HARBOR BOARD.
MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor hoard was held yesterday. Present: Messrs .1. B. Connett (chairman), Newton King, K. Doekrill, C. I-,. BoSJringer, C. A. Wilkinson. D. J. Hughes, W. Swadling, and K. Maxwell. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. Mr. F. Henderson, superintendent of works, supplied his monthly'report as follows: Wharf widening.—Pile-driving was commenced at the wharf widening proper on May II), and up to the 10th inst., 33 piles had been driven, making, with those already in the approach, a total of 54. Although the ground was hard, the piles were standing well, land were being driven to a depth of from eight to twelve feet. Thirteen hands were now employed 'at this work, and the fitting of walings I and beams was also being carried on. i The work had been delayed a good deal I through wet weather. Dredgo Paritutu.—The Paritutu dredged on 25 days, net time 230 hours, and removed 35 loads, equal to 13,800 tons. j The most of this had been taken from the 33ft cut, which had been advanced >7oft, leaving 120 ft of this cut yet to |be dredged. This patch, although comparatively free from large boulders, was | I the hardest yet met, and would require repeated blasting. The inshore cut had been completed, and the 33ft cut had been | extended a considerable distance ahead of the wharf. The .buckets, since being strengthened by five-eighth-inch plates, were standing well. Some of them had been in use for seven months without showing any weakness. The Paritutu had been laid up for three days through rough weather, and two days were occupied in changing buckets and coaling. 1 Dredge Thomas King.—The Thomas King dredged on 21 days, net time 220 hours, and removed 152 loads, equal to 12.100 'tons of drift sand, J440 tons of which were taken from the inshore area i over ground which would be on the sec-1 ond cut of the Paritutu. This dredge | »a.s laid up for eight days through rough ; weather. I It was derided to instruct the foreman to continue dredging the basin to the required depth of 25ft when unable to dredge at the berth; and that he dredtte out the inner berth as early as possible. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. Captain Newton, harbormaster, reported that for tho fivo weeks ending the 10th inst. there had ijeen 32 steamer, berthings at the port, the aggregate toni iwge being 16,35!) tons. The total imports for the sanie period amounted to 748.) tons, of which 65!) tons were coal. 210 tons for the railway and 44!) tons for private use. The exports for the same period of produce anil general merchandise amounted to 1300 tons. WORKERS AND WAGES. Mr. R. C. Bowie, secretary of the New Plymouth Waterside Workers' Union, forwarded a copy of the rates of pay. hours of labor, and conditions of employment, which the Union had decided to submit to the .shipping companies con- ] cerned on the basis of an agreement to be entered into between the shipping companies and the Union. He also enclosed copy of a. letter which had been submitted to tho shipping companies concerned. He asked, in the event of an agreement being drawn up, that the Jtoa.nl become a party to the same, it Ik'- . ing understood that the rates of pay, | etc.. only referred to men engaged in j the handling of coal, etc., at the port. A covering letter to the shipping com.panics stated that the items enumerated were adopted by the Union after mature consideration and with a view of meeting tho shipping companies as far as possible, and whilst slight increased ..aa --eon ask, ed for in several instances it should be remembered that although the cost of living had been on the increase, their wages, etc., had remained tho same, and the intermittent time mada their occupation a precarious one, and the difficulty in providing for those depending on thorn watt very great. Still tho Union had suggested increases as low as possible, and therefore hoped for favorable consideration, and it was also felt that the time had arrived when a written agreement setting out the conditions of employment, etc., should be entered into by the shipp.ng companies and the Union. It was added that the. Union was anxious that it should be clearly understood that it had not lieen formed for any other purpose than the obtaining and maintaining of fair rates of pay and conditions of employment for its members, and they hoped to obtain these without anything pertaining to friction. The schedule set out the hours of labor: Wages at Is 6d an hour for ordinary work and 2s lid an hour for overtime, for all cargoes except where men were engaged in freezing or insulated chambers, for which the rates of pay should he 2s and 2s !)d; (3) men ordered down to the wharf not required within four hours owing to non-arrival of ship should receive a minimum payment of two hours if between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.Jc and payment of all time waiting between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.; (4) all work done on Sundays, Christmas Day, Easter Monday, and Good Friday to be paid at the rale of 3s (id tin hour, night or day. All work done on Anniversary Day, Labor Day. King's Birthday and New Year's Day to he paid for at the rate of 2s Od an hour ordinary and 3s Cd an hour overtime; (5). men not to be required to work for a longer period than five hours consecutively without an opportunity for a meal hour, except in cases of emergency, when fifteen minutes nntvt be allowed for "crib," ship to provide "crib," not to constitute a meal. When men are called upon to work during a meal hour, they shall be paid at the overtime rale of pay for the period so employed or.continued. Men shall