HARBOR BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 121, 19 June 1909, Page 6

HARBOR BOARD

The usual monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board was Held yesterday. Present: Messrs. E. Maxwell' (acting-chairman), J. MeClugsiagc. I{. Price. C. A. Wilkinson, and I), f. Hughes. Messrs. N. King and J. B. Connett were absent on leave. Leave of absence was granted to Mr. W. T. Wells, who was also out of the Dominion. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT.

The harbormaster, Captain C. E. ■ Hood, reported that during the four ! weekrt ending Kith June there were 32 steamer berthings at the wharf, the aggregate gross tonnage amounting to 3-iflSi tons'. Imports were 42(17 tons, including 1002 tons of railway coal and SoS tons of private coal. Exports were 512 tons. The total cargo handled was 4770 tons. During the month yery rough, stormy weather had been experienced, but no delay was caused to shipping. The dredge worked on 17 days, making 102 tripis, and removing 1)720 cubic feet of sand and silt from oil' the spit.

FOfUCYiAN'S lUCPOHT. llr. K. Henderson, the foreman on the Breakwater Extension. Twenty-four •i-onrrete 'blocks had been made for the extension. Tile mmiiber on hand was now 10.1. The quantity of stone tipped at the end was 1801) tons, and 300 tons of small stone had heen tipped on the apron opposite the wharf olliees. the object being to break the sea so that blocks might be stacked farther out along the edge of the breakwater. The section which was damaged in the previous month had been replaced, and was now very solid and well protected. Wharf-widening.—Nineteen piles, constituting six bays, had ibeen driven at the wharf-widening, and the top wrings, deck beams, and decking had 'been carried forward liOft, but the Jixing of the undcr-water beams had been" delayed owing to unusually poor abb-tides. OIVXAKE HAKBOU BILL.

•Mr. (!. W. Kogors, secretary to the Opunake ilai'bor Hill Committee, wrote forwarding the following resolution of the committee: 'The committee thanks the Hoard for giving the information that the sum of .-CIOOO, approximately tini-liuling land revenue estimated for April), was the credit balance in the Hoard's trust account at Ist May last. As the Board's •balance-sheet will not be issued for some months, the committee will be glad to know the amount cf the' outstanding rates and other credits, such as law eosls. appertaining to the trust account at Ist May last."

ft was decided to reply that the ratebooks could be inspected at the Board's office by any ratepayer in this harbor district.

thic iiAiHioit isorrau. The chairman stated that he and one or two of the other members of the Board had been out at the har.bor that morning, and had watched the pile-driv-ing operations at tho wharf-widening work. The foreman had told them that the driving as they ncai'cd the end of the wharf became stiller, but apparently there was no rock, for the progress' made was steady and regular, at the rate of ;u,out two or three inches for each .blow of the driver. They ascertained also that the piles were going to a depth of seven feet .below the leyel of the .bottom of the proposed 30ft berth. THE LOAN. It was decided, upon the motion of Mcsm-s. Hughes and Wilkinson, to request the Bank of New Zealand to place in writing ibefoie the Board the details of the terms on which llicv offered to! float the loan when interviewed by I Messrs. King and Connctt in Wellington.—An amendment to defer action until the return of the delegate* from England was defeated by 3 to 2. Messrs. picUuggagc and Price supporting it. The Board was engaged for some lim'e in transacting a • - ' !«al of business in connection v' raising of tho loan and the method of inves'tiug the funds. The Board's solicitor, Mr. J. H. Quilliam, was present in this connection, GENERAL. I

I' "Mr. W. Fitxpjitriek wrote complaining (hat the lagoon from which the Board drew its water-supply for the harbor was encroaching on his land, and asking • that the ma Her lie attended to.—Referred to Messrs. Ward, Trice, and tlic foreman, lo confer with Mr. l'itzpatricK | and report lo the. Board. Tile Tarauaki County Council asked permission to remove aiioul 20 yards of stone from I he "lop" quarry for repairing the .JircaU-aler road.—The chairman quoted the engineer's opinion, emphatically expressed, that applications of this kind should always be refused in iwpcct of any materia] suitable for block-maldng or proleelive works. The Board was already short of material.— 1

It was decided to allow the Council to take waste quarry metal, and to instruct the foreman not to part with any stone suitable for the Hoard's own works.

Upon the motion of Messrs. Hughes and Price, it was decided to forward to Mr. W. T. Wells, a member of the. Board now on his way to England, a letter of introduction to Messrs. Fleming and Ferguson, contractors for the building of the dredge "Paritutu." The linn and the Board's' im-pecting engineer will also be notified of his intention to visit the yards.

A resolution was carried to the effect that in future any goods required to be indented shall be obtained through n Taranaki firm. The previous practice of the engineer was to order through a Tiniaru house.

The secretary was given authority lo call tenders for the removal of gravel from the beach at Te Henui. Accounts amounting to £2349 4s lid were passed for payment.