HARBOR BOARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2226, 6 May 1880, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

An ordinary meeting oE the Timaru Harbor Hoard was held to-day. Present —Messrs Archer (chairman), Moody, Hall, Evans, Gray, Suiter, PosliethAvailc, Sludholmc, Acton, Turnbull, Barker, and Heswiek. COHitKSI’OXDUXCK. Prom Sparrow and Co., Engineers, Dunedin, offering to submit plans and specifications for the construction of dredges and depositing barges. prom Pindlay and Co., Dunedin, requesting that monies duo to them for cement may be paid to the National Bank at Timaru. Prom the Oamaru Harbor Board, requesting that the cement borrowed by the Timaru Board should be returned as carty as possible. CKMKXT. In reply to Mr Acton the Engineer stated that a catch lot of cement which had to be purchased in consequence of the non-delivery of the cement contracted for was very inferior, but since direct shipments had been obtaiued through Pindlay and Co., no fault could be found with the quality. Mr Goodall explained that the Oamaru cement had not been returned in consequence of the delay experienced in obtaining supplies from the contractors. Mr Action—Then wc are to understand that £ISOO worth of cement of a most inferior description has been purchased and used in consequence of the fault of of the contractors ? Mr Goodall —Yes. It was resolved on the motion of Mr Evans —“That the Oamaru Harbor Board be returned their cement as soon as this Board can replace it, probably within a month.” Mr Acton said it was a most serious thing for the Board to be using inferior cement, and it bad been shown that £ISOO had been spent in this manner. Mr Goodall stated that the inferior cement referred to bad been used in the surface works of the structure, where the damage likely to arise from faulty material would not be great. Air Bostletlnvaite considered that the inferior cement referred to should not not have been received by the Board at all. Mr Barker moved—“ That the exact amount of money lost by the Board through the non-delivery of cement bo ascertained and deducted from the next payment (Inc to Pindlay and Go., and that all penalties in cement be strictly enforced.” The resolution was seconded by Mr Acton and carried. COXTHACT DISPUTE. A letter was read from Perry and Perry, solicitors to the Board, re claim forwarded by Mr Hamerslcy, on behalf of Allan amf Stumbles, for £250, alleged to be due for carting and receiving cement, asking - whether they (the Board’s solicitors) would consent to the claim being tried in the District Court so as to save a Supremo Court action. The chairman explained that on the Btb January the late contractors for-.

warded an account for receiving, loading, and carting IGOO tons cement, the amount being - £220. This was referred to the engineer, who reported that the item should have been submitted by Allan and Stumbles before they settled up for the balance of their contract, but recommended, as he did not wish to deal harshly, that £25 be paid for 340 tops cement which had been stored some distance from their work.

Mr Barker submitted a resolution to the effect that the sum of £25, as recommended by the engineer, be paid to Allan and Stumbles, and that they also be furnished with an extract from the engineer’s report in reference to their claim.

After considerable discussion, it was resolved on the motion of Mr Moody—- “ That the matter of Allan and Stumbles’ claim be referred to the Board’s solicitor to advise on the whole difficulty, and that a committee, consisting of the chairman, Messrs Sutter and Hall be appointed to report on the subject to next meeting.” mr Anderson’s claim. A letter was read from Garrick and Cowlishaw re the proposal to submit Mr Anderson’s claim for balance due on the steam crane to arbitration, intimating that Mr Anderson would prefer a nonresident of Timarn as arbitrator, and suggesting that Mr Ollivier, of Christchurch, be appointed instead of Mr Bcetham, R.M. It was resolved to forward a reply intimating that the Board is not prepared to accept Mr Ollivier as sole arbitrator, and that they request Mr Anderson to nominate his arbitrator, the Board to appoint their’s thereafter, on the understanding that the arbitrators will mutually appoint an umpire. THE BUILDING SOCIETY’S DEPOSIT. The Chairman laid on the table a statement from the Chairman of the Building Society in reference to the position of the Society together with a copy of the Annual Keport and Balance Sheet. He went on to say that the balance of deposit held by the Society and due to the Board was £8,500, and £3OO in addition would shortly be due for interest. In August last in pursuance of an arrangement made with the Society, six month’s notice of withdrawal had been given. The time had expired in February last, but for some reason the Society had not been in a position to pay the money.

