HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 53, 20 July 1912, Page 6

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board was held yesterday. Members present were: The chairman (M. J. 15. Connett) and Messrs E. Maxwell, Newton King, C. E. Bellringer, E. Dockrill, J. MeCluggage and D. J. Hughes. LIGHTING CONTRACT. It was decided to enter into a further contract with the Borough Council for supplying electrical energv to light the harbor works. The ciuuraet will run for two years, and thereafter until six months' notice is given by either party. The charge will be £OS per annum, any new lights to be an additional charge. All amounts received by the Board for the supply of lighting to shipping over and above (lie sum of £22 per annum shall be paid to the Council. No light is to be sold to shipping at less than Gd per unit net. The terms agreed to were suggested in a letter received from the Borough Council. IMPROVING PARITUTU. Mr. R. C. Hughes, president of the New Plymouth Beautifying Society, in intimating tl)at that body had in view tile improvement of the access to the ascent of Paritutu, asked the Board's permission to carry out the work. It was proposed, he said, to improve the path leading from the steps near the workshop, to widen the same to about 30 feet, and plant suitable trees to form an avenue. It was also proposed to strengthen and make secure the wire ropes leading up the face of the rock. The completion of the undertaking •would, he noted, depend upon the Society's success in collecting the necessary funds. Sufficient money, however, would be forthcoming to make a start. I The request was acceded to. I FILLING A VACANCY. I The Eltham County Council notified j that at its last meeting a resolution was I passed that the Marine Department be j requested to appoint Mr. Jacob Marx to I the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. IW. Swadling. The Council trusted that I the Board would assist in giving effect to | the request. The Board declined to interfere in the matter. GENERAL. Messrs Chesterman and Co., Ltd., Hobart, intimated that the steamer Ennerdale would be despatched to New Plymouth (via Lyttelton) with the Board's timber and piles, on or about July 18. Mr. 0. E. Ilobv's tender ( £OS) was accepted for the right to remove gravel from the Waiwakaiho beach. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. I The harbormaster (Captain G. Ilolford) reported that for the four weeks ending July 13, 1012 24 vessels, of an aggregate gross tonnage of 20,115 tons, worked the port inwards and outwards. The imports of merchandise, etc., for that period amounted to 4938 tons. Of this, 211Stons were made up of coal, 1594 tons being for the railway and 524 tons for private use. The exports of produce and j sundries for the four weeks amounted to 445 tons. j In a supplementary report, Captain j Ilolford stated that the port had been experiencing more or less bad weatlier of I late, especially this month. There had | been several gales from the north and i eastward. Nevertheless, no delay had | been caused to the shipping arriving and I departing . He had been in hopes that the weather conditions would have al--1 lowed his taking .soundings during the j last three days, so as to have given the J Board the latest result, but it had been ) utterly impossible to do so. He hoped to put the matter in hand the first opportunity after this week, as he anticipated a considerable amount of tonnage within the next few days. WORKS SUPERINTENDENT'S J REPORT. The superintendent of works (Mr. F. Henderson) reported that, during the four weeks ending Saturday last, the Paritutu had pumped in the fairway on 15 full days and seven half-days, removing 51 loads of spoil, amounting to 20,400 tons. The average loading time had heen one hour and a-half, as compared with two hours while working in the same locality with the buckets. The enlarged nozzle grating had been in use for the last three weeks, and the cutter was now being used to see which gave i the better result. The weather through- } out the month had been stormy and unj settled, resulting in great loss of time I and preventing the most effective working of the vessel.' The dredge Thomas King worked on 14 days and removed 05 loads, amounting to 5200 tons, principally from the inshore berth, and off-the west corner of the wharf. At the west side of the wharf 100 feet length of decking had been taken up and re-covered with new decking. At the same place, six new cap walings and 15 rail beams had been fitted. At the old approach to the wharf ten new piles had been driven, six sets of cap walings and deck beams fitted, and the part re-decked with the kauri planks formerly on the main wharf. 1 To allow this work to be completed, the 1 wharf sheds had been moved about 200 ft shoreward*. Six concrete blocks had | been made, leaving eight to be completed.