Gisborne Harbor Board.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1943, 27 November 1906, Page 3

Gisborne Harbor Board.

Tho usual monthly meeting of (he Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs Townley (chairmao), Harding, Sievwright, MaHbewson, J, Clark, W. D. Lysnar, Whinray, and Ceptain Tacker. , Correspondence wa3 read and dealt with as follows From Mr MarohanS, C.E-, staticg that he bad now all tho information neeosaary for the preparation of his ropori and plana for the pioposed Gisborne outer harbor works, He expected the work would take him till March next to complete. Mr Lysnar said Maroh was a loDg way off, and he thought Mr Mscohant should be asked to try and lei tho Board have the report earlier, Ho would move in this dlt&otion. .. The Chairman said there was no cbjsot io urging tho matter ou, as the present Board would not deal with it, A fresh Board would be elected in February, After some further discussion the matter dropped. From tho Collector of Customs, Gibborne, with reference to pilotaga of the steamer Turakine, stating there was no* thing in ibe by-liW3 io enable the Board to oharge pilotage, and farther, complaining that Captain Kennedy had aoted as pilot of a vessel (Hazel Cr&ig) when com Ing into Gisborne, He (tho Collector) had communioatod wiih the Marine Department, who reforred the matter to the Harbor Board, whioh was the proper authority to deal whh tho complaint, The Chairman pointed out that when tho bylaws were framed no steamers were calling at Gisborne, and no regulations were framed to deal with tho pilotago oi steamers. These by-'aws wero framed in ' 1886, „ , Mr Sievwright said there was no common law dealing with the matter, and the Beard could not oharge if their by-laws gave them no power to dr so, Lysnar moved that tho claim fot pilotage' 7 in this case bo abandoned. This seconded by the Chairman and ,C °Tho complaint made by tho collector was' then brought forward. Tho Secretary (Mr Witty) explained that Captain Kennedy had brought his own vessels in, Under the by-laws no one but a pilot could bring a vessel in, but this only applied to Bailing vessels. On the motion of Mr Clark, it was decided to draw Captain Kennedy’s atten>‘v tion to tho matter. From Mr A, Blaekey, Auckland, with reference to installation and plans for evaporator filter. Ho enclosed account for £12 12s for professional services. Tho Clerk said Mr Blaekey was asked by tho Board to report cm the matter of obtaining the filter. Some discussion took place on Mr Blackey’s charge in this connection, and it was decided to leavo tho matter over unti next meeting to enable the wholo of the correspondence to bo laid on tho tablo. In tho meantime tho Clerk was instructed to write to Mr Blakey, and ask for _ the original invoices of the filter as received from tho manufacturers. Tho Valuation Department wrote with regard to Maori lands, formerly rated by Board, on which Crown had paid rates.(Che Department now stated that land \yas now included in the Brough, and

therefore no longer ratcablo to tho Crown. I Wllh regard sj tbo abovo nn opinion was road from tbo Board’s solicitor, Mr Ohrisp, who hold it was clear that such land had coasod to bo rateable to tbo Crown, , . , Tho Ohftirir.ila sa : d tlioso loiters had rofororoo to tho amalgamation qnoation. Mr Lysnar said that it had boon recognised all tho way through that so far a? tho nma'gamaliou was concoruod tho taxation would remain the sauio. Mr Whinray: It soems to mo that tho ratos in tho Borough should bo mado uniform. , . Tbo Chairman said they oould not do that till 1915, when tbo term of tho presont loan oxpires. bfr Whinray : Wa won't bo hero then. Several letters woro rnooivod from V irions shipping companies with roferonoo to tho proposed outer barbor, acknowledging tho Board’s enquiry and staling a fnrlhor ccmmuuioauon would bo forwsrdod as soon as replies had boon riiooivca from head cllioos, the Board’s oommuni* 1 cations having boen sent on. Tho lirms replying woro Messrs Williams and Kettle, L d., ugonts for tho Tyser Lino, and Messrs Da'goty and Co. (Shaw -S will and Albion). Mossrs Williams and Keitio further montionod that it was impossible to givo any definite roply until they heard from tho hood otlioe, but thoy had no doubt steamers would unke use oi tbo ouSur harbor if: (1) Tho works when oooopletod provided a safe harbor in all weathers for

hrgo atonmera of heavy draught; ( l -i) tho wharf aoooaimcdation and appliances for loading ai d discharging being aullioiout to i dosl with rovora! largo atomnm at tbo eaino time ; and (8) provided that tbo oost of lying nlo’ g-ido iho wharf at tho broils water harbor, oa woll oa a'l charges pay-* able by tho steamers, aro reasonable. If was, how'evor, a mattor they oould not decide definitely until tho harbor works wore completed. Captain Tucker said tho Board woro just ss wiso ns before.

