THAMES HARBOUR BOARD

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4862, 7 August 1925, Page 4

THAMES HARBOUR BOARD

MONTHLY The regular meeting of the Thames Harbour Board was held on Tuesday evening, Mr R. Coulter presiding over Messrs E. N. Miller, A. A. Wagstaff, E. Edwards, H. Lowe, W. J. Brown, F. W. Hetherington, D. G. McMillan, J. W. Danby, the engineer (Mr E. F. Adamis), and the secretary (Mr Sanders. GOVERNMENT NOMINEE. Tlie secretary of the Marine Department advised that Mr H. Lowe, of Thames, had been appointed a member of the board in place of Mr A. Bruce, who had resigned. The chairman welcomed Mr Lowe, who, he said, had previosuly been a member of the board. LOAN MONEY. After discussing the matter at length in committee' the board adopted the recommendation that failing a satisfactory reply from a certain lending institution the loan of £40,0'00 be placed on the local market on September 1 at 6 per cent and 1 per cent, sinking funds, for a period of 20 years. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £lBO on the general account and £1852 14's 6d on the loan account pvere passed for payment. In order to meet loan accounts it was decided to transfer £2500 from the general account to the loan account. RIVERS IMPROVEMENT SCHEME. A circular letter from the Mayor of Wa.ihi relative to the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Scheme, and ’ such as has been received by other local bodies in the district, was recieved. The clerk reported that the matter had been considered by the local committee, and the writer had been advised that the board did not see the need of any action. ■ The letter wars .approved.STRETCHERS ON WHARVES. In reply to the board’s representations that the regulations imposing on harbour boards an obligation to maintain a stretcher at every wharf were unreasonable in so far as the board was concerned, the Minister for Marine advised that the matter would be looked into. THE HARBOUR SCHEME. The board’s engineer, Mr E. F. Adams, reported in connection with the harbour improvement scheme that the contractors were fitting up the dredge framework. Mr F. Roche took up his duties as dredgemaster on July 13. The walls and reclamation work was progressing steadily, teams and drays being used. 'A locomotive and trucks would shortly be used. Rails and sleepers for the raiL way siding to the wharf were on hand, and the work could be proceeded with when the plans had been submitted to and approved by the Railway Department.. The report was adopted. In reply to Mr Danby the engineer said that the goods-shed would be placed at the end of the solid filling, and not at the end of the wharf.

Mr Danby contended that it would have been better to have the sheds alongside the berthage, as it would mean less handling and' less likelihood of the cargo getting wet. He also urged -that provision should be made for more space for carters. The engineer pointed out that to put the shed on the wharf it would have to be much smaller than the existing shed, which was. much too small. <On the proposed wharf there would be several railway lines, and these would pass down each side of the wharf. Cargo should be loaded on to railway trucks for 1 direct transport to the country or to the wharfshed. A suitable shed could not be erected on the wharf, but a shed containing facilities, for several vehicles to load at the same time could be built on the reclamation a hundred yards or so away. A RESERVE FUND. The chairman asked that members consider the question of establishing a, reserve fund to meet interest on the loan. The general account was in a very healthy state. It had been the desire of the board to create surplus moneys in the general account fbi this purpose, and this had been done. .He moved . that the reserve fund be established. In seconding,' Mr Edwards commended the board on the suggestion. The accounts passed that evening on the general account totalled £lBO, while the month’s revenue totalled over £5OO. It . must be satisfying to the ratepayers of the (special, rating area to see a fund accumulating which would meet the charges on the loan and thus postpone the striking of a rate. ' Mr E. N. Miller s,aid that .this year the board would have to find £7OO out of revenue for interest and sinking fund on the loan, and in 1926 the amount would be £l4OO, while in 1927 the sum would probably be £4200. It was, therefore, necessary to create a reserve fund to save having to levy a rate. ' The suggestion was favoured by the board,’ and after, discussion on details the principle wap affirmed. ' PIAKO RIVER ’.WHARVES. Mr McMillan asked the position in regard to the Piako River wharves. He had noticed that a letter had been received from the Lands Department and had been referred to the local committee. The secretary reported that the department had not offered the wharves to the board, but had asked the board’s opinion as to which local body would be the best to' control the wharves. Mr McMillan pointed ouit that the wharves had been offered to the Hauraki Plains County at ,a certain sum, the council was still considering the matter. The ratepayers of the Hauraki Plains considered that the wharves belonged to them, as the cost was loaded on to .the land by the department. It was decided thqt Mr McMillan be

added to the committee to consider the matter. The Chairman said that so far nothing had been done. Much information had to be gathered, and this wa,s very difficult. BITUMEN ON WHARF. Mr McMillan asked how long goods were permitted to lie on the wharf. He had noticed that it was very difficult to get to the launches at Turua on account of the number of barrels of bitumen stacked there. The secretary reported that storage was charged on goods after one day and one night. He would- take the matter up with the Turua wharfinger.