NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 207, 22 August 1908, Page 6

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting of I the Harbor Board was inuld yesterdav, 1 when there were present;-.Uessr s . J. IS. Counetl (chairman), Ncwlun J\ij« J. Ward, J. Thomson, u. i> r i<.. c ° I Marx, J. Hme, juur., and E. Maxwell! THE IIAKLuK BILL. The W'nangaiuoiuwia county clerk forwarded a copy of the Council's resolution favorable to the New Plymouth. Harbor Bill. '

Mr ihomsou: \\'e can understand all that. Look at lie Egmont County Council They passed a resolution in lavor of the Opunake Bill, and then one in favor of this. What are they Worth? '

The chairman reported that, as in-' structed at last meeting, he and Mr Maxwell. ! iiad appeared betore the Local Bills Committee to oppose certain clauses m the Opuuakc Harbor Bill, they were well received, and they were quite satisfied with their treati meat.

Mr. Maxwell said there had been several delegates for and against the Bill. The impression had got abroad, creat- ! ed by someone witHi a fertile imagination, that the OpunaKe harbor people had blocked the New Plymouth' Bill 'As a matter of fact, the Local Bills' Committee took the very sensible view that they would hear tihe evidence on the two Harbor Bills from this district before reporting on either PROPOSED TEA-ROOMS.

The chairman reported that owing to the absence of the harbormaster on his holiday he had not been able to do anything in connection with the application for a lease of a site for tearooms near the root of the breakwater. He recommended that consideration of this matter, and the leasing of the shops near the railway station be further deferred. In the discussion it transpired that Mr. Knowles, proprietor of th-e Breakwafer Hotel, which was built on the Board's leasehold, was objecting to the tea-rooms proposal, on the grotmn that as a tenant of the Board he paid heavy rents, and the providing of teas was part of his business. He" thought he deserved some consideration at the hands of the Board. Mr. Maxwell said the Board could hardly give the hotel proprietor a monopoly. .

FOREMAN'S REPORT. The foreman, Mr. P. Henderson, reported as follows: Breakwater extension.—During the inontih 24 concrete blocks had been made, and there were now 89 on hand. | The quantity of stone quarried and tipped at the end of. the breakwater | was 1592 tons. Most of the 'blocks and stone which had been displaced by the ' rough weatlher of June and July had been replaced, and everything was in readiness for building another section. Wharf widening.—Another bay, consisting of three piles, had been driven at the wharf widening. The top wnlings had been fixed, and tlhree sets of lower walings were now being put on. In the yard 27 of the piles had been pointed and coppered, but they could not drive any more until a sufficient number of the squared beams came to hand. It was hoped that the whole of the timber wonld be landed shortly, so that the work might be pushed on during the spring and summer months. Cement supply.—Under the present arrangement of cement supply the Boards storage accommodation was sometimes overtaxed, and at times they ran short before the next shipment arrived. A regular shipment of 400 casks to arrive every four weeks would be more convenient if such could be arranged. The dredge had been placed on the gridiron, and floated off again. Tie hopper, doors, and machinery generally were in good order. It was decided to adopt tihe foreman's suggestion regarding the cement supplv. HARBOR -MASTER'S REPORT.

The acting-harbormaster, Mr. J. McMahon, reported that during the four weeks ended August 15th there were 41 steamer berthings at the wharf, witfh an aggregate gross tonnage of 41,101 tons. Imports totalled 4913 tons, being made up as follows: 3544 tons general cargo, 950 tons private coal, and 413 tons of railway coal. Exports -were 983 tons, the total cargo handled thus being 5896 tons. The dredge worked on 17 days, making 79 trips and removing approximately 4740 <ubic yards of sand from the new berth and approach thereto. He had made a survey of the harbor on August 4th, and no alteration was shown in the soundings from the previous survey. The weather throughout the last four-weekly period had been very favorable, with no detention to shipping at this port. A COUNTY GRIEVANCE.

