HARBOR BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 518, 11 May 1880, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

The' adjourned annual meeting of the Patea Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs Slier wood (in the,^iair),,Gibsoii, t Mi!roy, Adams, Bam-, forth, and NeWlaiid.; ,! • . ; chairman’s report. - Mr Sherwood reported ns follows “ In presenting m3’ first annual report I have to congratulate the Board upon the great success that has attended-its efforts. The total length of the work is about 1,200 feet, and the effect has proved most beneficial. Tnc ~ channel is now straight and deep, and affords cas}* access for vessels of a considerable size. There is every indication of the permanent nature of the •‘mprovcnients, they having sustained si’CCessfn'B’ the most severe tests such work can'be subjected to. The present work will be completed in a short time, when the question of a farther extension and other works will-have to be taken into consideration. I laj’ before 3’ou, herewith, the ba'ancc-shcet, duly, audited by the Government officer appointed for that purpose.” BALANCE SHEET. The annual balance sheet was submitted. The receipts during the year included £5,000 as instalment of Government loan of £IO,OOO ; also sales of land reserves, £2,472; rents of land reserves £4 IGs 3d; rents of wharves, halfyear, £192 3s 4d ; wharf dues, half-year, £lB9 0s 4d ; and other items, making a total income af £9,059 3s Bd, The expenditure showed £4,900 on account of Dickson’s contract ; £SOO for engineer’s salary ; £B4 5s Gd for'wharf 'extension ; and. a. number,of small expenses, which, with balance in bank of £2,380 17s 9d, make a total of £9,050 3s Bd. The assets arc set down at a totol of £18,285 16 1 : ; estimating the breakwater as a contingent asset worth £9,000, and the land reserves at £9,285 IGs Id, The liabilities : £5,000 received on loan, £SOO as progress payment for construction of breakwater ; and £9OO as balance of 10 per cent, retained on breakwater payments ; shewing a credit balance of £11,711 7s 4d. The Chairman’s report and the balance sheet were adopted, engineer’s report. 1; During the past year great changes for (he better have taken place: in the river. Including the inward extension a length of about 1100 feet of the. breakwater is now practically speaking constructed, and only requires some concrete and facing to complete it. Last January the channel was very crooked, running across the end of the work with a double curve, and it was so shallow that there was n» difficulty in crossing on horseback. In February the river cut a straight and pennaucntchanncl through tho sancl°spit. The new channel has continued deep and pretty straight ever since, and improves as we go farther seaward with the breakwater. At high water we have 9or 10 feet at neaps and 12 or 13 feet at’ordinary spring tides on the bar, and from II to 22 feet in the channel opposite the work. “ I wish to direct public attention to the fact that a few mouths ago the pilot gave a list of vessels which could trade with safety here. Amongst them were the Manawatu and St or 11 ibi.nl, and at spring tides the. Rangatira could easily enter the liver. There would be no difficulty in shipping cattle direct from the district if these vessels could be induced to call. The local steamers can enter and leave two or three hoars before high water, and one of the captains told me we had as good a bar harbour as there is along the West Coast.

“ One of the greatest benefits we derive from the cutting away of the land spit is the increased range of tide ; the high water line remains the same as formerly, but the water which the spit dammed up in the river at low water now gets out to sea, and the tide in the river falls from a foot to eighteen inches lower than formerly ; this gives an increased scour, not only on"the bar but on the bottom of the river inside, and a number of snags have been exposed which formerly were covered with silt. A large number of them havc.bccn removed, and the remainder will be after a little. When the sand spit which formerly acted as a breakwater, and sheltered the entrance, was cut through, heavy waves came up the river and attacked the cast bank ; we were therefore obliged to continue the work backwards up the river for a considerable distance. “ A lighthouse was erected in March. AVc were supplied with a ,red light, which unfortunately does not show far. During the same month ’both wharves were repaired, and in October the lower one was extended, and a cattle yard and run were built for the convenience of shippers of live-stock. “ A large casting belonging to the crane broke in July. It took a considerable time to get another from Auckland, but the work was not delayed much, as the men were kept at the inner extension, &c.

“In (September we had the heaviest freshes that have been in the fiver for years. Those scoured away some obstructions which the ordinary current could not remove. Heavy equinoctial gales came on at the same time, and thoroughly, tested the work. Not the slightest damage was done, “ Sir John Goode’s report arrived the same month. He speaks very,, favourably, of the river, and say'S if liis plan he carried out there will be 1(5 feet of water on the bar, and a farther extension would give us 21 feet. In conclusion I may say the farther we go out with the present work the etraightcr and deeper the channel will, be, hut it will.be narrow until the west breakwater is partially constructed.”