not lie required to work after 8 p.m. if they had not had a full hour for tea. Men shall have a full hour foi; meals, when they require it; (0) place and time of engagement lo be mutually agreed upon (shelter shed at wharf suggested); (7) preference to unionists; (8) all gear used in the handling of cargo to he inspected daily by the officer in charge, and certified 'to be in good order and safe for working before being used; (!)) the capacity of eosil Uiskets not to exceed five to the ton. It was decided that before taking any steps in the matter, the Board ascertain whether the Union is registered, and in the event of its being found to be registered the Hoard consult with the shipping companies with a view to becoming juipty to any negotiations. PETIiOLEUM EOI! SHIPS. Messrs \\atkins and Pox, on behalf of their Knglish principals, asked the permission of the Board to lay a pipe-line under or along the wharf for the purpose of piping oil to ships. "As oil development takes place In Taranaki," the letter conlinued. ''we anticipate that this pipe-line will bo required. Our principals would liko to have the consent of the Board immediately, as they wish to include particulars of'this concession in their propped us." They said they had already interviewed the Minister of Bailways for the right to lay a pipe-line under the railway line at a place joining the Board's property, and he had given his consent. On receipt, of a favorable reply from the Board, it was their desire to cable this lafpnuatioa. Loudon,
There was some discussion as to the ultimate situation in regard to a concession granted unconditionally. Members pointed out that there might be half-a-dozen companies wanting tho right i to lay pipe-lines under the wharf, and! then there wan the question of safe-' guarding the Board's interests in the! event of the wharf being abandoned for another one, any injury to the pipe, and so on. Mention was also mode of the fact that oil piped along the wharf in this way would he subject to the.usual wharfage dues. Mr. Maxwell said that if there were to be anything at all in the oil business it was going to be a very big thing, and the other ordinary business of the port would be small in comparison. Members wero agreed that tho Boaru should grant every facility for the development of the industry, and the concession was granted, subject to such con-1 ditions us the Board thought necessary to impose. TRANSHIPMENT CHARGES. Mr. King reported that, as requested at last meeting, he had interviewed Mt. Ronayne, General Manager of Railways, in reference to the proposed transhipment shed on the wharf, and he had laid tho plans before him. Mr. Ronayne had promised to enquire into the charges made at other ports similarly situated, and to write to the Board on the matter. Nothing further had been received so far. The transhipment charges would probably be a shilling a ton. j THE HARBORS ACT. Mr. George Allport, Sccrtary of Marine, asked if the. Board ha I any suggestions for the amendment of the Harbow Act. Mr. Maxwell thought the boat thing to do was to revert to tho old state of affairs. The Act of last session had tremendously added to the cost of tho elections, whereas it had been framed, so the Minister had said, to save expense. He alluded at length to the conduct of the election of the Waimate West county, where, he said, the election had been conducted on wholly illegal hens, but this would be at the expense of the County Council, and not of the Board. After some discussion, the general tenor of which was in condemnation of tho recently enacted legislation, the matter was referred to the chairman and Mr. Maxwell to deal with. DIRECT CARGO BOATS. Mr. Newton King asked that the Board grant the same facilities as in tho case of the ''Viganella'' for the discharging of I cargo from the "Margit."—Agreed to, a similar charge to be made, and a further effort made to hire a steam winch from the Waitara Harbor Board, so that it will not be necessary to take the Board's steam crane off the pile-driving. THE CONSULTING ENGINEER. Mr. King sa.id he understood that Mr. Marehant, Hie Board's consulting engineer, who was at present in Sydney, intended leaving for London in August, and he suggested that Mr. Marehant should pay the port a visit antt meet the Board before his departure. On the motion of Mr. Maxwell, it was decided that Mr. Marehant be requested to advise the Board as to the proposed reclamation, and as it is understood that he is leaving the Dominion shortly, that ne be asked to visit New Plymouth at the next Board meeting. | GENERAL BUSINESS. I Tho Commercial Union Assurance Co. \ asked that the Board's accident insurance I policy lie placed with that company fori the ensuing year—lt was decided to re-1 insure with tho Phoenix Company. Messrs Weston and Weston wrote asking the Board to reconsider its decision in reference to the claim by Mr. Mansell .Tones against the Board for compensation for injury sustained by him.—The Board regretted it could not see its way to grant any further compensation. Mr. .T. Caddy offered to purchase 100 yards of gravel from tne deposits at Mikotahi.—Referred to the chairman and Mr. King. A report will be obtained from the superintendent as to the policy] to be pursued in regard to the gravel east up at this spot—whether it is to i be sold or stored for the future purposes of the Board, such as reclamation works, etc.
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 330, 17 June 1911, Page 2
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1,943HARBOR BOARD. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 330, 17 June 1911, Page 2
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