-Mr. ,r. Brown, chairman of the Taranaki County Council, asked a reconsideration of the Board's refusal to allow the Council to take from the "Horseshoe Brad" stone lor the metalling of the Breakwater road. The Board lhad given permission for the removal of stone from another portion of its quarries, but, said Mr. Brown, the members of the Board knew as well as he did that this stuff was Useless. The Breakwater road, which the Council had taken over upon receipt of £IOO from the Government and permission to take 10,000 yards of stone from the Board's quarries, was of no earthly use to the ratepayers-or the Council, but was kept up ior the benefit of the people of New Plymouth and the Harbor Board. This" metal that the Board offered wag not worth the expense entailed in putting it on the road. Old Settlers who were well acquainted with the locality had assured him that there was any amount of good stone available, and that tilie loss of the 200 yards asked for by the Council would hardly be noticed. The County Council was not in affluent circumstances. It had no money to waste and to put this stuff on the road would be nothing else but waste. He reckoned that the Board had made an excellent bargain in getting rid of this road. The chairman said the Council was after Bto moat valuable stone the Board had, and the foreman was emphatic that he could aot afford to let a single yard go. He reminded Mr. Brown that the Board had agreed onlv ' to give "waste metal," and thev were! prepared to keep their agreement. He recognised that it was advisable and ! necessary for local bodies to work together as far as possible, but he was sorry that in Uhis case he could not accede to the Council's wishes. ' Mr. Brown said that had the Council had any idea of the wretched quality of the staff tficy were to receive its I members would never have agreed to' take over the road at all. "You know as well as I do," ho said, "that it's of no use putting that stuff on the road • . . . and we'll have to let the road go, that's all." Messrs Uonnett and Price "thought j the stone worth using at the price T's a yard). Mr. Marx Sympathised with the request, but said the Board must be bound by its officers in such a matter. The chairman said there were "rave doubts about th» sufficiency of stone in the quarries to complete the breakwater extension. Mr. Brown thanked the Board, and regretted he could not "shift them.' Mr. King: We're sorrv. Mr. Brown: Tlhat won't make the road.

A PROLONUhD TKA.NSACTiny. Mr. Thomson wanted to know if (InGovernment had forwarded any scheme as an alternative to the Molesworlh street extension which they had vetoed. The chairman said that the Premier had promised to have a scheme submittel lor consideration at dm Board's •Inly meeting, but it had not been received vet. Probably the visit of the American fleet had put all other iiusiness out of the Premier's 'bond. The delay was costing the Board a considerable amount in rents, for the leiscs had expired. It was decided to telegraph to Si'' .ln?eph Ward directing attention to the unfulfilled promise and requesting an earlv compliance with it. THE ROLLS. An informal discussion ensued 001ccrning the valuation rolls, which were alleLv.fi (n have bcon verv unfavovbly criliri-vd during the rM-r-at hve-plc-fi->;>. It was jtlK'.-l that, th-v eon tained the 7iames of --we- of p-vi.iir whn had long years ago, by rcinovil

from this earth or otherwise, ceaLeo. | to take interest in iliarbor matt n-i. ■ The secretary said that the roils I were supplied by the Government, hut ! of his own motion he had made hi 3 . ratepayers' rolls a little more up-to- ) date limn the Valuation Department's books. flu many cases, Ihuugilb, the fault was that of the people Hum-I selves, who knew their names were not on the lulls ami, until an clecii in happened along, displayed no interest

in getting the omission rectified. The chairman said it was rotten system that made the Hoard pay out large sums of money for work lliat •was incorrect and behind the times. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £1777 10.i Id I were passed lor payment, ill', lao uI son protested against the item of the engineer's expenses ra attending the. | I Local Bills Committee and giving evidence ou the Harbor Hill. He said he Im,l nnvw heard that the einrinc >r

was to go, and stated hart it had evi- ' dently been "lixed up" by nieiubers outside the Hoard meetings. Every other member of the Board, however, stated their recollection of a I discussion upon the matter at the I Board's table, and said tiliat whilst no I resolution on the subject had been ' made they understood that the Board's

1 engineer would give his expert evidence, ! The chairman stated that the Board's • .instructions to him were to take tin!l nocesary steps to secure the passing ' of the Bill, and the production of Mr. Marchant's evidence was undoubtedly a

necessary step. Air. Marx concurred. THE KATE. The Board continued the motion to strike a rate of 3-10ths of a pun!>v in the £on the rateable value of the rateable property in tine district, payable in one instalment. THE INSURANCE QUESTION.

The secretary of the Sydney Alamo Underwriters' and Salvage Association acknowledged the secretary's representations in connection with the _ difficulty experienced" in getting saiUing ships to carry hardwood timber to New Plymouth, and in regard to the Board's application for a re-consideration of the classification of the port. True matter would receive consideration.