,mo lino as tho western trauvng walk Too distance from [ front line of wharf to li' e of sheathing back of wharf is 15ft. Ike vard Wiu'd oxiend from within 6ft of the F,on; lino of wharf to tho la l.vay line, a d s ance of lottl'D, having a frontage of 20fc to tho railway lino and SJ'G on lino of wharf. The lino B to E o' stockyard should consist of a wall built with canoro(B from (he p-pa day foundttiun to level of wharf decking, with a sloping face on tho seaward aide. Tho material which has to he shifted from present

stockyaid and wharf cm ba used to fib ir behind the cjnorc-to wail and ibo back shoatbing of wharf, One of tho advan tage3 of this yard vvouid bo tbs' ft would bo accessible bath by rood and rail. The wbatf sheds and crane shown on plan from ths siocky ard to tho slip is merely a sngges'ivo forecast of moro up-to-da'e shipping facility, which thu rapidly-grow-ing trade cf tho port may before long demand. Tho distance from 4d io 0 is 420’t and from C to Q 264 ’t. Tuis wharf 420 ft in length and 40ft in breadth, together with tho foundation cf shod lioOfi by 501:, should bo constructed with piles and dfckiDg made from reinforced oon erelo, and should bo at least idf: higher than the present wharf, Tho soa would thus flow and ebb under wharf and shed 6: tho oonoteto wall Fto G. Toi3 concrete wall would stand up co the level of tho decking, and the yard space between it and the railway would bo fi led up hvel to within 2; 5 cf fcbo top, This wjuld render loading into cans very much easier, as the carls wb n backed us to the shed would bo level with the floor cf same. Tho railway shed shown near stockyard is a two-storoy shod ds9fb by 50ft; the bottom storey is 16’5 high in tho clear, and would be n-ed for export goods coming down by rad. Toe top storey is I‘2't bigh in the clear, and would bo used for imported gold--, which would bo bciOed by the hydraulic travelling craoo on wharf on to tho verandah staging to be trucked into shed, and from tbs re received into railway trucks o ,-or iodine shoots. The leogih of verandah staging is 62is from front lino of shed to bark line of ahi f The roadway pissing through under staging is mv ko i willi dotted red lines, I estimate th- cost of tho Jooft . xtension at £470, and tho stookyard £3BO. RroGvid from tho ca ters this mouth 85yJ3 of gravel aud Btc.no.” LA.Xi :> IX G I’A Id SE X G ER3

Mr Harding complained that there was 110 fixed place at the wharf for landing pas,congers from the Tualea. He strongly urged that steps should he taken by the Board to obtain a su lieient depth of water in the channel to enable the launch to come up to the town steps. It would not be a very costly work and would add greatly to the comfort and convenience of the travelling public. They could fix 011 a place and it could Lo railed off and an elevated platform put in. Mr Hepburn endorsed Mr Harding’s remarks He had suggested the same thing three or four years ago, and tho matter should now be taken seriously into consideration.

The Chairman said tbe present inconvenience was only temporary. Mem bers would find it far more expensive to dredge the channel up to the steps than it was to take the traps to the wharf. He sympathised with the proposal, hut the time was not ripe for it. The facilities for landing at the Gisborne wharf were as good as were to be found at any portin New Zealand. Ho had experienced more difficulty at Auckland, Wellington and other ports than he had at Gisborne. Mr Matthcwson urged that an estimate should be obtained in regard to tiie cost of a ferro concrete pier to run out from tho wharf at tho steps. This would save a good deal of dredging and was in his opinion the only way of ,Carrying out Mr Harding's suggestion aV the present wharf had been carried too dose in,

It wl3 deo.dod to request th) Overseer to report a) to tbo co t 0? a ferro-conoreie pier.

SHIPPING CATTLE

O 1 tha mo’ioa of Mr Whioray, it was decided to ri quest tha Ovorseer to report as to tbe advisability and probable east of dredging a berth for shipping cassia in tbo Wa'ktnae at the junction of tho groyne, near tho flip.

pint,'. oto of llio Borough drums dieolitigu) into thupper whorl’ rood, korp iug it in n very wot iitute mid br.d fill ten Hie*. Tniu duiiu should lio t’ucrioii noross t!io mud 'Hid disehiirgn under the wharf. Shipping nine' lust mooting: Stoan.'ors urtivnl.- 111, departin'oi ; smilI i 'g ship urrivnls l:>, dopiirturra 11.” Tho Drodgemmjtur reported : —" Sinoo y >i.r Inst mooting tho drodgo J ohn Townloy Inis been in constant nil)ploym"nt, with tho OKooptioii of ono day through bud 'ivcothor. Tin) amount of spoil taken out is : 1800yds mud nud gravel from übrotia) of tho goods shod in mid clnimiol, 1400yds rock (torn along tho breakwater; in nil 0200 oubio yards."

TUAHINE LIQIIT,

In accordance wish notice previously givtn, Cb-pt fin Tucker moved 11 that steps ba taken to re'osiatc the Tuabioa HgV.” lls rof-.md to the steps t»km by the Board to have the lighr roin?tit;d, and mentioned that tho Governmmt weto pro pared :o supply a ne w lamp, hot requ’rcd

tbs Bond ti m aint-rn it and k-.cp a caretaker. Ho had tik-n tho trouble, through I ho local manog.-r of tbe Union Steamship Company, to ascertain from tbo captains visiting the p-.-ri who’hr-r it was deemed advisable to btvo a light at Tatapourt or a) Taahico Point, and in overy case an answer had been rtcaived in favor of Tuabioe Point. On tho other hand Captain Waller, of tha Victoria, had spoken in favor of a light at Tatapouri. Ha considered tbo light was a coastal and not a port one, and on (hat account the Board should receive liberal trea'ment from tha Government. During 1935 the gum of £630 was paid by tho port iu light dues, and it was time something was received in rc-tu n.

Messrs Hepburn and Hardirg boa-tdy supported tho proposal, Mr Harding stating that ho was suro tho member for tho distiict, with his rtColLcUon of iho trying time experienced on the Nautilus recently, would do his utmost to have the light reinstated. Mr Whin-ay thought tha woik was mo’C a colonial than a local one, and for that reason ho wanted to see the Government do their share towards ib Groat d ffi-iuity was experienced on dark nights in making tho port, and boats ran r. great risk iu so doing.

After further discussion, it wa3 decide to V7f to a loiter (o the Governrmuq urgiu that the light should ba rein;i tied.