HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 295, 22 January 1910, Page 8

HARBOR BOARD.

monthly mkitixo. The ordinary monthly meeting of Iho Harbor Hoard was 'held ycslerda... There were present: Messrs J. 1). Connctt (chairman), Newton King, K. D'ockrill, J. McCluggage, R. Price, C. A. Wilkinson. J). .]. uuohoi, W. T. Wells and K. .Maxwell. FOREMAN'S REPORT. Mr. F. Henderson, foreman of works, reported as follows: breakwater protection. etc—A further quantity of (H2 tons of sum., lui.s l)een tipped on the apron of the old wall and 32 of the recently-made eonci'cte blocks have been placed along the outer edge of the breakwater, extending nearly to the line of the end of the wharf. This should give better shelter and smooth water to" vessels using the western berth. As [ the heavy seas of January Ist and 2nd r.duced the protecting blocks on the north, west eorne r of the extension. These hav e been replenished by the addition of IGS tons of stone, and four concrete blocks. The remaining -20 blocks have been completed, leaving 102 blocks and 30 barrels of cement on hand. Nineteen of the employees, principally quarrymen, were discharged on Saturday, the Bth hist., which reduces the staff to fifteen, six of whom are engaged at repairs to the wharf ,and the others at clearing sand from the mixing-home foundations. When this work is completed, file eteel tip waggons, ten in number, will be repaired, cleaned and pointed, and put under cover, and any spare labor can he profitably employed for some time at the quarry. Old wharf.—Six new piles have driven in the old wharf and 31 new braces have been prepared and charred ready foy fixing. A week has been spent in tarring the wharf deck (in two coats), but the work has been stopped through the recent damp weather. When the wood is again thoroughly dry another three days will complete the whole surface

New coal bunker.—A start has been made in preparing piles for the conl bunker for the new dredge. Two hundred and fifty sheets (2 l / 3 cases) of 20oz. muntz metal will be required for sheathing. THE DREDGE PARTTUTU. Mr. F. W. Marchant, the BoardV, consulting engineer, wrote under date Jannary 12:—"Messrs Fleming and Ferguson write me under date of December 2nd that thev expect the dredge to leave' the Clyde aooiit the end of February, and should reach New Zealand about three months- thereafter—the end of May. They received my letter of acceptance of the tender on June 10Mi, but say they could not get on with th? work of construction until the end of July, when Mr. Campbell took th 0 oversight of it in hand. The makers thus ask me to note that the date for the completion of the dredsre should run from thi end of July. This is all very well from the makers' point of view, but I think bv referring to dates of letters and cables I could say a good deal on the otVer side. I am just"now cabling the makers' to the work to a finish as th» vessel is urgently wanted." Vir. Merchant also wrote to the eontractors fully explaining the position, and on January 14th that he hid received not;-" of the launching of the dredge on th e Clyde.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The town cJerk ,vrote that • i-o Borough Council was effecting certa.y improvements to the streets a* the jite--section of Queen street and St. Aubyn street. It would, however, enable ' a much better job to be made if the Board could see its way to dedicate a small piece of Mount Eliot reserve, rounding off the corner and giving a better intrance from St. Aubyn street to Queen street.—Deferred till next meeting. The Borough Council further wrote enclosing a copy of a communication received from the Assistant Under-Secre-tary of Public Works, notifying that Gill street, originally 70 links wide, W".s now, with the dedication of a strip by the Harbor Board, only 73.3 links wide. It was required that "the street should b 8 widened to 00 links, before Gill street and Kawau street could be exempted from the provisions of the Public Works Act.—Deferred till next meeting. The Hawera. County Electric Company asked the Board for the services of its diver and plant in about a fortnight's time.—Granted, subject to tha usual conditonfi.

■ The Board decided to undertake the contract of handling mails at the wharf on the same terms as formerly.

Mr. Maxwell was given permission to hold over his notice of motion regarding the staff until next meeting.