From Nelson Bros., Taruhoru, through Messrs Williams and Kettle, in reply to the Board's enquiry with reference) to lightcrago charges, stating that on the last season’s workings the figures woro : Cost of lightering meat and produce, coal, oil, wages, repairs, depreciation, and interest, i‘2170 los 3d. The rates of railage from Tomoana to Port Ahuriri wore as follows: Frozen meat 6s 10d ton, tallow7sßd, wool lid bales manure 2s 8d per ton. Mr Lysnar said the charge would ho levied whether the boats came in or not, and he did not see the information was worth anything. Mr Clark, in reference to Messrs Nelson Bros, letter, said that the Government made a minimum charge of 4s per ton for r

.. . .go to tlio wharf side, whether it was a mile or ten miles, and the Board wore not likely to make it cheaper than lighterage if they had to rail goods to the harbor.

The Harbormaster again wrote with re

gave! to a footbridge across the Waikanae, pointing out that he had to sec to the light on the Waikanae side daily, and was

trespassing on railway property in going over their bridge. He was sure the Board would agree that the work was necessary and important. The Chairman said that the matter was

not urgent, and could be brought up at a later date. It might be feasible to use some of the timber in tko stockyard for this purpose. Captain Tucker said some time ago ho suggested making a trench in the Waikauae, which would cost about £’2s, to carry off some of the stagnant water. This would benefit people whose property was on the Waikanae. He now presented

a petition from 25 ratepayers, whose moneys together with others the Board uses. The petitioners asked that a channel bo opened at the lower end of the stream .from the railway bridge. He

pointed out that other people would have signed the petition if there had been more time, but a sufficient number had signed

to impress upon the Board the necessity of the work. He would respectfully ask the

Board to grant the request of tho petitioners. The question was a public one, and also one of sanitation. The channel suggested was across an old bar of papa,

which stopped the flow after half tide. If this channel was cut through it would

draw out at low tide as well. It was a menace to public health at present, but if this portion could bo drained to tho lower level it would be sufficient for all practical

purposes. Mr Lysnar thought the work should be done from a sanitary point of view. If

Captain Tucker would limit the amount to £2O he would second tho motion.

Mr Harding opposed the motion, as he thought the little water that backed up at this spot wold not hurt. The amount was certainly small and would not break the Board, and if this was such an urgent matter the property owners could surely find the money themselves without coming to the Board.

Mr Siovwright did not think that the Harbor Board had a right to spend any

money for matters of this kind. Mr Matthewson thought it might be advisable to remove the stagnant water, and

ho would support the motionMr Whinray said that it would not do any good to drain the lower portion, as the Waikanae was bad all the way back as far as Makaraka.

On being put to the vote the motion was

lost- and the petition was refused.. Mt D, A. McLeod, Overseer, reported : 11 1 hava the honor to report on Gisborne harbor works for tba month ending 24th of November, aa follows : Town Wharf Extension— OwiDg to the long piles for this work only ooming to hand on Tuesday last, very little progress has boon done this monih with the timber portion ;

Che filling in of tha foundation for sboi is being puihed on ns fast as tha fiaiahod portion of wharf will permit. I have had tho cradle on the slip-way lifted up clear of the water, and all She wheels and as'es thoroughly cleaned and oiled, and a'l the ailt dredged out of ship channel. The John Townloy has taken 40 loads of spoil to ao.a this month, and lified 400 yards of spoil into puuis. The now hinges for the spoil doors of tho John Town ley will all be finished next month, The email dredger has lifted 900 yards of rock and 30 yards of eili this month ; tha greater portion of the papa rook to tha seaward eido of tho lower beacon, which is of a bard and tough nature, baviDg numorou3 fissures, onuses it to brook up very large, thus necessitating a considerable amount of repairs being needed from time to time to the grab. Two of the three blasting crews are steadily at work botween tho slip and tho mouth of tho river. The other crew is at work between the slip and the Kaisi bridge, principally about tho cli stockyard. Two hundred and ninety-one and a half yards of stone was received from tbo carters this month. Mr Whinray thought it seemed a very expensive jib to put so much stone as foundation for the shed. The Chairman said the Overseer thought it would bo cheaper, Tho Btono was 003 ting 4s a load. Tho report was adopted. Tho Harbormaster (Captain Gumming) reported as follows Tno soundings in she charmed t‘>kon on tho 24ih with tho now tide gauge at zero are ns follows: End of breakwater, lift 6 n ; 3r 1 and 4.b bollard irom end, 9ft Gin; Saa'k's landing, Sit; big orane, 8 ; t; Wa-kinar, 7!t Gin ; off etockyard, 7ft 6:n ; a'ong wharf, 0 to 6(t, Shipping siooe last meeting: S’.eamer arrivals 33, depth 32(6 ; sailing ship ar rivals 9, departures 5. The Hazel Craig and Frank Gey stuck on the bank when oeming to the wharf and w.re get off the fol owieg day. Nineteen ships with mo r-ng-s; days of work, 48; amount paid, £Vo si; days at wharf, 77. Captain Solvander, master, reported