Mr Sutler said that since last meeting of the Board, lie had paid over £SOO on behalf of the Building Society, in reduction of the Board’s deposit. The debentures amounting to £lo,ooo,which were issued by the Board, extended over two years, and their term had not yet expired. If six months’ notice had been given by the Board, the Secretary had neglected to submit it to the Society. The directors of the Society had held a meeting tiro other night when this matter was discussed, and lie was authorised to submit now to the Board a definite proposal that the Society' should pay oil* the balance of the Board’s deposit at the rate of £SOO a month. He believed they would bo quite able to do this. Mr Moody considered this proposal was perfectly fair and reasonable. Mr Hall maintained that if notice of withdrawal had been given the Harbor Board would be acting in contravention of the Act if they did not insist upon the moneybeingimmcdiately paid, and no resolution they might pass could save them from the consequences of an illegal course. He would add that personally he was not satisfied with the security given by the Building Society, lie moved “That the solicitor of the Board ho instructed to take steps to at once recover the amount duo from the Building Society to the Harbor Board unless good and sufficient security be given which shall bold irresponsible the members of this Board.”

Mr Postlothwaite seconded tlic resolution.

Mr Turnbull expressed the hope that the resolution read would not be pressed. If it was pressed the Board would simply be stultifying’ itself by making a demand against the Building-Society which they could not enforce, if it was intended to take such steps as were proposed by the mover, the Board should not have accepted the securities that the chairman held from the Society. He submitted that they should accept the otter of the Building- Society with the proviso that any amounts realised on the securities held by the Board be paid over to the Board’s credit.

Mr Hall said he was prepared, if necessary, to say something- unpleasant regarding this deposit. If these securities were as valuable as they -were said to be why could hot the Society realise upon them ? Or, on the other hand, why should not the Directors of the Building Socioty'indcmnify the Board personally against failure ? Mr Sutter replied that personally he would give the guarantee suggested, and ho believed if brought before the other Directors of the Society they would also comply with the proposal, but no such proposal had ever been submitted. The Board had in their hands securities over property amounting to .£40,000. Mr Evans proposed, as an amendment —“ That the offer of the Society be accepted with the proviso mentioned byMr Turnbull.” lie considered it would be a great hardship to many residents of Timaru if they acted in a harsh or arbitrary way towards the Society. Mr Dray supported the amendment.

Mr Postlethwaitc asked if it was true that the shareholders of the Society were now withdrawing their deposits ? Mr Sutter said this was utterly unfounded. None of the the shareholders had withdrawn any money since September hist.

Mr Postlethwaitc asked whether it was in consequence of the notice given by the Board that these withdrawals took place ? Mr Sutter could assure the Board to the contrary. Mr Hall contended that if the security lodged with the Board was good, the Society should meet its obligations. The money was deposited before the Harbor Boards Act came into force, but now that such a measure was law, and the deposit was illegal, they must enforce payment. Mr Postlethwaitc also urged that the directors of the Society should be called on to pay the money. From the remarks he had seen in the Press he was led to believe that the shareholders of the Society were withdrawing their money, and tliis had lowered his conlidencc in the Society. Mr Sutter replied that there was not a word of truth in the statements referred to. The article in the “ Herald ” was a tissue of falsehoods from beginning to end and the proprietor (Mr Bellield) had sent his collector to apologise personally to him for its appearance.

Mr Hall (excitedly)— This is a thing that has no right to be brought up. Mr Sutter —And Mr Hall has no

right to be constantly rising up. I have lost count of the number of times he has spoken on the question. Mr Evans having withdrawn his amendment,

Mr Moody moved as an amendment —“ That the Harbor Board agree to the liquidation of the Tiraaru Building Society’s debentures upon the following conditions :

1. That the directors shall within seven days formally bind the Society to make over, whenever it shall be deemed expedient on the Harbor Board’s part, the whole or part of the securities of the Building Society as security for the debt.

2. That the Building Society shall reduce the debt at the rate of at least £SOO per month, and that any mortgages paid off or foreclosed during the currency of this arrangement bo paid into the Harbor Board Account.” Mr Beswick seconded the amendment. The Amendment was carried, twelve voting for it, and four for the motion. Mr Hall said he should hold himself irresponsible for any consequences that might arise. " PROTEST. The following protest was laid on the table: —“We the undersigned finding that the money advanced by this Board to the Timaru Building Society is now due, and that such deposits with the Timaru Building Society is in contravention to the Harbor Board Act, also considering the security offered by the said Building Society insufficient, do hereby protest against the resolution passed this day for extension of time for payment of deposits now due, and will not be held personally liable for any action ensuing therefrom.—T, W. Hall, W. Studholme, Edward Acton, Wm. Postlcthwaite. engineer’s report

