HARBOR BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 19 October 1907, Page 5

HARBOR BOARD

The New Plymouth Harbor Board he'd i s usual nionlhly meeting yesterday. I here were present—Messrs. ,1 B Coil nett (chairman), Newton King- cieom McLean, James Thomson, R p r i<?e J. Ward, D. J. Hughes, J. nine, and E. Maxwell. FOREMAN'S REPORT. Mr. F. Henderson, foreman at the harbor works, reported that in the past month eighteen new concrete blocks had been made for the breakwater extension, bringing the number on hand to !)8. Seven hundred and ninety-seven toils of stone were tipped over'the end i.'f the wall. The lower blocks had been placed in readiness for another section. i>ut had .been twice displaced by tli<> heavy seas which prevailed. Tt was therefore impossible to complete "R" section, but no damage whatever had been done to the completed portion of the wall. The wharf-widening had made fair progress. On the main wharf the repairs were being effected to the end damaged by the Takapuna. This d nm . age was not as extensive as was at first supposed, the piles having been only pushed to one side and not'broken The chairman explained that he had arranged with the local manager of the 1 uion Steamship Company to"have the repairs done at the latter's expense. • A DISABLED EMPLOYEE.

A letter was read from Mr Fred Thompson, one of the Board's employees' recently injured in the stone quarries asking for light employment. The' chairman said that this matter had been engaging Hie attention of Mr. Kinand himself, but without success " A QUESTION OF WA(!ES. A proposal to increase the wanes cf, the foreman created a lot of discussion' m which it was pointed out that in four years .Mr. Henderson had already had an increase from ,C 3 f2s (id to £} 10s weekly, whilst the harbormaster, despite the growth of the shipping trade at the port, remained at the same salary as was lixed seven years ago—namely £250 per annum. '

The chairman and Mr. King moved to increase the foreman's wages to £5 a week.

Mr, Maxwell moved an amendment to defer decision until next meetiii", Mr. Hint seconded. °"

Aftei a warm discussion tiie amendment was carried on the following division:—Ayes: Messrs. Maxwell, °Hinc McLean, Thomson, and Hughes. Noes' The chairman and Messrs. Kino, price and Ward. - The matter will come up next month A IUTINU COMPLAINT. Mr. Hughes brought under, the notice of the lioard complaints fro*, the South Taranaki district that the rate levie.l this year had not been reduced, although the valuations of property had largely increased, lie asked for some infomation as to tile actual increase of valuations.—The secretary was directed to supply the figures. TIMBER. A lengthy discussion took place concerning the comparative merits of ironbariv and jarrah timbers. It was pointed out that with the heavy drop iu the price of copper the lioard could now afford to go on with ironbark construction, sheathed with Muntz metal to protect the timber from the toredo (borer). TEiNDERS. Tenders for the year's supplies were opened, and the following accepted: Ironmongery, Mr. 11. A Yard; cab hire, Mr. J. West; coal, Westport Coal Company.