HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 140, 16 December 1911, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meetirng of the Harbor Board was held yesterday, when there were present: Messrs .J. 11. Connett (chairman), Newton King, E. Dockrill, J. McCluggage, C. E. Bellrigner, C. A. Wilkinson, W. J. Swadling and E. Maxwell. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. Mr. Henderson, superintendent of works, reported for the four weeks ending December 0 as follows: Dredge Paritutu—The Paritutu dredged with the buckets' on 21 days (net time 18!) hours) and removed 32 loads, equal to 21 #OO tons, also 132 boulders. The second cut has now been carried in to pile 24, being 150 ft for the four weeks' dredging, and a total length of 440 ft from the end of the wharf. Boulders are becoming more numerous, but a depth of 21ft is still being maintained with very little blasting. Dredge Thomas King!— Owing to the rough weather experienced throughout the month and to the absence of Mr. Patterson, the master, through illness, the Thomas King had only worked on four days, removing 25 loads, amounting to 2000 tons. Nearly the whole of the idle time was occupied in fitting a new runner, re-lining the sand-pump and overhauling the deck crane, the base casting of which had been cracked for some time. It was expected to have everything in working order again early next week.

Wharf widening.—The eight remaining piles in the second section of the wharf widening had been driven. Every effort had been made to advance the other work as quickly as possible, but the exceptionally wet weather had caused igreat delay. Cap walings and deek beams are all fitted, also 12 sets of lower walings and braces. There aTe 13 sets yet to fit, and the section would hardly be completed by the end of the year as be expected.

Cement.—The cement should now be ordered for the foundation of the breakwater light. About 120 barrels would be required for the purpose, and at least an additional 400 barrels would lie required to make blocks for Ihe protection of the end and seaward corner of the breakwater. The chairman slid that considering the weather the work performed by T.lic dredge had been very satisfactory. The work would ln» continued until the vessel went tn Wellington. It might not be considered necessary to continue dredging the full linOft as originally intended.

With regard to the cement required. Mr. Wilkinson moved thai local cement be procured for this work. , Jt did not effect the permanency of the structure and would give an opportunity of testing loial cement.-—Mr. Akixwcll seconded, and the motion was carried. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. !•'. W. Marchant, consulting engineer, wrote: —"Re mooring blocks. I have had a large experience with screw and other moorings. It takes a vertical pull of SO tons to draw out a screw mooring 3ft in diameter, after digging away all the soil. Possibly there might be one or two feet of ground on top of it. I think the explanation of the removal of the Paritutu's mooring block is that the block was simply sunk in the hole and not buried, as [ specified should be done in the ease of the ship's moorings. I do not at present see how it could be anv improvement to attach the chain to the side of the block. I have no doubt whatever that if the ship's mooring blocks arc sunk in a hole and fitted in with sand, as I specified should be done in my letter to the superintendent of works, that nothing could possibly shift them. They could only be removed by dredging them out. No chain pull could move them."

Mr. Marchant asked to be informed immediately they settled when the Paritutu was to go to Wellington for overhaul, as be had to be there and wished to make his engagements fit in. He proposed to visit New Plymouth to attend the February meeting and would be leaving for England on March 7, 1912.

IRONSAND LEASES. Mr. Horace Keeble, of Hobart, Bucks, England, wrote to the effect that he had invented & process by which ironsand could be treated in its'natural state and smelted into pig iron at a cost that could compete with any blast furnace for smelting ordinary ironstone. The process was not merely theoretical, as he had actually smelted the ironsand and put it in such a form that it could be easily purified for commercial purposes. The process was patented and provisionally covered' in almost every country in the world, and he was now in a position to make arrangements for developing it commercially. If they thought it of interest, lie would be pleased to meet any representative in England that the Board might appoint. The Board decided to inform Mr. Keeble that it was prepared to lease ironsand beach. HARBORMASTER. Captain W. J. Newton forwarded his resignation as harbormaster, to take effect' from February 28, 1912. The resignation was accepted, the members of the Board expressing regret at, the resignation, which, the chairman explained, was not due to any dissatisfaction, but to purely personal reasons. It was resolved to call fresh applications for the position of harbormaster, at a salary of £3OO per year. . TENDERS." Messrs Masters and Son, of Stratford, were permitted to withdraw "their''tender for explosives owing to some misunderstanding, and the tender of Messrs Ward and Co. was accepted. Tenders! in connection with the wharf extension were' accepted as follows: Piles and other hardwood, Messrs CJtesterman ad Co., Hobart chains. 'Messrs John Burns and Co., Auckland; buoys, Messrs Stevenson and Cook, Port Chalmers; pile-shoes and spikes, Messrs Sparrow and Co., Christchurcb.