The annual meeting was then formally adjourned, and the ordinary monthly meeting was held. CARLYLE RAILWAY. A lottcr.fr,pm Mr Hunter, local engineer, to the Government, notified his intention to enter immediately on land belonging to the Harbor Board, for the purpose of construe Jpg- the branch railway to. Carlyle, under'statutory powers. The letter was ordered to be acknowledged . harbor plans. •'. ■. A telegram from Wellington intimated that the plans of the deviation of river and training Wall, had been laid beforc the Govcrnor-in-Council, on the sth instant, and approved. TUB LOAN. Telegrams had passed between the Chairman and Mr William Gray, relative to the payment of the farther instalment on account of loan of £IO,OOO for carrying out the harbor scheme. It appeared that the balance was to be placed to tbc'Board’s credit on the Bth, and it was'then promised definitely for the 10th (yesterday).

INCREASE OF SHIPPING. A telegram was sent to’ Captain Johnson, of the Marine Department, on the 29th April, as follows;—“In consequence of the increase in shipping, additional wharfage is urgently needed. ' Please inform of intentions of Government, and when we can expect Order-in-Council authorising the work.” No reply bad been received.'; : s » HARBOR MASTER’S REPORT. “ There is h’o'alteration hi! bar or Channel since last report, both keeping straight, with same depth of , water and -same’width from Breakwater to North Spit. Would request that flagstaff and blocks around stand be clayed 40. keep the loose sand from Mowing] away from flagstaff and stand, thereby under-* miiiihg them. Would also, suggest, the build-,

J ng of alpflgsidfe of tlic tOi keep flags in. |*liighthdflso rc~ qu'-Hsartwq edits of paint. Hare received five flags.'^List^supplj^bf; oil, fptpdmps|ji a inferior;'haves"a hard I 'job to’"kccp lighthouse lamp from smoking. The oil wont burn in on of the leading-lamps which are used for letting, vessels put,.at. night. Thirty-tw.o vessels have crossed the bar since Jasfc l ( cport;f; at night?—Patea, lOth'May”’* ' '

Mr Sherwood moved, and Mr Newland seconded."'Th'St'''tlib’^vmlc'T ; eqflife9”at“Thc' flagstaff be executed. ■ Mr 'Bainforth—ls not the, lighthouse; on the Boiling-down' Company’s' property? (Laughter.) Because I should propose that they put on tlie two coats of paint. Mr Adams—Thait is the' usual dose. (Laughter.) • - The Chairman —I should like to see a meeting of tins Board got over without the Boiling-down Company, coming up in some shape or othcr^ KNGINKKII’S MONTHLY UKI’OUT. : Mr Thomson reported that “ During the month the contractor has been principally engaged with the conci jtc work, and has laid a g ,- eat.number of blocks .in their final position. The channel is straight and perfectly in line witii the breakwater. The sandTs almost dry at low water, at'the end of the' work, showing tliat the' flow of water is parallel to the wall. I think the remains of snags on the foreshore near Jic wharves should be removed to at least high water line, or else broken up. I wote to the owners some time ago, and one of them promised ,toi attend-to the matter.” The report was adopted. A LOCAL “ OALK.” The Chairman; I wish to draw the attention of the Board to a matter that is being continually brought under my notice about the bad state of the bar here. A commercial traveller accosted me and said lie had been told that the bar was- much worse than it hfd'beeh. I went to ask the Pilot, and he said “ No, it is better now than it has been. It is now straight, and there is plenty of water.” I asked the commercial traveller for his authority, and I found it was the old authority for these stories about the Patea bar—it was Captain Gibbons. When we have the reports of our responsible officers, I think it is very wrong that the servant of a local public company should bo • continually running down and deprecating this port. It is wilfully untruthful, on the face of it. We have the evidence of all other. captains who come into this port every day, to Ihe effect that the river entrance is vastly improved, Captain Gibbons, trading to the main port in the colony, and spreading such reports as that, is doing ns incalculable injury. Something ought to be done b} r tho public company whose servant ho is, to check this persistent misrepresentation as to the state of Patea Hai-hm - .

Mr Newland : Don’t you think many of those reports . from..,commercial ..travellers arc spoken in a chaffing way ? • • Mr Gibson: I don’t think it is for us to sit and justify ourselves about every little titile-tattle that any commercial traveller chooses to ta'k about.