I have tbo honor to report that Biocs your last m:oVmg tha dredge (John Townlay) bat been conetact'y employed, with the exocpiiou o£ ono day, when wo were unable to go out on aooount cf a heavy goa. Too umeunt dredged is 03 follows : 1600 cu'oio yards from abreast of tbo town wharf, 1900 from abreast cf iho new wharf at tbo end cf stockyard, and 400 from the Blip, in all 3900 cubic yards, also 495 oubio yards dredged into pautß." I Tbo reports were adopted. Tbo secretary prc3ontcd tbo CnaDcnl I s atement to 21st November, 1906:Ordinary account Cr. L 9044 Is 6d, habor improvement account Dr. L 5927 IBs lOd, Cr. L 3116 2s 81, Bank : Current account ai per bBDk pas 3 book Cr. L 3116 2sß 1, ÜB9 unprosoofced obequaa nil, Cr. Lollo 2, 81 Outstanding: Arrears of rates 1905 L 370 4s 2d, do. 1906 (Crown and native) LU 18s 7d, wharfages (current) L 25 Bs, rent L 49 11s Bd,

Onpiain Tuckor thou uiovod tho l'oaolu* t'oa standing in his natno : “ That tbn roaolutiou of this 13ot\rcl to oroot ft training wall nn tho whiwt on Ivaiti sido bo nt onoo put into execution; that for this purpose Mr W. Nelson’s drcdga ho purchased and that tho pvovious resolution to tho ooctrary bo rrsoiudod.” Go said tho m-’ttor hid boon before tho Board on sovcrul oooa aions, I* soerned to him thut tba cheapest way to do this work was not by tlio o >ovorsion of tho John Townloy, but by tho puroh iso of this other dredgo. Sit.oj tho Board had decided to do this work, tho quostion was whon ? Thoro was no Immediate hurry, but ho thought the Board had waited too long. They bad boon filling tho John Towuloy and carrying the matorial away. Ho did not think tho spasmodic way they wore taking tho stuff out was satisfactory, and that with tho John Townloy they were getting ‘2os in tho £in tho work so dono. Tho turning of tho Johu Townloy into a suotiou drodgo would bo expensive, and hy adopting his suggostiou they would avoid this and also proven! furlhtr dolay. Ho thought that at anything liko tho prosont laud values the land reclaimed would recoup tho Board ior tho outlay. It was clearly a remunerative work. Homo pooplo had oallod Mr Nelson’s drodgo a toy; but it was cheap, and thoy know what it would do. Ho was not, howoyor, woddod to the purchase of this dredgo, and did not caro how tho work was

done so long as it did not oost too muoh.

Me Siovwright scooodod the motion, no referred to a forma- motion of the Board affirming (hot this work should bo done, Ho had soon the drodgo wotk done by tho pump-dredge, and thought that it would bo satisfactory, and it would save

spoiling tho John Townlcy. Mr Lysnar said that ho supported tho motion, but proforrod to soo tho John Townlcy converted. Ho agreed with Captain Tucker in thinking thoy were not getting valuo for their money by tho work done by tho John Townlcy, Tho official figures showod tho prosont cost of drodging was very oxponsivo, and a sand pump drodgo would soon pay for itself. When tho reclamation was comploted tlio material could bo sold in the town. Thoy had a lot to do with it. Tho John Townlcy was ono hour drodging and two hours going out to sea to disposo of tho matorial. Tho sand pump was by far the most preferable. Captain Tucker said tho cost of Mr Nelson’s dredge would bo .£1193. Mr Harding was in sympathy with tho motion. It had been advocated before. Ho thought the work should bo done, but it might be a question whether the Boat'd would purchase this sand pump of Nelson’s or get a move modern one. Mr Matthewson supported Captain Tucker’s motion so long as tho work was done on the town side. Mr Clark said it was advisable to have a training wall. If the Board had purchased Nelson Bros.’ dredge they should take it and be done with the matter. If not, then came the question was the dredge suitablo '? Mr Reynolds had told them this pump dredge was not suitable, Mr Lysnar had said something about selling tho material, but lie did not think anyono would take it.

