HARBOUR BOARD.
MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board was held yesterday, there being present: Messrs. Newton King, E. Maxwell, J. Marx, D. J. Hughes, J. McClugagge, C. E. Bellringer, E. Dockrill, and C. A. Wilkinson. In the absence of the chairman, 'MrNewton King took the chair. COAIi SUPPLY. The chairman stated that the tender ef the State Coal 'Mine had been accepted for the supply of coal, subject to the first shipment proving satisfactory. FORESHORE CONTROL. The Ngamotu Foreshore Improvement Society wrote, applying for permission to control the foreshore and for planting, etc., and to erect swings, etc. The chairman pointed out that twelve inpnths back the Board had handed over the control of the foreshore to the Borough Council. Mr. Bellringer pointed out that the society was asking for additional powers to those conferred on the Borough Council.
In the course of the discussion which ensued it was pointed out that it was inadvisable for the Board to recognise more than one body to control the foreshore. It was eventually decided to inform! the society that the control of the foreshore had been handed over to the Borough Council, and to refer them to the council.
TRANSHIPMENT SHED. Mr. King brought up a request from the foreman of works for 30 hardwood piles for the inside of the wharf near the breakwater. Some hardwood had already been ordered, and it would save expense to have the piles sent in the 'same shipment direct to the port as dredging operations had rendered more piles necessary. Mr. Maxwell said that the question of widening the wharf and the erection of a transhipment shed had been before the Board on many occasions. If the Bhed was to be built, then the only possible way would be to widen the wharf. The general principle of 1 erecting this transhipment shed had been accepted by the Board, and the only reason it had not been carried out was that it was rightly considered that the funds for the requisite expenditure should not be diverted from the more important work of deepening the channel. If. however, there was any probability of the shed being built within the next two years, the foreman considered that he could patch up the wharf for that period without'having the piles asked for. Mr. Marx agreed that it was quite possible the piles asked for would not be required if the wharf were widened. Mr. King did not see any objection to getting the piles, as they would be useful in any case. He certainly recommended that they should be obtained.
The necessary authority was then given to cable for the piles to be forwarded at the same time as the order for wood already given. REMOVAL OF BOULDERS. Pursuant to notice, Mr. D. J. 'Hughes moved to rescind the resolution of the Board, prohibiting the removal of boulders from the beach. The motion was duly seconded.
Mr. King pointed out that the object of tlie motion was to enable the Board to deal with an application by the Borough Council for permission to obtain boultlers from the mouch of the Waiwakaiho River. These boulders were not embedded in the sand, but had been washed down the river, and bad accumulated on the beach. Tiic object of the resolution which it was proposed to rescind was to prevent the removal of boulders which were embedded in tlie sand, and acted as a protection against erosion, and that was quite a different matter to the boulders in question.
Air. Maxwell pointed out that the of removal of boulders from the foreshore had been before tlie Board many times. It was the duty of the -Board to maintain the beach and prohibit the removal of boulders, which fulfilled a useful purpose, and if tlie Board raised the barrier against removal it might undo the work of the past. The question was a very serious one, though 1 the ordinary layman did not understand its importance. He thought that if the resolution were rescinded it would open the way for further danger. •Mr. Etockrill pointed out that the. stone ■which the Borough Council desired to obtain did not come within the scope of the resolution referred to, as it was merely an accumulation, which, if removed, would again accumulate. 'Mr. King did not think any harm would be done by removing the obstructiaon so far a s the stone in question was concerned.
Mr. Marx was very much opposed to removing all restrictions on the removal of boulders. He suggested that the better plan would be to consider definite applications from time to time. Mr King pointed out that that was the object of the motion, and that any further resolutions dealing with the removal of stone could safeguard the beach by imposing restrictions. , The motion was then carried.
The question of t!ie amount of royalty to be paid by tlio Borough Council was then discussed, Mr. Bellringer suggesting that fid. would he a fair sum. Mr. Maxwell suggested a royalty of lis. »
Mr. Wilkinson advocated callin." for tenders, hut it was pointed out that it was unlikely that any tender would Inreceived besides the Borough Council. Mr. Hughes moved that 4il. should he charged, and Mr. Dockrill seconded the motion. On a division, the amendment was dc- ' feated on the casting vote of the chairman, Messrs u.ughes. Dockrill. MeClug,'gage, and Bellringer voting with the vrtM. It was then resolved that the royalty be fid.
On the motion of iMr. King, it was decided that the by-laws relating to charges should be revised, and that iMcssrs Connett, King. Bellringer, Maxwell, and Wilkinson be a committee for the purpose. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT.
Captain Waller, harbormaster, reported that 33 steamers had arrived during the five weeks ended November 14, aggregating 32,072 tons. Departures for the same period consisted of 31 steamers and one sailing ship, aggregating 31,270 tons. The. imports amounted to 98G2 tons, 3470 of which was coal, 2170 tons of which were for private use, and 1201 tons for the railway. The exports amounted to 2746 tons, making a total of 12,608 tons handled. were taken, on the J7th"inst., showing that the approach to the wharf was maintaining a very satisfactory depth, the least water, with i the Mikotahi beacon and the cast end of the wharf in line, being 19 feet l.w.S.t. A plan of the soundings accompanied <he tgwrt.-r'l&e report -w» receive.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19141121.2.8
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 151, 21 November 1914, Page 3
Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,076HARBOUR BOARD. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 151, 21 November 1914, Page 3
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Taranaki Daily News. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.