HARBOUR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 7, 20 April 1901, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD.

The Harbour Boird met on Friday. Present: Messrs. Maxwell (Chairman), McLean, Olifl', WarJ, Saiten, Hignett, Ralfe. The Secretary reported Jthafc ia ro"ponsa to u letter from Mr. Newton King asking for information as to lands disposed of in the harbour area since the passing of the Act. he had applied to the Comrnissioaer of Crown Lands for the required particulars, but had been told that the Government had decided that the informatior could not be given. Several members of the Board expressed an opiniwi that thn information should have been furnished, and the secretary was instructed to "Pp'y to * ne Lands Department fjr the tame.

Mr. Napinr Bell acknowledging reofipt ( f pirns of tlio harbour. The Postal Department wrote, stating that the Board's terms for the site saggestsrl for a new Post Office wen; uureis-onable, and that the Minister fearod the project must be abandoned. The Obairmau pointed out that the Board officially had never stated teims. When interviewing the Hon, J. G. Ward at Wellington over quarry mat! era, Mr, Connett and himself found that to some extent their mission was hampered by the alleged action of the Boird in relatioa to the post office sifcp, as inform.itlon r.ai been given tj the Minister by someonq who had no right to give it, aid Mr. Ward insisted that itcama from members acting for the BoavrL Mr. Ward, in expressing an, opinion that the department did not intend to ereqt a new post office, stated that he had taken no part in interviewing the Minister on the question of a Bite. Mr. Cliff made a similar statement.

The Engineer, Mr. Marchant, was in attendance and recommended that some now ironbarkcoppar-sheated piles should !;b put in, and the Foreman was instrui-tsd to tarry out the work, Tne County Council wrote re'.ativo to t;he repairs of thq breakwater toad, and alluding to the t?rms proposed by the Minia'er of Lands. Mr. Hignett advoca' && the Board, giving th<) Council only sufficient metal to put the road into thorough repair. The Chairman thought tbat if the Board gave the Gounod the amount of metal asked fer the road might be *• skimped " and the metal used elsewhere. Ha suggested, however, that as Mr. Connett, who was acquainted with nil the circumstances, was absent the matter should be postponed. On the motion of Mr. Ealfe further consideration of the question was postponed till next mtetiog. A letter was read asking that the pegs of the Mou,nt sUot Reserve sections t-hcwW be put down, The score'ary was instructed to request Mr. Skinner tn attend to the matter. An account of the sale of seitions on Mount Eliot Reserves was submitted by the auctioneers. The Chairm tn remarked that the result was very satisfac'ory, The Secretary of the Freezing Works Company wrote relative to the removd of the loiditig platform at the wharf. The Foremm explained tint it ba,d r-een replaced. D. Jam'eson, wrote rel itive to using the tidal waters for gi-naratirg ele:;-irii-ity. No action was taken. The Hungirian Consul in Auckland

■ sVel for nitVi-nution as to the Board's byo-'aws, etc. A similar reque.4 was niulo by t.ho Nelson Bsird. The secretary t,t*ted tlio information had bo n supplied, The Ciiaitmin suggested fhat a copy of tho pimphtet recently issued should he supplied to foreign Hnm's. A letter from the Education Board inquiring as t) tbe pnsnibility of arranging frr a site for its < fliees on, tfyo Mount Eli )t Reserve wns referred to a committee c insisting af th« Ohairman tnd Mossw Ward and Higne't, A letter w<is read rnlative to valuation charges. Mr. Hignott mentioned that the VVaitara Town Board had suc■•eid'd in gutting the demand of £49 10s reduced to £5 ss. He had tried to y.et an explanation from the Dspartmout, but, failed ta do so. The Ohairman said the matter wns being inquired into and he had ie*ti>m to bc'iove-u reduction would be nude on the claim made on thn Board.

Jus. Park, of Melbourne, wrote inquiring as to the of water at the [port fir u ship tf larte tonnage, from 1 500 to 1000 tons, as ho had occasion to Chip von pipes for St rstford ;. also inquiring which wou'd be the most conveuipnt and the safest—New Ph mouth or Pita? ' !

It was decided to forward all information so as Now Plymouth was en c rrv d and to send a copy of the lettnrto the Patea 80-' rd for reply as '■o tint port.

An oivlei was passed for the supply requisite sto-es.

The Harbourmaster reported that 36 steame s and 1 scow were berthed at the wharf, the asgrejjHto tonnngebeing 26,140. Tl'e imprU hal beon 2711 toes and exports 1755, Although there had been styeral rough dayp, very heavy

sea and high tidfßno delay to the sli'ppißg had taken pWo. The dredge lud worked 17 da«e, making 18G trips and removing 11,560 yards of sand and there was a givat imptovoment iu the depth of wattr throughout the aiei of the harbour. He suggeved the erection of a protection lail on tlio west side of the wharf from the breakwater to the new additions

Iti was decided tint the protection rail should be put up. The Foreman reported that pumping had to be discontinued owing to a breakdown in the ball and socket joiut on the suction pipe. One of the wheels of tlm 40-fcon crane hid broken.' Tho windmill for working the water supply hud bten started. Tho contractor hud completed tha wharf contract. Eightysix tons of large stone hud been received from the quarry. (To be continued.)