HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1920, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Now Plymouth Harbor Board met yesterday. Present: Messrs. Newton King (chairman), E, Maxwell, C. E. McGuinncss, J. 8. Connett, C. U. Kurgess, J. MeCluggage, C\ A. Wilkinson, and D. J. Hughes. ENGINEERS' REPORT. The engineers {Messrs. Blair Mason and Lee) submitted their monthly report upon the Board's works for the period l'rom 11th September to 9th October, 1920. Dredging.—During the past four weeks the dredge has been working on the west side of the fairway, and on tl:o sandbank alongside the breakwater. She lias also been engaged In drawing the broken piles in the wharf berths. These piles are embedded in heavy ground, and various att&aipts were made before any success was obtained. To give an idea of the strain necessary to remove these- 1 piles, a chain was used, but snapped | on more than one occasion before the pile j yielded. Uhe repairs to the ladder, as originally arranged to bo carried out, are completed, but in removing this section, It whs discovered that other portions of the lower chord angles were cracked and would require strengthening and renewing. It is 1 hoped to complete this work during the comj ing week-end. The repairs are being carried out by the workshop staffs at nights, and Saturdays and Sundays, so allowing the dredge to continue pumping during the ordinary working hours. The dredging and return of hours worked for the month ending 30th September are as follows: —IODVi loads, equal to 43,700 tons from west side of the fairway to tte breakwater, all deposited at sea. The total of miles steamed was 442.

The Thomas King.—The Thomas King !s depositing stone on tho line of the breakwater out to a distance of COO feot. On the 11th Inst., when depositing on the line of the breakwater, the propelior struck some of the deposited stone, breaking off two blades. A new propelior Is ready, and will be put on as soon as the weather is suitable to beach tiie dredge. The cylinders on the revolving crane are .worn and corroded; as ttese cr.nont be repaired, new ones are being made. During the month of September, 3000 tons of stone were deposited on the breakwater line.

Quarries.—The quarry at the Fishing Rock is working as usual, but the work at Moturoa has been stopped owing to the shortage ot labor. The Jetty at Moturoa Island carried away by the recent iitorm has been replaced. General.—The damaged portion of tiie breakwater has been repaired. Two of the top blocks which lad been dislodged by the sea were removed and placed on the apron, and the whole filled up solid with concrete intermixed with stone plums. The quarry hands were employed en this work. The relaying of the rails on the breakwater is completed with the exception of four sets of rails. The rails taken up are In very poor condition, and cmp.y) suttaljlle for relaying when the traffic is of a light nature. Large stone Is being loaded in tire quarry on to the spare trucks, and will bo placed on the breakwater as soon as it is considered safe to take the 40-ton crane over the new concrete. One hundred and fifty-nine tons of coal were received ex the Kin! on the 12th inst, 68 tons of which were placed direct Into the dredge bunkers and the balance into the coal bins. The repairs to the broken piles in the wharf have been delayed owing to shipping occupying tie berths. The piles are all prepared and coppered ready for driving, and as soon as the berth is available, the work Will be pushed on. Two piles have been driven in tiie centre of the wharf. The frame worker the second shelter shod on the wharf is erected, and all the available carpenters engaged on the work. Practically all the timber Is to hand. A shipment of 20,000 feet of timber arrived from Greymoutl: ex the Klni, this being only a portion of the order. The workshop staff have been engaged in general repair work to the plant and dredge ladder. An epidemic of sickness amongst tlie.se employees has interfered with the work.

HARBORMASTER'S RErORT. For the four-weekly period ending October 9th, the harbormaster reported as follows: Number of vessels entering the port, 25; aggregate tonnage, 22,825 ; imports, 5407 tons; exports, 4081 tons. Tho Government coal landed amounted to 823 tons. GENERAL, An application by the Union Steamship Company for a compartment In the shed now in course of erection on the wharf, was granted. Tho Board received notification that, in conjunction with other employers, it was cited by the General Laborers' Union in connection with the proposed new award. Tho award asks for a 44-liours week for laborers, with minimum pay at tho rate of 2s per hour, overtime to be paid at double rates. Messrs. Burgess and Lee were appointed delegates to a meeting of the Employers' Association to consider the award. Tho harbormaster applied for another permanent hand on his staff, the increase In the size and number of the vessels coming to the port making this necessary. It was decided that the request be acceded to,