HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 154, 16 November 1912, Page 6

HARBOR BOARD.

•MONTHLY MEETING. TJio New Plymouth Harbor Board met yesterday, when there were present: The chairman'(Mr. J. B. Connctt), and Messrs E. Maxwell, C. E. Bollringer, C, A. Wilkinson, M.P., E. Dockrill/V J. Hughes, J. McCluggage and J. Marx. An apology for non-attendance was received from Mr. Newton King. ; The action of the committee in accepting the tender of Messrs Webster and: MeKellar, agents for the Blackball Coal' Company, for the supply of coal at 22s Cd per ton, was-confirmed. The chairmanreported that Mr. J. W. West's tender had been accepted for cab hire. •; PARITUTU'S OVERHAUL'. ,

The chairman reported that advice had 1 been received from Wellington that the' Patent Slip would be available early in December and some time in January. He! explained that as a spare part of the machinery for the dredge would not arrive until December, it would not be' wise to place the dredge on the slip for' overhaul until. January.

The matter of fixing a date was left in the hands of the chairman, with full power to act.

shipping. ;; The harbormaster (Captain O. Hoi- 1 ' ford) reported that for the'four Weeks: ending November 9, 20 vessels, of an! aggregate gross tonnage of 22,579 tons,: had worked the port inwards and outwards. The imports amounted to 5908 tons, of -which 1871 tons were coal. 01' the coal 911 tons were on consignment, for the railways and 900 tons for private : use. The export of produce and sun-i dries ran into 1169 tons, the total imports and exports being 7077 tons. SOUNDINGS. ! In a supplementary report, Captain : Holford mentioned that soundings wore: taken on November 11, a plan of which he submitted. . From this it could, he said, be readily seen how the depth changed as the dredging advanced. There was still a depth of 19ft in the fairway; to the wharf. In view of the Corinna loading butter at the west side of tho wharf, and as the vessel wished to leave at low water, it would bo wise to dredge to Hi feet well out in line of the wharf: This would necessitate the Paritutu working in this vicinity, ere she went to Wellington for overhaul. It was decided to give effect to the recommendation. HARBOR WORKS. In a report covering the four weeks ending November 9, the superintendent of works (Mr. F. Henderson) stated that the Parititu had worked with the sand ' pump near the breakwater and in the [ fairway on 15 days. The net time worked was 139 hours, and the dredge removed 58 loads, equal to 23,300 tons. Four days were lost through rough weather, three were occupied in boiler cleaning, and two days in fitting a new main shaft in the forward deck winch, the original shaft having broken at the middle bearing. /

The dredge Thomas King worked with the grab bucket on 15 days, principally across the end of the wharf. Twentyeight loads, amounting to 2240 tons were removed. The suction pipe was being repaired, and would be at work again next week. Wharf-lengthening.— Pile driving was commenced At the wharf-lengthening work on October 25, and up to November 9 10 piles, constituting one bay, had been driven and cap walings and deck beams fitted. The work was now more straight-forward, and good progress was being made. The chairman commented on the very satisfactory progress being nude with the wharf extension.