HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1919, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board was held yesterday, there being present: Messrs Newton King (chairman), J. McCluggage, J. S. Connett, E. Maxwell, C. McGuinness, C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., E. Dockrill, D. J. Hughes, C. E. Bellringer. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. The harbormaster (Capt. W. Waller), reported 25 vessels had entered the port during the period, the aggregate tonnage of which was 19,391 tons. The imports amounted to 9033 tons and exports to 2497 tons. Three hundred and forty tons of Government coal was landed. The S.S. and A. liner Karamea berthed on October 11, discharged 750 tons of phosphates, loaded 957 tons of frozen meat, and sailed again on the 16th inst. for Nelson. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows: Dredging.—The dredge has been working as usual along the wharf berth and in the fairway. The total time worked during the month was 27 days, the net time being 231 hours. One thousand one hundred tons were dredged by buckets from alongside the breakwater wall and 5950 tons from the 33ft. berthage extension by the.buckets and 14,500 tons from the fairway by pumping, making equal to a total of 21,550 tons. The dredge was stopped owing to bad weather for one-and-a-half days, for coaling half a day, and one day for holiday. Thomas King.—The Thomas King has been engaged in depositing stone obtained from the Fishing Rock quarry on the line of the Breakwater extension and the Moturoa-Breakwater wall. Four days were lost during the period on account of bad weather, and three days owing to the men being required for other works. The total stone deposited was 1280 tons. Quarries.—On the 17th of last month the first tunnel on the south side of Moturoa was lired. It is estimated that between 3000 and 3500 tons of stono was removed. The stone was thrown into the gap between Moturoa Island and the Lion Rock. Two tunnels are being driven, one called No. A near the top, and the other one called No. 2 on the south side and about 40 feet above high water mark. No. A tunnel is in 25 fe'et and No. 2 tunnel 11 feet. No. 2 tunnel is in hard rock and the drivinc is very slow. The siding into the Fishing Rock quarry has been shifted and relaid alongside the face. General.—Advice has been received that the jib of the 40-ton crane is completed and is being shipped immediately. The locomotive purchased from the Government at Timaru has been sent to Addiiigton workshops for general overhaul. The Department expect to give delivery early next month. The boiler belonging to the 5-ton crane is to hand and now in commission. Four new stone skips for the Thomas King have been made. The diver has been engaged in blasting the boulders in the dredge cut. The wharf decking between the first line of rails, and opposite the usual position of the ships* holds, is being filled in flush 1 to assist the handling of cargo. Small repairs have been carried out to the wharf. A quantity of machinery and tools have been purchased for the workshop. DEPUTATION.

A deputation from the Borough Council consisting of Cr ß . W. A. Collis (chairman of the Reserves Committee), A. S Brooker, and K. L. Parkin, and the general manager and borough engineer, waited on the Board. Mr. Collis first stated that, in regard to the proposal that the Borough should get ihe use of Reserve 97, Fitzroy, the idea that the Borough was wanting to get something for nothing was wrong. What they wanted was to arrive at some basis of negotiation by means of which an exchange of value for value could be effected. Mr. King assured the Borough representatives that the Board was under no misapprehension in the matter, and did not think the borough was expecting to got something for nothing." Cr. Parkin expressed the hope that the Board would give the matter their senous consideration. He pointed out that the shore in the immediate front of the town was quite unsuitable for recreation purposes, while the site at Fitzroy was an ideal one for such purpose, and if made available would not prevent the Board from erecting beacons or such buildings thereon. Cr. Coliis also asked if the Board could see its way, when dumping sand dredgmgs, not to carry them too far out to sea, in order to avoid, if possible, Jurther erosion along the foreshore at the eastern part of the town. Mr. King said the Board had to take steps to ensure, if possible, that the sand would not come back into the harbor. The matter was one for the engineer to deal with, and he had no doubt that they would consider the borough's representations. GENERAL. The New Plymouth Soldiers' Club wrote agreeing to the proposals submitted by the Board for the Club to continue to occupy a portion of the building at present occupied, for the purposes of the Club, and thanking the Board f or the generous way in which tiie Club had been treated. It was decided that, in 'view of allegations as to the removal of gravel from the beach to the westward of Te Henui nver, a notice board warning offenders be erected, and thereafter anyone found removing gravel, or any other material, should be prosecuted. Mrs. C 11. Burgess (ex-Mayoress) on ! retiring from office, wrote thanking the Board for granting the free use of rooms in its buildings in St. Anbyn street which had enabled the women of New Ply mouth to carry on their war work during her term of office, in common with the women of other parts of the Dominion.