HARBOR BOARD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1066, 19 September 1879, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

The regular meeting of the Harbor Board was held to-day, when.there were present—Mr. Sumpter (Chairman), the Hon. H. J. Miller, Messrs. Reid, Aitketi, Hassell, Duncan, Menlove, and Borrie. : The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward correspondence was read and approved. The following letter was read : Resident Engineer's Office, ; Oamaru, Sept. 10th, 1879. Sir, —In executing the new connection with the Harbor line determined on some little time since, and agreed to by the Hoard, there will be some 12,000 cubic yards of excavated material to dispose of after; making up all banks required. Will you kindly let me kncrw whether there would be any objection to this being tipped into the Lagoon from the south bank, and whether your Board would be p-eparel to pay anything for it in that position ? Also, how much per yard the Board would be prepared to give for it if tipped from the north bank. I shall thus be able to make a recommendation as to the final disposal of the material. It is intended to call for tenders for the work in a few days.—Yours, &c., James Burnett, Assistant Engineer. To the Secretary, Harbor Board, Oamaru. After a little discussion, during which it was-pointed out that the Municipal Council would be greatly benefited By the west side of the Lagoon being filled in,, it was resolved, " That the Standing Committee be empowered to arrange with Mr. Burnett as to the position in which to lay the spoil, and that they be requested to consult with the Municipal Council, with a view to joint action being taken upon the matter. " The Chairman remarked that at the last meeting he had given aotice to reopen

the question of dredging the harbor, as proposed by the Engineer in his previous report. The necessity for getting a dredge without delay had been much increased by the accumulation of sand alongside some portions of the Macandrew wharf. He thought it would be well to have the matter reconsidered before those members of the Board who were members of Parliament left for Wellington. The following letter was read : Dunedin, September 18th. The Chairman Oamaru If arbor Board. Sir, —Since submitting my report for the Board relating to dredging at the. Oamaru Harbor, I have been in communication with the Engiueer-in-Charge for the Middle Island, who informs me that the Government intend to get a larger dredge built for Grnymouth, aud it has been suggested that the Oamaru Harbor Board should get a similar one, so that the cost could be reduced for both, by making the d'.sign the same. Herewith I attach table of dimensions and other particulars, showing relative proportions of the old design and the new one. Messrs. Kincaid and M 'Queen are preparing an estimate of the cost, which they have promised to let me have next week, aud which I will forward to the Board for its information. I think it will be about LSOOO, but, as you will observe from the tables it will lift 100 tons per day, and is to be provided with a propeller and other appliances, that could not very well he arranged in the small dredge.—l have, &c., John M Geegor. Some discussion of a conversational character then took place upon the matter.

Mr. Duncan said he had no faith in the smaller dredge previously recommended by the Engineer doing the work of deepening the harbor, and he would therefore move that the Standing Committee be empowered to make arrangements to procure a dredge in accordance with the letter just read from the Engineer. The Chairman pointed out that what Mr. Duncan was proposing would double the cost of the dredge first proposed. Mr. Eeid thought that, as the Engineer had reported that the dredge first proposed would be sufficient to deepen the harbor to a depth of 24 feet, they would not be justified in going to doubi the expenditure. He was in favor of procuring the smaller dredge. By doing so, they would be able to clear away the sand which had silted up in time for the grain season. This could not be done if the}' decided upon procuring the larger dredge, as the time required for its construction would be so great. Mr. Aitken was of opinion that neither of the dredges would be sufficient to deepen the harbor ; it would require a hopper dredge. Tha Secretary pointed out that if it was eventually found, as predicted by Mr. Aitken, that a hopper dredge would be required for deepening the harbor, the cost of the small dredge would not be thrown a,way, as a small dredge to work alongside the wharves would be necessary. The Hon. Mr. Miller said it appeared to him that what they had to consider was the clearing away the silt which had accumulated. They were not yet in a position to take into consideration the dredging of the harbor to a greater depth. He certainly thought they should obtain the smaller dredge. Mr. Hassell said, to test the question, he would mcve, " That tlie Engineer be requested to arrange for the purchase of a dredge from Messrs. Kincaid and M'Queen, in accordance with the original design, and at the price referred to in his report, the contractors to b > bound stringently to the time (14 weeks) stated, and the machine to be guaranteed to work in a satisfactory manner for a period of six months, in accordance with the particulars given in the Engineer's letter." The motion was seconded by Mr. Menlove. and carried, after a little further discussion. It was resolved that the Engineer should be requested to prepare plans and specifications for the necessary punts, &c., for carrying out the dredging operations, and submit the same to the Board at an early date. Accounts to tho amount of L 991 3s 3d were passed for payment, and the Board rose -