WHARF AND SHED ACCOMMODATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3945, 21 May 1929, Page 2

WHARF AND SHED ACCOMMODATION.

+ DISCUSSED BY HARBOUR BOARD. Ait yesterday’s meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board the secretary (Mr. R. Rangiheuea) reported on the wharf and shed accommodation as follows: — - SUGGESTED WHARF EXTENSION. “In anticipation of the T.S.S. “Coolebar” taking up the FoxtonLyttelton trade the matter of extending he wharf to the next Dolphin will he most imperative as the present wharf will he too short to adequately cope with the requirements of the ship’s hatches. The old method of discharging two hatches at onp time instead of three when the’ s.s. Kennedy was in the trade is far too costly for consideration. To facilitate the work the Board has no alternative but to adopt the foregoing suggestion. Finance is doubtless the determining factor and I would suggest that the maximum rate of £IOOO be levied immediately to pay off or reduce the overdraft at the Bank to a minimum and the current revenue from shipping to provide funds for this very necessary facility.” “For some time past the office has had the handling charge under close scrutiny and after solving its findings into figutres the annual financial loss to the Board from this source is as follows: —Average number of boats (received) per month, 4; average mijmiber of trucks required per boat, 20; average number of trucks required for 4 ‘boats per month, 80; average number of men required to work 80 trucks per month, 5; average time required to push each truck in and out,, $ hour; average time required to push 80 trucks in and out, 40 hours; average time required to push 80 trucks in and out, 40 x 5, 200 hours per month for 5 men. “At 2/4 per hour this expenditure is equal to £23 6/8 per month or £260 per annuin. “The foregoing is a very conservative estimate and it is suggested t hat the only practical remedy is to extend the .shed towards No. 7 Siding known also as Levin and Co’s. Siding in oi’der to avoid such expense. “In view of the carrying capacity of the two vessels recently reported in the press for the Foxton-Lyttel-ton trade extra shed accommodation is very necessary as without it ;i heavy handling expenditure is certain to eventuate.” In explanation of his report, the secretary said that it had been the custom when discharging the s.s. Kennedy, to shift the ship after the after hatch had been discharged. This operation took from between a nuarter of an hour and twenty minutes and during that time all the men on the wharf, were standing by. Mr. Nash congratulated the secretary on bringing the matter forward, but said it would ibe advisable to wait and see what improvement there was in the shipping before any work was carried out on the wharf. The matter is to lie held over until there is more shipping at the port.

After discussing the advisability of purchasing a hoi'se to manipulate the trucks this matter was also held over.