FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2191, 19 October 1920, Page 2

FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD.

MON THEY MEETING,

The-monthly-meeting of the Poxton Harbour Board was held at, Palmerston North yesterday afttfiv noon. Present; Messrs J. Linklater (chairman), \V. Bock, VC. E. Barber, and T. J, Clapham. An apology for absence was received from Mr Nash.

TREASURER’S STATEMENT. * The Treasurer reported as follows; —The credit balance at last mooting was £550 Os Id, and the receipts since then were:• Wharfages Inwards £l-12 3s lOd, less charges (£7O Is Id.) £72 2s "Od, wharfages outwards £39 Is 3d, pilotage £2O -Is Od, river lighting £7 10s Od, rents £73 13s lOd.road interest'£2 13s 3d, transfer fees £2 2s Od, a total of £773 7s 2d. Expenditure; Pike) £25, assistance £5 Ills Od, repairs £1 l()s Od, kerosene £5-15s lOd, bon-' zinc £ls 19s Od, surveys £O6 17s Od, cartage £1 7s Od, bank fee ss, wages (pontoon and shed) £l-17 7s 9d, freight and cartage £lO Its sd, total £2BO 12s (id, leaving a credit balance of £4BO 1-1 s Sd. The loan account is in debit- to the general account to (ho amount of £3,492 8s (id.

The statement was adopted, and accounts (included in (he statement) amounting to £2BO 12s Od, were passed for payment.

PILOT’S REPORT. The Pilot, reported as follows: — Good water has been experienced on I ho bar and in the river throughout (lie month of Sept ember. The least water on (he bar during' the month was tfft. (Jin at high,! water spring tides, end Bft. bin. at high water neap tides. The bar is now ineliued to go slightly to the northward, amt the river has ehanged slightly, neeessitating the main river heaeons b(‘ing shifle([. The sheading al tho lop end.of Hartley’s Rend has ehanged slightly for (he best. The' flagstaff has had to be di-maul!ed, repaired and re-creeled. The engineer (iVlr diekell) said, the 'depth of waler on the bar was. as good as it ever had been . It appeared to be getting better. .Mr Rock suggested, that a light launch should be procured for use by l lie pilot on the river, wind) would result in a considerable saving of benzine, as the launch now used was' a very heavy one. This could lie in pt for the heavier work. A portable motor to use on the Board's dredge would probably ho suitable. —It was decided to refer tliis matter “to Mr Bock and (lie pilot with power to act. EXGINKER'S REPORT.

The Engineer reported as follows - ' “As to the dredge pontoon, th> whole of Ihe framing is completed, and the skin of the floor is in place with (he exception of throe planks on each side, stud these cannot he placed in position until the belting Is in place and the vessel lowered; the sides (both) are planked, and arc now being caulked, tho well for ’the suction pipe, is planked, caulked, and the Joints served with pilch, and three planks on each side of the deck are laid, and so far as the hull is concerned we hope to he aide to place it in the river in about throe weeks from now. There are several applications before the Board to-day for the position of dredge engineer, and we would suggest that, an appoint meal he made as early as possible, as I here is a good (leal

of overhauling of the machinery to be done before it is placed on board. The question of Ihe disposal of the dredged, spoil now again crops up, and some arrangement will have to be made in (he near future for such disposal*, there arc two methods of accomplishing this, one by moans of pun(s discharging the dredgings in shallow shore water, and the other by means of pipes convoying the said dredgings on to the land either for reclamation or banking purposes, the hiti.er being preferable. The Iran.Ml shed is practically completed, only a partition and finishing (ouches requiring to bo done so Unit (lie leiiant of parts I and If may he given possession ifl any time. We have been unnllicially informed lliai il is likely a steamer will be obtained from Tasmania for the Foxion-Wellingloii trade; if such should turn out to be the case i! would be a good tiling 1o lake (ho opporiunily of obtaining Ihe hardwood timber for the new part of the wharf extension, as it is possihe a great saving in freight would be the result. Wo notice that the luiiments/al Foatherston Camp are being advertised for sale, and it is just possible that a considerable saving to the Board might eventuate if sufficient of this limber and roofing-were purchased for the new sheds proposed to lie erected on the new wharf extension/’*

In connection with (he question of the disposal of spoil, it was decided in the meantime to use spiral pipes for same.

n was decided ihiil (lie engineer devote ail his time to.equipping the dredge, and beyond listing necessary timber• for wharf: and shed work in this connection he ludd over for the lime .being. TRANSFERS OF SECTIONS. The following transfers of .sections were approved: —Mrs B. E. Robert to G. and A. McCarty, J, Mounsey to M. H. Wilson, W, B, Pearce to T. E. Cooksley, and W. M. Buvlv to A. W. Whitehead.. GENERAL.

The following tenders for beach sections were accepted:—No. 7, C. M. Dawson, £2 7s (id; No. S, 11. Hamer, £2 2s 6d. Two tenders were received for section No, 7, and it, was decided to offer the. unsuccessful tenderer (me of the other available sections at the rental tendered, £2,2s Od. The Arthur Hopwood Hardware

Co. Ltd., accepted the Board’s‘terms for lease of storage space at the wharf, but asked that a .further term be granted.—lt was dec’ JjKf that after the expiry of the term {six years) the Hopwood Hardware Company bo given (he first refusal of a renewal for a further six year’s, a rental to he fixed if the Board then decides to again lons-s ■the building.

An application from Cecil Tunuicliffe. for permission to erect a boat shed Am the river frontage was granted, provided same is approved by the Railway Department. Seven applications were received for the position of engineer to assemble, erect, and work the Board’s suction dredge, and that of Mr J. AC Ackman, of Dunedin, was accepted.