NEW PLYMOUTH PORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1922, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH PORT.

PAST MONTH’S OPERATIONS.

MEETING OF THE BOARD. The New Plymouth Harbor Board met yesterday. Present: Messrs. Newton King (chairman), C. E. Bellringer, E. Maxwell, C. H. Burgess, C. E. McGuinness, J. McCluggage, J. S. Connett, D. J. Hughes, and C. A. Wilkinson. HARBORMASTER’S REPORT. For the period of five weeks ending April 15 the number of vessels entering the port was 26, their aggregate tonnage being 45,381 tons. Imports amounted to 11,-367 tons, exports 4,549 tons, a total of 15,916 tons. The quantity of Government coal landed was 3300 tons. Included in the shipping were the following overseas vessels: T.S. Leitrim (954.0 tons), outward cargo 580 tons produce, draught 23ft Gin forward and 23ft aft; T.S. Pakeha (7899 tons), length 494 feet, loaded 1788 tons frozen meat, draught 19ft lOin forward and 22ft lOin aft. The s.s. Kaikorai (3157 tons), from Newcastle, landed timber amounting to 1025 tons. The vessel’s draught was 20ft forward and 21ft aft. The s.s. Maindy Lodge, from Newcastle, landed 3300 tons of coal for the Railway Department. The chairman said it was very grat.fying to see that the two large steamers, the Leitrim and the Pakeha. were berthed without any trouble. He believed the captains of the respective vessels were entirely pleased. RESIDENT ENGINEER’S REPORT. Th work for the period March 13 to April 15 was reported on as follows by tbe resident engineer (Mr. G. W. Baxter Lo wson): Quarries. —The loose stone in the quarries still shows no sign of coming away bodily, and it has consequently been necessary to drive ahead the approach still further. To reduce the overhead charges while this work is in progress and until the stone output is again steady, the Thomas King and other plant were closed down temporarily and the working force considerably reduced. Later, on. the. 10th inst., a night shift was begun, commencing at 4.30 p.m. each day, and with the two shifts cutting into the clay banks at each side of the stone appreciable progress is being made, the Priestman crane being well suited for this class of work. During the period 1450 tons of stone were sent from the quarry, 1230 tons for the breakwater extension foundation and 170 tons for the tip head. The debris from the quarry approach for 4 days double shift ending April 13 was 1210 cubic yards. Fourteen men were engaged on the day shift and thirteen on the night shift. Dredging.—Dredging operations have been greatly interfered with during the period. Rough seas were prevalent for the greater part of the second week, and later on the Paritutu was utilised for driving the test piles on the site of the proposed new wharf. From the latter work she was removed a day or two before the holidays in order to prepare for the run to Wellington for annual overhaul.

The Paritutu’s returns for the period are: —Bucket dredging, new wharf cut 3800 tons, western berth SOO tons; suction dredged, third fairway cut 1200 tons, sandbank 4400 tons; total 10,200 tons, of which 1900 tons were dumped westwards of the breakwater • extension mound. Wharf repairs.—A large shipment or ironbark piles and timber from Messrs. F. D. Pike and Co., of Sydney, came to hand during the period. Piles are being prepared for driving and the wharf will°be opened up for repairs immediately after the departure of the large boat at present occupying the overseas berth. With thp arrival of the timber steps were taken to push ahead the erection of the overhead bridge and satisfactory progress in the wo.x Jias already been made. GENERAL. With reference to the board’s proposal to raise a loan of £lO,OOO for workers homes, the superintendent of the State Advances Department wrote notifying the provisions of the Housing Amendment Act by which power was'given to harbor boards to borrow money.—lt was decided to refer the letter to the board s solicitors for advice. Advice was received from the General Manager of Railways (Mr. R. W. MeVilly) to the effect that instructions had been given to the department’s engineers to confer with the board’s engineers and come to an agreement as to the payment for reclamation works to be carried out at the port. On the recommendation of the works committee, it was decided to procure extra piles and timber, a list of which was submitted by the engineer, the materials being required for wharf repairs.