NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 99, 15 April 1908, Page 3

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR BOARD.

v The ordinary monthly meeting of the j -New Plymouth llnrlwr Hoard was held , yesterday, Present: .Me„r-. J. I!. L'onx licit ii-liairmain. Newtuu Kill" ,! l . Ward, J. TlioiiiM.ii, 1!. Price. ,]. Marx| 0. J. Hughe,, .1. lime, ami T. Maxwell. The chairman reported the sale of th' , I oil engine to the Kailwav Department. lhe Hoard - ,agents,lV W. and-I. Walk- [ i-r, Wohvrhauipton. England, reported n decline iu th,. [,rice of inuiit/. metal. ■ -licet copper, ami eo|.|.cr n.iik a qiiannty of which i- on order for the wharf I extension. I (jinn tin- motion ni Me-.r.,. .Maxwell and lomiclt if was decided to request -Mr. Manhunt to complete at his carliv«i convenience the harbor extension eslimate, and plans authorised at last meeting.—.Mr Thomson opposed, on the ground, that the Hoard liud already \lr -Napier Hells and Mr. Mardianf; schemes to place ucfore the House, and this fresh ,et was uuneeessary expense. The Marslaml Hill Memorial Committee forwarded a letter thanking the Hoard fo r permission to take stone. from the lieacb. for the base of the Marslaml Hill memorial. | In answer to Mr. Marx, Mr. King stated that the Board's share of hind : revenue was based on the actual gross i revenue in rent-, and quite regardless ; of the amount that the (iovemment t paid for the land. I FOREMAN'S 11EP0KT. 1 The foreman reported as follow,: \ lireakwater Extension. The amount K of ~lone quarried and tipped during the month was 1470 tons. Owing to the scarcity of gravel on the lieaeh only six t eoniTet* blocks dad litcn made, the mini- . v ber now on hand being Sli. Another L section of the wall »•»• completed on s , the 'Jth inst., the total length of the ex- ( tension being now 418 feet. | Wharf.—Three piles had been driven /

in the old wharf, and repairs effected to draws and chafing pieces. Four longitudinal beams had Iweu permanently fixed on the gridiron, in order that the door, or lunges of the dredge might not be damaged by coming into contact with the iro>s-heams.

(.marrying ,va- still couliued to the upper quarry. The crane had been .noved back 24 feet, and file stone wa, again improving. On Mr. Marchant's suggestion a short tunnel was driven into the centre of the remaining portion of this rock, with the object of tiring a large blast. Gravel Supply.—As the gravel had lately been very scarce, and of poor quality, he submitted an estimate of the cost of putting down a line of rails from the yard sidings to Mikotahi reef, where a plentiful supply could be obtained. HAKISOUMASTER'S REPORT.

The harbormaster re[H>rted that during the four weeks ending April 11th, 40 steamers berthed at the wharf, the aggregate gross, tonnage amounting to 30,020 tons. Imports were 5277 tons, including (W0 ton, of railway coal and 430 tons of private coal. Exports were 1210 tons, and the total amount of

cargo handled was M'Mi tons. The dredge resumed dredging on March 10th and worked 15 days, making Ki'» trips and removing 10.140 cubic yards of sand off the spit. SHORT ACE OF CRAVEL.

Mr. Henderson, the toremand, hail written to the consulting engineer, suggesting the laying «f a line of rails, at a cost of C 2.11, lor the purpose of working a natural gravel l>ed on the north side of Mikotahi. He had watched this place for two year-, and was convinced that it could i>e depended upon for a continuous supply. Owing to the recent heavv westerlv weather the usual gravel beds had been depleted of their deposits. In this inlet the gravel was clean and thoroughly freed from fin.' sand hv the action of the waves. His plan was to lift the gravel direct into trucks bv means of a crane erected some feet above high water mark, and he expected » saving of about a shilling a var.l on the cost. Last year 207(1 yards were used, and the saving on that ipiantitv would be over CUM. There were fully Kxm yard- of gravel within reach of the crane. Mr. Marchant replied expressing his approval, and gave eertain instructions for the preservation'of the iron rail-. The chairman considered the expenditure not onlv wise hut necessary. Mr Mara'said that if the position were as stated there was only ona course to adopt, and that was to adopt the suggestions. I'pon the motion of Messrs. King and Marx the recommendations were adopted, and the work authorised.