The' Chairman: I think it is important tattle.

Mr Gibson: If anybody thought of sending a vessel bore, they would applj’ to the Pilot for information. Tlic}” would not pick up information from commercial travellers in the streets. So long as the Pilot will give straight information to a business bouse, bo won'd be the onlj person likely to be referred to. I don’t think it would do any good to pay attention to reports of commercial travellers. Mr Bamfortb —I think it is very good evidence to go upon—that Captain Gibbons goes in and out two or throe times ft week. . - - : ; ‘

Mr Adams—Aye, but that is through his abilities that he go/s in and out, and not through the goodness of the harbor. Mr Milroy—There are others besides Captain (ribbons who should be careful of what they say. There was one commercial traveller coming hereby the boat who told me that a member of this Board had informed him we had a lighthouse hero which was of no use.

The Chairman: As to this being unimportant tattle, I would point nut that these commercial travellers arc connected 'With housesiloing the principal business, ami the heads of those houses naturally enquire from their travellers to got information as ■to the prospects of pushing business' in particular districts. In nine cases out of ton they don’t write to a pilot for information about a port, but go to the,captain of any ship that is trading regularly, and will take his word as to the condition of a port. These commercial travellers are understood to communicate to their linns the general state of the country, as well as the harbors they arc trading into; and I say the trade which would come to this port is being cut off because reports arc. being spread broadcast by Captain Gibbons that this harbor is so much worse than it was.

Mr Gibson: If Mr Milroy is alluding to me as a member of the harbor trust who made a statement about the lighthouse,-lie will give the name of the commercial traveller.

Mr Milroy: It was Guthrie and Larnach’s traveller.

Mr Gibson; I don’t recollect giving that information to him. I do not think I travelled with him in the boat.. J[ did,see. him afterwards in Patea, but do. not recollect seeing him on .the steamer. Sir Adams: Perhaps it was not Mr Gibson that gave the information. , .- Mr.Gibson: I have said here, that persons could not see the lighthouse. It certainly has not been visible to me when I have been on board,the steamer. I believe it was owing to .my saying the light could not be seen that an alteration was made in the glass used. There was 'myself and my brother, last timoAvc came up in the night, and although on deck all the time I ain certain we did not see the Patea light. The subject then dropped. „, „ ..a-'- - ■■ sx'ui.s; ,l Mr Milroy moved'that 1 the pilot do give instructions to have the snags removed, mentioned in the Engineer’s report.; Seconded and carried. FINISH OF CpXTKAC’I. The Engineer stated, in reply to questions, that:the works comprised in the present contract will lie, finished within, three, months, from this time, Tf the men .could work constantly, they could finish in six weeks, but the tide docs not allow of constant work. ' : ■ This concluded the business.

-tW -r-g - Waverley-Waitotara Racing Club. . i A dozen members of dins, club met at Ballam’s Commercial Hotel, Waverley, on Friday night, but as tho political-meeting of the M.H.R. had been advertised for tho same ■ hour, an adjournment was made until that meeting concluded. On re-as-sembling Mr James Duric was voted to the chair, and stated that the club had been called together for-tlie purpose of making some arrangement for the improvement of the Racecomsc. A number of the "Settlers present expressed iheir willingness to assist in ploughing and harrowing the

ground,lanjjsi as a jiumber of others had ■.promised tb.s.do likewise, their services were, accepted,, with thanks, and a eom‘fftn|i&l to lay off the com sc and arrange a day on which to call the volunteer ploughmen together. Twelve ploughs are expected to be at work, and one (lay-shquid suffice for doing the Thief Aiviericflii;“ Bee*\ moycirtent the cl lib a la gc 'outlay. That business ’"Mr Chadwick,’ seconded by Mr T. Keid, and carried manimouslj’, “That a deputation, consisting of Messrs Hair, Dune, Newland, and the Secretary (Mr Taylor) wait upon the County Counci', and ask that.a sum.of ,money., Tr.om .t'ie. rents, re,-, ceivcd from the racecourse rose, ye and, recreation groujid, be voted to the club for the purpose of defraying expenses in connection with the general improvements proposed to be effected on the course; and that notice be sent to .Moss. S: Morton and Lnptou, the lessees of the ground, of the intention of the club to plough the running track.” Tlic general meeting of the club will be held during the month of July, and the races sometime in November. A vote of thanks to the cliaiiman brought the mooting to a close.