THE JETTY AND PILOTAGE OF THE NEW RIVER.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 46, 17 April 1863, Page 3

THE JETTY AND PILOTAGE OF THE NEW RIVER.

The Commitiee appointed at the meeting held on Saturday night in the Victoria Hotel, had a lengthened interview with His honor the Superintendent on Wednesday afternoon. The deputation nominated by the meeting, was accom panied by Mr Blacklock, of Messrs Calder, Blacklock and Co. His Honor received the deputation with great cordiality, and throughout the interview, evinced a marked desire to be thoroughly informed on every matter relating to the subjects brought under his notice.

Mr M'Donald said his Honor would have already received copies of the resolutiens passed at thepublic meeting held on Saturday. The principal matter which brought them there was the heavy tax on consumers, amounting to 25 per cent., caused by the present Jetty arrangements. The next point was the damage sustained by goods lying exposed on the Jetty, and then the pilot system, which caused great detention to vessels. Ships were now in port waiting to discbarge perhaps 200 tons for the last eight weeks* This rose the rate of freight from £40 to £60, and after they were landed, goods were detained on the Jetty for two or three days. This damaged the articles and prevented any claim being made on the lightermen in case goods went amissing.

His Honor fancied the Jetty keeper had a register ? Mr M'Donald said there was such a book, but it was very imperfectly kept, and there was no gettig at it. His Honor understood that goods were always registered correctly, and that the book could be seen at any time. Mr M'Donald pointed out the great damage to goods owing to the system of landing them ; their dirty state on reaching the store, and the slow state of the truckage on the Jelty. He contended for no goods being landed on the wharf till they were ready to be carted away. In Dunedin there was a fine of five poundß for leaving goods on any of the Jettys. Mr Hallenstein supported the views expressed by Mr M'Donald. Mr Gillies gave several instances of detention of troods and consequent loss It might be the fault of the officers of the Jetty, but the system was wrong, and they had not the appliances or means to overtake the work. He wished that the lighters would be discharged in rotation, »ud not haphazard.

His Honor asked if the deputation were quite certain that the present system precluded lighters being taken in rotation ? Mr Hallenstein replied that now the ships were taken in rotation, and instanced the case of the Alma, which came alongside the Jetty and discharged. His Honor said the ease of the Alma was not one in point. Mr Hallenstein thought she was in the position of a lighter, as she discharged her own goods. His Honor supposed the meeting had formed a rough estimate of the amount of goods discharged. Mr M'Donald reckoned the imports amounted to something like 12,000 tons per week. That would require accommodation for discharging about 400 tons per day, reckoning four working days to the week. His Honor thought this was merely conjectural. Speaking from tbe experience of five years, he found that in the working year not above 80 days were so wet as to prevent working on the Jetty. Mr Miller admitted that might be the case, but these rainy days occurred at particular seasons, and possibly that might be just the time they ' wanted goods landed. I His Honor remarked that still this could not effect the questiouof accommodation. f Mr M'Donald said that they would still require accommodation for landing 300 tons per day. He advised the erection of a platform, on to which goods | could be discharged from the trucks on one side, [ and the drays loaded on the other. A temporary I platform could be erected, he said, for £80, and the contractor would give £35 for the materials on removing it. He argued for an extension of the hoursof labor on tho Jetty, the merchants pftyj ing for the extra time. On the point of Pilot service, captains of vessels could speak better than he, but he Understood they complained of the signals at the Heads not being visible till too late to be of any service. He instanced the case of tha Mary Smith, which we gave in our report of Saturday's meeting. Captain Pendleton, of the Evelina Eutter, corroborated Mr Macdonald as to the signals. They ought to be higher up. His vessel had been here more than two weeks now, and he could not get discharged. He anticipated being six weeks longer. g Mf Gillies said tliut if the jetty waa improved and the fiver buoyed, many of the difficulties would be removed. The other Complaints were matters of detail.

A general conversation, in which His Honor freely joined, followed, on the capabi ity of the jetty bearing dray traffic. The deputation were unanimously of opinion tbat it could do so, and His Honor appeared to coincide with them. Mr Gillies believed the New River was a perfect terror to shipmasters in Melbourne, and he thought it ft great pity the place should be cried down for want ofa few improvements. Mr Hallenstein considered that as a merely business matter it would pay the Government to make the improvements. His Honor said that somo of the complaints were from the circumstances of tho place. They would recollect that Melbourne in 1861, '52, or '53 was no better off.

Mt Macdonald considered that was from the want of labor^ which was not the case here.

His Honor said most of the gentlemen composing the deputation were strangers, and finding the facilities less than they anticipated, they naturally might suppose the Government was asleep. But in all matters mentioned in the resolutions there was nothing new suggested ; nothing that had not been under the consideration of the Government for months. Some of the conclusions arrived at were so identically the same, that it almost Beemed the parties had had access to the Government tenders on the subject, and carefully studied them. In one of the two points principally dwelt on by the deputation, viz,, the discharge of goods from the jetty, he believed that the plans Government had in contemplation seven months ago, would, when completed, give nearly one-half more accommodation than was said.

Mr, Macdonald •. Tbat is 450 tons per day ? His Honor : The engineer believes that it will be capable of discharging 500 tons per day. Then the only difficulty will be sufficient platform accommodation at this end of the jetty to sort the goods, and have them carted off. He believed he might say the platform would be erected soon. If Mr, Macdonald would put him in communication with the carpenter who had offered to erect it temporarily, and take up the materials afterwards, he would do so. The advantages of a temporary platform were very obvioUa. Mr. Macdonald woidd direct the party to call upon His Honor.

His Honor : As to the hour of working it was scarcely a matter for the Government, and he believed that it was the rule now foi" lighters to discbarge in succession.

Mr. Macdonald asked if there was any officer who could prevent goods being piled up on the jetty. Who was the responsible party ? His Honor : The Harbor-master.

After some conversation, Mr. Macdonald etpressed a hope tbat the improvements would be gone into at once.

His Honor believed the contract was all but completed. He was not quite positive, but thought so. Regarding tbe pilotage, he did not think the deputation had established the grounds ot the resolution. A short time ago there was only three pilots on the new river service, now there were seven or eight, and he thought that sufficient for present requirements. After some further conversation, the deputation took their leave, His Honor assuring them that no time would be lost in setting about the alterations they were mutually ajjreed upon.