HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1920, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

arONTHLY MEETING, The! monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board mis held yesterday, there being present Messrs. N. King (chairman), J. McCluGKAge, J. 3. Connett, C. A. Wilkinson, C McGulnness, J3. MaxweKi, 13. Dockrlll, C. E. Bellrlnger, .and D. J. Hughes. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Tho engineer reported as follows: Dredtfinfl —Tlio dreiiiclnp during tho last cnonth has been confined to the fairway ahead o£ the wharf, and the Inshore end of the No. 1 cut in the swinging bnsin. This cut, 25ft .'it low water, is nn extension of tho berthage cut and is lflOft wide, the western side being 200 ft from the wharf. It Is proposed to widen the Inshore end of the swinging ba*in by taking a series of such cuts. The dredge left on tho fith. inst for Wellington to undergo tho annum! overhaul, and Government Inspection. The slip wii9 engaged for the 12th Inst., but owing to the boisterous weather all shipping work has been at a standstill for some days, consequently tho slip was not available at the duo date. In the meantime the main engines aie being dismantled and overhauled, leaving the boiler, and winches Intact for adjusting tho hopper doors when In dock. It Is anticipated that. Dig repairs will be as usual with the exception of a new casting on the ladder carry-1 j ing the hanging shaft. The dredging returns for the month of March showed a total l of 25,533 tons (9533 by buckets and 10,000 by the pump) equalling s'i loads. Tho total hours worked were 225, and the ml'es steamed Fifty-six tons of coal wore consumed. Thomas King.—The Thomas King has been constantly employed depositing stono on tho lino of the Breakwater. For the month rf M-./eh, 3040 tons from the fllshlug rock quarry were handled. The output will bo increased as soon as the extra tracks como to hand. Quarries.—The No. A tunnel near the top and on the eastern face of Moturoa was fired on Easter Monday. It is Intended to fire the No. B tunnel directly after the .kwso overburden from No. A tunnel Is removed. Tho working at the fishing rock quarry Is to a certain extent suffering from the want of sufficient plant. Five trucks are expected from Auckland to-day, and will be In commission in a few days.

General.—The machinery has been taken out of tho old concrete mixing house, portion of which Is being renovated, and will be used In the new workshop. The building, which 1s very much decayed and full of white pine borer, was beyond repair, and is being pulled down. It is intended to erect a suitable building on top of the stone arch usinK as much of the timber and Iron as possible. The machinery in the workshop Is not yet running owing to the delay In getting delivery of the electric iraotor. The railway sidings In the yards are being altered and extended to give better facilities for traffic, and storage of timber, etc. A transformer house has been built at tho back of tho workshop and transformers are being erected by the Borough Council. Additional electric cluster lights are being instated on the wharf. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. The Harbormaster (Captain W. Waller), reported 14 vessels had entered tho port during the month, the aggregate tonnage amounting to 21,908 tons. The exports were 1681 tons, and Imports 5198 tons. Tho liner. Mamarl (8114 tons) arrired on tho Ist Inst., and loaded 1093 tons of frozen moat, etc., and sailed on the 7th for Waltara, the loaded draught being 21ft Oin. CATCHING THE SAND, In a letter to the Board, the harbormaster! drew attention to the need for holding the accumulations of sand on tho south-east side of the breakwater, after gales from that quarter, which he said could be retained by a few hundred feet of stone work as a pro-1 teetlon. Five years ago a considerable portion of the sand was trapped by means of brushwood fences, and planted with marraln grass and lupins, but after heavy gales and high tides, most of this had been washed away, and what was natural Jy reclaimed and added to after every south-east gale was lost and swept Into the dredging area, making extra work for the dredge.—The matter was referred to tho engineer. COASTAL SURVEY CHARTS. Jlr. J. R. Crulckshank wrote in regard to the coastal survey charts, suggesting that those in the vicinity of New Plymouth should be made more up-to-date In view of the growing importance of the port.—lt was decided to reply that the matter had been receiving the attention of the Board since October of last year, when Captain Waller had urged the necessity, and the Board had communicated with the Marine Department on the matter.

WAREHOUSE SITES. A letter was received from Mr. V. Harkness, iron founder, Stratford, incurring for a warehouse site at the harbor.—lt was decided to reply In the same terms aa to previous atipllcants that until the railway surveys were completed nothing could be done by the Board. COAL BUNKERS. The question of enlarging the Board's coal bunkers, for tha convenience of vessels requiring to re-bunker, and also to place the Board in the position of being a Vie to hold reservo stocks for their own purpose was discussed. The matter was referred to the enSluner for iv report and estimate on the cost of extensions.