FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2039, 9 October 1919, Page 3

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

A meeting of" the Foxton Harbour Board was held'at Palmerston N. on Tuesday afternoon. Present: — Messrs P. J. Hennessy (chairman), W. Bock, T. J. Clapham, J. Linklater, J. A. Nash, and E. R. B, Holhcn. Apologies for absence wore received from Messrs W. E, Barber and D. W. Matheson.

TREASURER’S STATEMENT. . The Treasurer reported that the amount to credit at the last meeting was £4,770 4s lOd, and the receipts since,were as follows: Pilotage £lB 10s Od, river lighting £3, rents £2O 17s Cd, wharfages outwards £23 2s 4d, railways (accumulation wharfages, etc.) £3,081 10s Od, road contribution £3 8s 9d, making a total of £7,921 2s sd, The expenditure, including purchase of wharf, tolalled £5,277 12s lOd, leaving a credit balance of £2,643 9s 7d. PILOT’S REPORT. The pilot (Captain J. H. Miller) reported as- follows for the month of September: A good depth of water has been experienced throughout the month, both in the river channel and across the bar, the lowest depth being on the Bth, when there was 4ft. Gin. low water neap tides on the fishermen’s flat, and sft. 3in on the bar. From the 13th to the 18th there was a heavy fresh in the river, which scoured out the channel and caused an alteration between Hartley’s bend and the bar, the bar changing to the northward. After the fresh moderated the beacons were corrected, and the river sounded, the least water being 7IT. Gin. jjt half tide, and on the liar 12ft, at high water. The launch has been thoroughly overhauled, repaired, cleaned and painted, and upon examination of llie hull I found it to he in a fairly sound condition, all hough weakened from vibration, and since repairs have ijoon executed no leakage "I any account has occurred, and 1 now consider her quite suitable (o carry out the work - required. 1 beg to draw attention to the position of the (tagsi a IV, and would like io suggest that it he shifted to the top of the mnul hills, at present obstructing I lie view of (he vessels on the liar and making it in had weather or adverse currents absolutely necessary to employ assistance for the guidance of vessels by the semaphore, which labour could jic dispensed witli should this all eration he made. DREDGE.

The question of the purchase of a dredge under offer by the Palea Harbour Board was gone into. This dredge (‘(insists of n c and suction pump mounted on pontoon, with cnlter gear, winches, boiler, engine, water tanks, etc. The pontoon is (i()fl. long, 22ft. wide, and 3ft. Bins, deep. The boiler has a workingpressure of 140 pounds. The amount of spoil that could be lifted by it would vary according to tin' class of material. For free drift or sands discharged into hoppers alongside, she should lift at the rale of DiO.lo 200 cubic yards per hour. Working in clays and more or less sticky material, the-rate might fall to 70 yards per hour. If necessary the suction pipe and cutter-shaft could he lengthened at no great cost. The Pa tea Board was prepared to accept the sum of £1,300 for the dredge where she was now moored, or £I,OOO for the-machinery only, exclusive of pontoon and housing. The machinery could be placed direct on (he railway trucks without cartage. The dredge was recently inspected by J. Blair-Mason, consulting engineer, of New Plymouth, who would

be pleased to give his opinion as to the condition and efficiency of the dredge. The Board’s engineer (Mr S. Jickell) said that he estimated the cost of building a now pontoon at £-188. The machinery ho considered was a very cheap proposition. The pontoon would have to be moved to a mooring point to work, but once there could lie moved by the mooring lines from the winch. He thought they would have to have a.t least four punts to fill. Mr Nash said that he had expected they would have to pay. £15,000 for a dredge, and he was surprised that a dredge could he obtained for £I,OOO.

In reply to a c|uestion, Mr Jickell skid Ibe dredge would lie suitable for shifting the sand banks. From the reports he had received, he considered the dredge was a cheap proposition, and would do the Board’s work for many years (o come.

Mr Nash moved (hat (he oiler of the Patea Harbour Board to sell the dredge machinery for £I,OOO be accepted, and that an option over the punt for £3OO for a month be obtained. Tins was seconded by Mr Linklater, and was carried. FINANCE. The Treasurer (Mr Bock) said that so far only £5,000 of the flO,000 loan had been collected, and there was £II,OOO still available. The amount to .the credit of the Board at present was, in round figures, £2,000, and the expenditure, in sight, including dredge, new sheds, etc., was £4,750. If they collected say a farther £5,000 of the loan, they would still have a surplus of £2,850, and the balance of the loan, £6,000, could be left to be collected later if required. After some little discussion it was decided, on the motion of Mr Claphom, seconded by Mr Linklatcr,. that £6,000 be collected from the Public Trustee, and negotiations be entered into to leave the balance, £5,000. until required. THE WHARF. The Chairman reported in regard todhe settlement with the Railway Department (hat they had paid £5,000 for the wharf, and had received back £3,081, being the accumulated wharfages, etc., since the re-

port of the Royal Commission. They now had a good credit balance at the bank, Tbut there was*plenty to do with the money, every effort would be made to get the best possible result from every penny expended. '