PATEA HARBOR BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 508, 14 April 1880, Page 3

PATEA HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of this Board was held on t Monday. Present, Mr Sherwood (in the chair), Messrs. Bahnforth, Milroy, Adams and Newland. TUK IMPROVEMENT LOAN. The Secretary, Mr Eyton, had written to the Postal Department (re Savings Bank funds loan), as follows :—I have the honour to request that you will inform me of the earliest date on which the available balance of £5,000 (due on account of the sum of £IO,OOO, granted in terms of your letter of 31st July, 1879), can be remitted to the credit of the Board at the Bank of New Zealand, Carlyle. I find that the loan is promised to be made available within nine months from 31st July, 1879. The reply from Wellington was not yet to hand. THE HUBBLE WORK. Mrs Dickson’s representative asked to be ■allowed to dispose of horses employed in carting rubble for the breakwater, as that part of the wall is well advanced for the present, and the horses would be idle for a tiuui, The Board complied with the AUDIT OK ACCOUNTS. A letter apprised the Board that the Go' vermnent Auditor had passed the Board’s balance-sheet for the past year. The Chairman said —Our better course will now bo to have the balance-sheet printed for presentation to the adjourned ■annual meeting, and a notice put in the mewspaper to that effect. engineer's report. Mr J. Thomson reported that “ During the past month the contractor has been preparing the work foi the final courses of ■concrete. The laying of the rails will be finished to-morrow (April 13th) ; and as the end portion has had a month to consolidate and sink to its bearings, I think wo tuny safely proceed to lay the remaining blocks of the lower courses. We had very severe cquinoxial gales in March, but no damage was done. Last month Sir W. Fox and Sir F. Dillon Bell visited the works, and were very much pleased with their progress and success, and on Monday last the Minister for Public Works and the Enginecr-in-Cliief inspected the river and barber works in connection with the railway question. Mr Ollivcr told us that we do not realise the importance of the harbor ; •and Mr Blackett said there was a great deal of work to show for the money expended. At present lam engaged preparing ■a general map of the harbor on a large scale, and am also making specifications for the continuation of the present breakwater and the construction of the large one on the Taranaki side of the river.” The report was formal I}* received, pilot’s report. The pilot, Mr A. Wood, reported that the south channel has silted up with the southerly gales and heavy sea, which lasted 12 da}’s ; so .there is now only one channel, which is straight and in a line with the breakwater. The rise of tides has not been so good, on account of the long spell of southerly winds. The depth on the bar is 10 feet, with an average depth of 13 in the channel at spring tides. The width from the breakwater to the north spit is 179 feet at neap and spring tides. Men with punt have been engaged in lifting snags. Suggested that the lower wharf be clayed and gravelled afresh, as heavy traffic of late lias cut it up considerably. Four flags and an answering pennant are also required. Thirty-six vessels have crossed the bar since last report, three crossing at night. As to repairing the road near the wharf, a conversation ensued, Mr Milroy remarking that the timber on the leased land impedes the full use of the road. It was generally agreed that a mistake had been made in not restricting the lessee’s power in this respect. 1 The report was formally received, and the requ.stasto flags was complied with. POLICY OK THE BOARD". The Chairman said—The engineer has referred to the preparation of a large map. He is doing it on my instruction ; and I • may explain that I shall be prepared at a future meeting to lay before you a plan for the completion of the harbour improvements, for which purpose this large map would be necessary. Mr B.ihnforth—l suppose we cannot decide about the now wharf till we see on which side tho railway is to he ? The Chairman—No. The Government have interposed there. One of our reserves is likely to be very considerably enhanced in value, inasmuch as the railway junction is paitly on it—l mean up the river. That is a piece of land wo have hot yet disposed of; and in fact it has never been offered for sale. ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were passed for payment : —Mrs Dickson, progress of contract, £2OO ; J. Kenworthy, stationery, £1 4s 4d ; T. Wright, removing snags, £2 16 ; glazing lighthouse, 10s 6d ; G. Dentun, now key, lls ; salaries, £57 16s Bd. This concluded the business.