HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1921, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

■ MONTHLY MEETING. The New Plymouth Harbor Board met yesterday. Present: Messrs. N. K.'ng (Chairman), C. E. Bellringer, E. Maxwell, C. H. Burgess, and C. E. McGuinness. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs. D. ,T.‘ Hughes, J. McCluggage and J. S. Connett. HARBOR MASTER’S REPORT. The harbor master (Capt. Waller), reported that for the four weeks ending on February 12, nineteen vessels entered port, the aggregate tonnage being 32,969 tons. Imports were 10,012 tons and exports 4270 tons, a total of 14,282 tons. Government coal landed amounted to 2000 tons. The T.S. Wangaratta sailed on the' 25th ult. for Wanganui • with 2036 tons frozen meat. Her loaded draught was 20ft Ilin forward and 21ft Tin aft. The West Mahwah arrived on February 25 from San Francisco via Auckland. The Shaw-Savill liner, Kumara, arrived on February 2, and sailed on the 12th inst. with 1653 tons of produce. The vessel’s loaded draught was 21ft Ilin forward and 22ft 91n aft. The S.S. Maindy Lodge from Newcastle with 3500 tons of coal for the railway department arrived on the 4th, but as lio immediate berthage was available the vessel sailed the same evening for Wellington. The auxiliary schooner Lu Merced with 2000 tons of coal from Newcastle, berthed on the 12th Lnst. Her draught was 24ft 3in, ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. G. W. Baxter Lowson), reported as follows for the period ending February 12tk'. During the montln the 5-ton crane generally utilised to load the Thomas King has been undergoing overhaul and repairs, so that Its work has been transferred to the 40-ton crane. This has meant delay to the concrete repairs to the breakwater, and also to the removal of stone from Inside the latter. The crane will be in commission again, however, this week. Bad weather prevented the Thomas King being loaded for two successive days,, at the berth alongside the 40ton crane. 4,360 tons of stone were deposited by her on the Btreakhvater extension foundation during the month. The Breakwater apron is now in fairly good repair, 288 tons of large stone being placed on it during this period. The dredge “Paritutu” worked for the period in the following cuts and lifted the following quantities of material from each Ist fairway cut 7,600 tons of imud, dumped at sea; 2nd fairway cut 1,800 tons of mud ( dumped at sea; 3rd outer basin cut 4,600 tons mud, stone and clay-at sea; 4th outer basin cut 600 tons mud, stone and clay on Breakwater extension; fairway cut 600 tons of sand, dumped at sea. All the above dredging was done by buckets except that in the 3rd fairway cut which was done by pumping. This gives a total of 15,200 tons for the mo: th. The dredge being now engaged in deepening the 3rd outer basin cut and encountering some very heavy ground, , progress is necessarily slow. A new 4-bunk cabjn etc. has been fitted up on this vessel in preparation for her next annual trip to Wellington. I GENERAL.

The workshop staff has bad a strenuous month and has put through a great deal of maintenance work, including the following:— Making fittings for quarry trucks and skips, dismantling working parts and boiler mountings of old locomotives, making bolts for wharf repairs, overhauling spare Ingersoll for submarine drilling, dlectHc wiring, minor repairs to Thomas King, and repairing dredge buckets. Wharf repairs consist of new walings and bracing itnd the renewal of a considerable portion of the decking. The berth customarily used by overseas vessels is now i.n fair order so far as the diagonal and walings are concerned. The approach to the wharf 's being somewhat improved its appearance in the east being anything but prepossessing. Eight new skips have been constructed during the month, while other skips have been repaired. New Beacons have been made and erected for the south leading lights, on the dredge cut boundaries, and on the line of breakwater extension ; a small pew raft has been '■ constructed to facilitate wharf repairs, and the maintenance work attended to.

In reply to a letter from the Watersider’s Union asking for Improved accommodation at the waiting shed at the port, it was decided that the building be added to by a 20ft extension and that lighting and other matters be attended to. Regarding the proposal to • have a new marine survey carried out, the Marine Department wrote stating that this could not be done at present as there Was no vessel available for New Zealand coasts, but the matter would be kept in view.