HARBOR BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 223, 19 March 1912, Page 7

HARBOR BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. NEWSPAPER CRITICISM RESENTED. The monthly meting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board was held yesterday morning. Members present were: The chairman (Mr. J. B. Connett) and Messri E. Maxwell. Newton King, C. A. Wilkinson, C. E. Bell-ringer, J. McCluggage and E. Dockrill. Editorial comment by our evening contemporary was resented by the chairman (Mr. J. B. Connett). The article to which he referred advocated certain changes in policy with regard to the harbor improvement scheme, involving the working of double shifts on the dredge Paritutu, the construction of the eastern wall, and the general speedingup of operations. The whole question had, commented the chairman, been discussed thoroughly sonic time ago by the chairman and the officers of the Board, and, while the suggestions in the newspaper might look all right in theory, all were agreed that in practice they would be both dangerous and impracticable. The chairman added that the men were at present working from 0% to 10 hours each day,'and it was impossible to get them to work any more. The Board was doing its very best to cope with the work, and in regard to the Herald's proposals the danger lay that in working at night the dredge might be wrecked, thus hanging up the whole of the work. (A member: It would be suicide!) Continuing, Mr. Connett said that the onhpossible way to improve the workir was by means of the sand pump, present the most the dredge could m age was three loads a day, equal to 12 '-i tons, and at that rate it would doubtless take a fairly long time to complete the dredging. The superintendent was hopeful of effecting certain improvements to the pump, but in the meantime the Board was doing nothing with it, owing to the nature of the spoil dredged. The position'could not be altered until the dredge got rid of the mud on the harbor's bottom. The Board, remarked the speaker, had certainly lost time, owing to circumstances which no one could have foreseen, and he mentioned in this connection the exteptional season from the point of view of weather. THE COST OF DREDGING.

In regard to the suggestion thrown out that the Board should proceed with the construction of the .eastern wall and reclamation work, the chairman recalled that it had.been advised that any money available should be expended on extending the present breakwater and not on the eastern wall, and he was also j of that opinion. The newspaper had urged that the work would "only cost a I few thousands," but unfortunately the ' Board had no money to expend in that direction. , Last year £7127 was spent in dredging, and that amount did not include the cost of the overhaul of the dredge Paritutu at Wellington. At the end of last year the Board had £52,000, and the chairman thought the wisest plan was to go on as at .present. Mr. Connett concluded by stating that he had 5 drawn attention to the newspaper article : in question in order to remove any misapprehension which might have been caused in the country districts. According to Mr. Maxwell, it would cost from 23 to 30 per cent, more to run a night shift, compared with a day shift, and then it was questionable whether 1 the Board would get much more than half the work out of the men. Besides, he whether it would be wise or profitable to keep the dredge working day and night, and thus allow no time for repairs. The chairman remarked that it was "not" absolutely imperative that the work should be completed in a few months' time. Further, the main thing the Board was looking forward to was the exports of dairy companies, but the latter's contracts with the shipping companies would not expire for twelve or fifteen months. The matter then dropped. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. In his monthly report, the superintendent of works (Mr. F. Henderson) reported that the Paritutu dredged in the fairway on 27 days, the net time being 251 hours. The dredge removed 66 loads; equal to 26,400 tons. This cut had now been carried out to a distance of 430 ft from the end of the wharf by a width of 120 ft. The dredging was still silty on top, with clay at 23ft. Two days were lost through rough weather, and one day was occupied in changing moorings and casting. Dredge Thomas King.—The Thomas King dredged in various parts of the harbor on 19 days, the net time occupied being 185 hours. The spoil removed ran into 117 loads, equal to 9360 tons! The dredge was placed on the gridiron on Saturday for cleaning, painting and inspection of ihu]]. Wharf widening.—The principal work at the wharf widening had been fitting ; the cap walings, beams, lower walings ! and braces on the portion which was piled during the previous two months. Wet weather and poor tides had delayed the under-water work, but the upper beams had been all completed up to pile 38, and the lower walings, braces and dt eking up to pile 30. Fourteen additional piles had been driven during the month, leaving 30 more to complete the widening. Owing to the absence of Mr. D. J. Hughes, the motion standing in his name to the effect that the Borough Council be permitted to remove boulders from the Waiwakaiho was held over until next meeting.