HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 15, 18 June 1913, Page 4

HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS.

ACCELERATING THE WORK. The questionof pushing on the scheme for improying the harbor at Moturoa was again brought up at the meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board or Monday last. Mr. C. E. Bellringer, in approaching the question, moved the following resolution— That, with a view to acceleratioß of dredging operations at the harboi a committee be set up to enquire into and report upon the following matters: (a) The formation of some scheme whereby the dredges Parituttt and Thomas King shall be employed in dredging for longer hours than those at present worked. (b) The preparation of a report upon the dredging and other works showing what has been accomplished and what remains to be done. (c) The probable effects of the present efforts to deal with the sand drift along the shore approaching the harbor. Such committee to report to the Board at or before the August meeting, and to consist of the chairman, Messrs. King, Wilkinson, Maxwell and Bellringer. Without wishing to discuss the question, he advocated the consideration of a double shift being worked. He urged that if only for the sake of utilising all the twelve hours of daylight between September and April, a committee would be justified. Mri C. A. Wilkinson seconded the motion. He was afraid that a committee would not do much good. Even a saving of an hour per day would be something. He advocated full investigation, with a view to a maximum of summer work. Mr. X. King suggested a report from the harbormaster first, with plans of the requisita dredging. Mr. ,J. McCluggage agreed with Mr. King, while llr. Wilkinson thought the committee's report should be supplemented by the Board's responsible officers at the harbor. Mr. Bellringer pointed out that, after deducting time for preliminaries, the Paritutu was not doing more than seven hours' dredgingi daily. The chairman (Mr. J. R. Connett) remarked that both the dredging master and the harbormaster (Captain Newton) were opposed to the double shift. The motion was eiyried, and it was uecided to ask the officers concerned to be present at the committee meeting. Mr. Wilkinson, who will be in Parliament at the time, will come up specially to attend the meeting.