Mr Lysnar : I’d take -100 or SOO yards at once.

Mr Clark said that the very best thing they could get was ■ a good strong sand pump, such as had boon recommended by Mr Reynolds. Ho thought this would bo the very best thing the Buard could do; Tho Overseer said that Mr Reynolds had stated a sand pump could not be used further clown than the stockyard. Mr Clark said this was different from what Mr Reynolds had told him, Mr Reynolds’ report was read, and showed that the sand pump could bo used almost anywhere. Me Whinray thought in viow of tha proposed outer harbor, a training wall should bo built. He did not, however,

ihink there wai much sand ta be pumped.

Thoy would probably find a good deal of blasting would have to b 9 done. He would support that for tho present they would go into a smaller work. The Chairman said they oould not dear she channel with a sand pump. At Oamaru thoy wero pumping with a 16-in. pump and carrying the staff out to sea, He defended the John Townloy. She was

making the harbor as wall as koeping it clear. The question ought to be disoussed without running down the John Townley every time thoy stood up. Ha supported tho motion, Ha agreed with Mr Matthowson to start at the top end and work down.

Captarn Tuck9r, in reply, said tho waste of material was a strong reason why his motion should ba carried. The John Townley, es they had seen that afternoon,

wa3 goiog out to sea and wasting time. There would bB no difficulty in getting rid of aoy surplus material, as it was in great demand, either as ballast or otherwise. It had boon said that after the work was done there was nothing else for the dredgo io do, but it would be used up shove tho

bridge. Mr Clark : Ye?, that is all it will do for,

OspSaia i'uokec did not thick that iho dredge had doco good work near tho wharvee. If they purchased a larger dredge thoy might have it on their hands after tho work was done. Too motion wa3 carried, Mr Clark dissenting, It was deoidod to hand the matter of tho purchasing of the dredge over to the Finance Committee to deal with,

Toe question of by-laws ooveriag pilot dues for steamers was then brought up by the Chairman, who said She matter should

bo attended to at onoe,

It was suggested that tho matter bo handed over to She Tariff Committee to report on. The question of tariff reform was disoussod, and it was decided to urge tho Tariff Oommittoo to bring up their report as sGon as possible. The mcoting was adjourned to the following Monday to deal with these matters.

An icqueet was held a* Sydney concern ing tho death of Arthur V>zcr, agrd 40, a resident of Double Bay, who was killed through beiDg knocked down by a bioyolo ridd 3ti by a youth named Lancebrook Eglose, Iu recording a fiodiDg of acoidental doath.tho ooi'oner said this was one of the moat deplorable “ running down " oaaea ho had over investigated. V>z9r had left hi? home at 8 p.m., and five minufea afterwarda was taken back with hia skull fractured, and had died within an hour, aimply because a youth of 17 yeara ohoae to ride hia bicycle with hia head down and at a pace which wa3 not only in excess of that which the law allowed, but whioh showed no consideration foe She oafoty of others. The usual finding in cases of this sort was that the young man was respect* ablo and did not mean it.' But hia respeciability did not include a consideration for the safety of other people. Tho roason ho did not oommit Egleso for trial wa3 that jarioa were loth nowadays to conviot unless tho evidence showed scandalous carelessness. Eglesa’a punishment would lio in tho reoollectien that before be was 18 yoars of ngo bo had destroyed a man in the prime of life, and had deprived his vioiim’s wife and children of tkoir only moans of support. Hi wished there were 3omo meaur by which ho could make Egloso support tho bereaved family. The "Wairarapa Times states : —Apart from tho neighborly sentiment, we do not quite realise always, in Masterton, tho extent to which our prosperity depends upon tlic shearers, tho drovers, the cooks and the rouseabouts who labor for us upcountry, When wool goes up, or the price of stock advances, the benefit of the rise is felt in the town. The best friends of the town arc the hard-workers - and sometimes the hard-livers —in the country districts. All that Masterton can do to make tho conditions of their work better, and to make their leisure hours pleasanter, and

more profitable, should be done. A Shepherds’ Home is as necessary in Maston as is a Sailors’ Home in Wellington : and, as for ways and means, this would be a minor difficulty, if there existed any general desire in the town community to be more neighbourly towards the workers in the country.