The engineer reported that the last length of the monolith, which had sunk, had been found so damaged as to bo unsafe, and had to ho broken up. A fresh block had been built on the blocks which were proved to have reached the rock. The set of blocks beyond bad also reached the bottom rock and a monolith had been built on them. Another set of blocks beyond the last monolith had subsided a great deal but not sufficiently to complete with the monolith. In order to save timehebad given the contraclurs the option of going on laying blocks, and making up to the top of the mole with blocks to carry the crane, and when these subside to remove the top blocks and build the monolith. The total length of contract completed to date was IGGft. Repairs to the temporary way bad been begun. Loose blocks were thrown out to the south for protection, as far as the crane could reach, and a length of 30ft. was built with solid concrete. The overhanging portion of the monolith where the supporting blocks were drawn away bad been detached, and ,broken up into large fragments, would be tipped over as part of the protecting apron, to secure the blocks from being forced out again after being replaced. A steam crane and dredge had been ordered from Messrs Priestman, London, through the National Mortgage and Agency Co. Complaint was made about the non-supply of cement. The stone (pinny site bad been examined and was found to bo unsuitable, there being too much clay, and too little rock below the surface. A diver from Lyttelton was engaged to make a careful examination of the bottom over the site of the works. From bis report it would seem that there is an average thickness of 2 feet 9 inches of line sand in the bottom, and below the sand a bard conglomerate, with, in some

places, a few inches of clay between the sand and conglomerate. The clay and conglomerate would prove a good foundation for the works, and when the blocks reached them they would be safe, and until the steam dredge arrives for removing the sand this was all that could he done.

The report of Samuel Jones, the diver employed to examine the bottom of the Harbor, near the works, was as follows : I hereby certify that I have examined the bottom of the Harbor, at Timaru, on lines laid down by instruction of Mr Doodall, engineer to the Board, from a point distant 20 feet from the present end of the Breakwater, to a distance of 350 feet, and in a straight line from centre of same, and from thence in a northerly direction for a distance of 1000 feet. I find a bed of very line sand covering the entire portions examined of an average thickness of 2 feet S) inches. At some points 3 feet G inches, and at others 2 feet, but in nearly all borings I found the same uniform strata of hard conglomerate of shingle and clay below the sand, closely embedded, and very tenacious, which it was impossible to penetrate at the greatest depth to more than eighteen inches, and generally not more than six inches. In afew places I found a depth of 12 inches of stiff clay overlaying the shingle strata.” Mr Acton referring to the report of the diver, asked the engineer if it was intended to go on with the construction of the monolith while the sinkage of the blocks was .going on.

The Engineer replied that the contractor had been instructed to lay temporary blocks for the crane, and not to continue the monolith in the meantime.

Mr Sutter said that at the last meeting of the Board he called the engineer’s attention to the displacement of blocks on the south side of the breakwater, and asked if the blocks rested on shingle. The engineer assured him to the contrary, but after the meeting, at low water, he inspected the place for himself, and found that the blocks had subsided as much as two and three feet —a proof he considered that they must have been built on the shingle. He considered the work was not carried on in a way that was either assuring or satisfactory. Mr Moody said that up to the point when the monolith was broken he was under the impression that the structure rested on the solid rock. Mr Sutter said the engineer had assured the Board all along that the work was built on the rock. The Engineer still maintained that although from the character of the bottom which receded to the south, the blocks which were drawn out had all the appearance of having sunk, they were built on the solid rock. This was proved by the fact that there was no subsidence from the monolith. Mr Sutler suggested that additional engineering aid should be obtained, and the Chairman suggested that it might be well to have a consulting engineer to report on the work. Mr Hall strongly opposed such a proposal, as conveying an undeserved slight on the Engineer for the Board, whose experience specially qualified him for his duties. Mr Turnbull was also opposed to the proposal as if adopted it might lead to a conllict of engineering advice, and

complicate instead of facilitate operations.

An animated discussion ensued during which the qualifications of various engineers were discussed, and Mr Hall submitted that if a consulting engineer was required Mr Goodall should be asked to name him. On the motion of Mr Moody it was finally resolved —“That Mr McGregor, Engineer to the Oamaru Harbor Board be called in to consult on the present state and future plans of the Timaru Harbor works.” Mr Goodall expressed his satisfaction at the resolution. Mr McGregor was a stranger to him, so that there could be no collusion, and his advice would assist in giving confidence to the Board respecting the operations now being carried on. THE SUNKEN CONCRETE BROCKS. Mr Gray enquired of the engineer whether it would in his opinion, be possible to recover the concrete blocks that were lying imbedded in the sand and shingle. They were perfectly useless in their present position. The Engineer replied that he thought the blocks could be recovered, but not without considerable difficulty and expense. The best method of raising them would be by means of the crane, but that was at present in the hands of the contractor, and was in constant and daily use. The blocks could, however, be raised. The matter then dropped. PORT CHARGES. A special meeting was held after the transaction of the ordinary business for the purpose of adopting the by-law fixing port charges. The by-law was passed unanimously. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £3757 Gs 3d were passed for payment, and the Board adjourned.