HARBOR BOARD.

Patea Mail, 14 June 1881, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Board was held yesterday. Present : Messrs Sherwood (in the chair), Horner, Aitchison, and Newland, IMPROVED CHANNEL. The pilot’s report stated that the corner of the south bank which overlapped the breakwater has scoured away, leaving the channel from bar straight, with 11 feet of water on bar at spring tide, and an average depth of 16 feet in channel along breakwater. Width from breakwater to north spit 102 feet. 41 vessels have crossed the bar since last report; 2 crossing at night. Chairman ; This report is highly favorable. We have passed through severe tests during the past twelve months. The dry weather was perhaps the severest test of all. An impression having got about that damage had been done to the breakwater, I had a thorough inspection made of the work recently by a visitor who is an experienced engineer, and highly competent to give an opinion. We found one block 1 inch out of line, but it has been so since a few days after it was laid, caused by settling. The result of that inspection is that the work is thoroughly sound, and has not suffered any damage, nor is there any apparent settling. One of the workmen who went through the contract has been employed seven days in slight repairs to the inner end of the wall. His opinion is that it is remarkable to find so little settling in a work of this character. As to the width of the entrance, there are many rivers doing an enormous amount of shipping which are narrower than this, even down to 80 feet. We have fair width, excellent depth, and a straight channel.

Mr Aitchison : I suppose you refer to the silting up during the dry weather as the severest test. That, I apprehend, is about the worst kind of weather for the bar.

Chairman : I mean that since work on the breakwater was suspended, we have had one of the heaviest freshes known in the district, and we have had the strongest gales. These were tests of the work ; but the long period of dry weather has been a test as to the channel being deep enough. Two slight accidents have occurred in the river lately, the cause in each case being apparent, and not due to the river. The Pilot’s report was adopted. LEASING OF SECTIONS, The Board resolved to lease 14 building sections on the foreshore between Milroy’s wharf and Patea bridge. The term to be 50 years : each section has a frontage of 75 links and a depth of 160 links. A space of low shore will remain available for use as an extension to each section until the Board may require to reclaim up to Sir John Goode’s line. When reclaimed, a separate range of sections will be thereby created, with a road between them and the present sections. In the meantime, the sections for lease are the foreshore as it stands at high water, WHARF MANAGEMENT. The Chairman moved that, as the lease of wharves will expire this month, the Board do not lease them again, but retain the management. This was seconded, and after discussion the motion was carried unanimously. It was agreed to advertise for a wharfinger, and that the Secretary super-

intend the accounts, for which £2O a year is to t be added to his salary. Accounts were passed for payment; a committee was appointed to accept tenders for wharfinger; and the Board adjourned.