MR. GEDDIS AGAIN CHAIRMAN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 102, 17 May 1937, Page 7

MR. GEDDIS AGAIN CHAIRMAN

Harbour Board Unanimously Re-elects Him WORK ACCOMPLISHED Mr T. M. Geddis was to-day unanimously re-elected chairman of the Napier Harbour Board. An honorarium of £200 for the ensuing year was granted. "The board' s extremely fortunate in the serviee it has had from its chairman," said Mr E. j. Herrick in proposing the re-election of Mr Geddis. "He has shown exceptional ability in the management of the0 board 's aifairs, and we cannot do better than reappoint him." The motion was seconded by Mr A. E. Jull, who expressed the hope that the coming year would not be as diificult for the chairman as the past year had been. "I wish agaan to thank members i'Or the confidence they have placed in me in re-electing me as chairman," said Mr Geddis. "The confidence shown I appreciate very much. I wish to thank aiembers for the loyal co-operation they have shown during the year.- A vast amount of detail has had to be dealt with. The publie has no conception of the great amount of work that hasbeen done by the board an committee. "I wish to extend my thanks to the chairmen of the various committees; co Mr Sanders, the newly-appointed secretary, who has shown himself to be a most capable officer; to the engineer, and to the harbourmaster, for their full co-operation. "In furtherance of the board 's scheme for the development of the port, the past year has been largely a period of concentration on details," he added. 1 1 At the same time, important construction works whiich were begun in the previous 12 months have been 1 steadiiy advanced. Unfortunately, as is well-known, two contracts for the consfcruction of the first wharf broke down, and the board has now taken over the work itself. "In other directions, however, progress with the work has been completely satisfactory, and to illustrate the ex;£,ens'/ to which the development scheme as a whole is already advanced X would like to refer to a number oi che princapal items. These, I might point out, confirm not what is estimated, or what is anticipated, but what nas actually been accomplished. "First, two-thirds of the dredging xor the first part of the echeme has been completed; the total quantity of material to be dredged in this sectdon of the work is 1,400,000 tons, and just on 1,000,000 tons has already been done. "Second, the extension of the Breaktvater mole has already been carried to 150 feet; the total length by which the whole is fo be extended is 425 feet, so that the length already completed (150ft.) represents more than' one-thircL

' ' Third, the bulk of the work of reclamation and formation of the foreshore, together with laying-out railway yards and other facilities, have been completed. "I may add that the dredging, which' is perhaps the most extensive and most important part of the" programme of wurks, is well ahead of schedule. A considerable portion of the dredging which has been completed already goes down to a depth of 35 feet (low water) unCL has been done without any difficulty. - . ' "The ultimate effect of the cancellation Of two contracts for the construction of the first wharf will be not unduly serious. As I have already said, the board has taken the work over itself. The necessary plant has been order ed, and the work will be well, under way in two months' time. Thie wharf will be completed about the middle of next year, and the mole will be finished about March next. The S6Cond wharf will be started in !3eptember next, when the dredging of the site to a depth of 35 feet (low water) is finished. Construction of the wharf will take about two years.

Altogether the district which the board represents should find every cause for satisfaction in what has already been accomplished, both in regaTd to the harbour-construction policy and the development of its endowments. "I am glad to say that no engmeering difficulty has thus f'ar been oncounteredl nor are any technieal diffieulties foreseen in the work yet to be done. Good progress has been made, and we are now in measurable distance of completing a scheme which will provide the Hawke's Bay district with port and shipping facilities such as it has required for many, many years." On the motion of the chairman, secohded by Mr L. B. Harris, Mr E. J. Herrick was appointed deputy-chair-man. THe chairman paid tribute to ^he valuable assistance which Mr Herrick had given him during the past year. Mr Herrick had- the confidence of tho people of Hawke's Bay, he said, ar.fl liis reappointment would greatly strengthen the hand of the chairman.