NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1920, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

, REPORT ON THE PAST MONTH. MEETING OP THE BOARD. i The New Plymouth Harbor Bourd met yesterday. Present: Messrs. Newton King (chairman), J. S. Cflatlet, C. H. Burgess, J. McCliißgage, C. A. 'Wilkinson, D. J, Hushes, C. E. McOulnnsss, and E. Maxwell. , ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Harbor Board's engineers (Messrs. Blair Mason and lee) resorted for the period from July 10th to August 14th., as follows Dredging.—The weather during the above period has not been too favorable for dredging. Tor somo days the south-east gales prevented the dredge from working. Dredging has been conflnod mainly to the widening of the fairwty ahead of the wharf. The outer fairway cut la now entirely free from boulders, but owing to tho heavy dredging and heavy swell experienced in this locality for some months tlio web plates in the ladder are beginning to buckle, so further dredging with the buckets has been stopped until the necessary plates can be procured and labor Is available to have weak parts strengthened. The repairs will be carried out by the workshop staff. In the meantime, maintenance dredging with the suction jump is being carried out over the area ahead of the wharf. The dredging returns for the' rilonth ending July 31, 1920 showed that 38 loads, containng 14,700 yards hid been dredged by buckets, and 18 loads containing 7200 yards by pumping, 231 hours being worked. Thomas King.—The Thomas King 18 under annual overhaul and Government survey. The stormy south-east gales prevented the (hedge from being put on the slip until the morning of the 17th inat. A new tall shaft is being fitted and renewals made to the rudder and rudder port. It is expected to float the dredge oft the slip on the 20th Inst. Tho boiler, engines, and auxiliary machinery have been under inspoctlon by the Government surveyor and all the necessary repairs carried out by the workshop stalf. During the month of July the Thomas King deposited 2520 tons of stone on the lino of (.he Breakwater. Quarries —Advantage has been Uken of the atoppagc of the Thomas King for annual survey, to have all the cranes and locomotives inspected, the new certificates to all expire at the same time. This will mean only one stop for survey and repairs instead of numerous delays owing to the different expiry dates of boiler certificates. General —The No. 1 shed on the wharf Is .completed with the exception of the painting. 'Only a portion of the limber for the No. 2 sheil is to hand; the framing is all cut and ready for erection, but there is a difficulty in obtaining leather' boards. As soon as these arrive, a start will be liifldfe to erect. Considerable renewals :".c required to the uaderstructure of the but owing to shortage of carpenters this work has got behind. Now that the days arc- setting longer It Is proposed to worir overtime when the weather and tides are suitable. The diver and crow have been engaged repairing the copper shenfliing on ths piles. Seveft new stone trucks have been made for the Fishing Koch Quarry. On* thvi 7;h Inst., the No. 4 Tunnel rrti Moturoji Island, charged with 4)7 c;ises of explosives was This was put in to remove the rod; cvr.cii.ingiu:: the quarry face. Tho workshop has asen working .overtime during the Inst few weeks carrying out repairs to the cranes, loco, and Thomas King. The staff lias been able to carry out all the repairs newsssry without outside assistance.

HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. Captain Waller (Harbfin.uaster) reported that for the five weefcd ending August 14th., 24 vessels of an aggregate tonnage of 30,195 tons had catered the port. Imports were 11,782 tons, and exports 21>07 tons, a total of 14,ti89 tons beinjr handled; 28H9 tons of Government coal were landed. The Shaw, Savill liner Kumara arrived on July 33th from Wellington. She took in 1435 tons of frozen meat, etc., leaving again for Waitara roadstead on July 19th. Loaded draught 21ft Kiln on an even keel. She was at the wharf seven days. The American steamship Donald McKay, 5980 tons, arrived from Wellington .and was berthed on July 19th. She landed 820 tons of benzirte, etc., and sailed on July 22nd for Brisbane. The Donald McKay is the twentieth liner that has berthed at the wharf. EROSION AT THE EAST END. The General Manager of the New Plymouth Borough Council forwarded a copy of a letter from the Borough engineer with reference, to carters taking boulders from tho beach near tho East End Reserve. In view of the erosion taking place at thai reserve, tho Council would be very pleased if the Board could see its way to take steps to prohibit the removal of boulders. It was stated a contract had been let for the removal of gravel, but that no permission had been given to remove boulders. It was accordingly decided to inform the Borough Council chut no permission has been given to remove boulders, and the contractor is to be informed that complaints have been made that stone is being removed as weii as gravel.

A MATTER OF ETIQUETTE. The Borough Manager wrote that as previously intimated the Borough Council was desirous of including wttbln the Borough boundaries the throe sections (part Reserve A, Section 97 and N R. 17), fronting the foreshore between the Henui and Waiwakaiho llivers. These lands were now in the Taranaki County, but.had no community of interest with the C6unty, and the only means of access to them was through the Borough. In lieu of going through the various steps necessary to bring these lands within the Borough by means of a petition with the the usual commission and other lengthy proceedings, it had been suggested that an easier method of arriving at the same end was by means of a clause in the Reserves and Other Land Disposal and Public (Bodies Empowering Act, generally known as ttfe "Washing-up Bill." The Council had decided to adopt tl\is course, and enclosed « copy of tho clause which it was proposod to introduce. The Council trußted that the Board .might see its | way to approve of the clause, and 'f so | would be glad to receive a formal letter to I that effect.

Messrs. Wilkinson and Maxwell considered that it was a breach of etiquette on the part of the Borough Council to decide on a course of action in a matter that 'the Board and Borough Council were now negotiating over. .Mr. Maxwell was prepared lo move a strong resolution opposing the clause, but withdrew in favor of a resolution that was moved by Mr. C. U. Burgess, that the matter being under discussion between the two bodies, the Board is surprised at the aetiun of the- Borough Council in bringing the matter forward in its present form. The Board objects to the postponed clause,' but is prepared to discuss the matter at a later stage. This was' seconded by Mr. Wilkinson, and carried.

THE RAILWAY JUNCTION. Mr. Blair Mason, in reply to a question, said that he had not yet seen the plans of Ihe proposed alterations to the railway at Moturoa consequent on (he construction of the Moturoa-Opunake-To Roti railway, but he understood thai, the plans had been forwarded to the General .Manager of Railways by the chief engineer. On the motion of Messrs. Mc.Cluggage and Wilkinson, it was resolved to telegraph Mr. McVllly asking that he forward a copy of the plans to the Board so that It would be conversant with the position. Mr. McCluggagc stated that many inquiries were being made in the Stratford district as to when sites would be avaialblo for warehouses, etc., at Moturoa, but until the Board had an opportunity of studying the plans nothing could be done in the matter. Mr. li. Masters, M P. understood that the Board had received the plans a month ago. Reference was also made to the fact that the General Manager of Railways would be visltng TaranaM very shortly, and, if thought necessary that the Board should confer with him in reference to the plans, a special meeting will be called.