TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1832, 22 December 1888, Page 4

TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Th« monthly mteiing of the Timaru H»rbor Board was held on Wednesday. Present —Messrs .E. Acton (chairman), S Mojrriß,f Manchester, Tesche'maker, Flati nab,Und Wilson. Letters were read from the Marine Department rt the new by-law No. 2. They draw attention to the signalling nod what was thought a mi-sprint, that ihe code of signals was commercial, not international.—The chairman explained that they had adopted the commercial code so f .thnit oaly Jtbeir tug could .tender: vessels 'if.{he international code had been adoptod any vessel flying a flag for a tug could be tendered by any coastal or other steamer. The signal adopted was for the boards epeail use,—lt was decided not to make any alteration. ; - f ':'• ';{ ", '■' The Railway Department wrote, enclosing the usual monthly returns, and objecting to the takiog of shingle from the beach near Perry's vi iduct. The following 'report Was Hread : " Yonr committee have to report having received from the harbor master an application for an increase of salary in con--Blderation of growing responsibilities and jto "»ct .as,pilot, and reebfflmend that *n increase of £25 per. annum be granted. The inspector of "Machinery has reported that at last survey bottomof the boiler of the p.B. Titan was getting very bad, and that at the survey, it would be neces-; eary to lift*'the : *boiler, aqd possibly to take it cut, in order that the bad parts": [might *bi ; rembve'fJ, ; He also considers fithatibwill be necessary to remove some Mdf the boiler stays and angle irons, and probably some of the plates and frames in thehull.rjThe committee have decided to leave' "tbraniatter for the consideration of etbe sb'oar-dylfiTour icommittee find thai there will in all probably be a deficiency about £ISOO in the amount available out of tbe revenue to meet the interest on the'lßß3, and 1886 loans. It will remain for the board to decide whether they will rate I he'district for the deficiency or, under the powers conferred by section 4 of the Tbharu 'Harbor board Loan Act, ,^lßßs,'dlect'to pay the balance of interest out of loan. The commitiee reeommnd the board toadopt the letter "course. "—lt »'as decided to grant the harbor master an additional £25 a year, to work the tog TitanVas carefully us possible, and to pay the; interest out of loan. The, harbor master rpported the arrival of 17 steamer's "and 7 failing vessels, of on registered tonnage of 9007 tons, and the departure of 17 steamers and 6 sailing vessels, of a total tonnage of 8757 tons, for the month ending 30th November, 1888. The weather during the month bad been very unsettled. The present time may be considered opportune for fixiijg'moorings to the north wall, as the necessity for same increases as the work proceeds.

The engineer reported that tbe heavy ■ens pn the 14ih iosf. stripped aoonsider»ble length of rails from t' e outer kant of the brek water. In relaying part of iheae he recomrnenried (but the timber glantsepints he previously should be spiked ou the weather side of the rails, tt prevent tlnm being distuibed in;-the futur'. He had lately made a dolailed survey oOhe main wharf, ,ar,d fotnd it would b« necessary to execute 'i considerable amount of repairß before long to the kauri brat i'ig, which is being rapidly destroyed ;by the limnoria, or sea louse. So far ha had not discovered any jnjury to the ironbark caused by marine iuaecl;*, nor had he

found as yet any traces of the presence ef the leredo, or boring *orm. The Dortli mole contract was proceeding very ■alisfuctorily, and it was now out abodt one-third of its tolnl length. Since Inst njeeting the Taniwha had; dredged and discharged about 440 tons of rocks and about 500 tons of spoil. Since her commencement in the end of September, 1887, her total record of doty performed was 33,300 tons of spoil and 1110 tons of rocks removed, besides.'/.the performance of other services.'—lt .wis.,resolved to; have the rails oo;the sea side of r. the kant protected. /"f he engineer produced a piece of kauri timber which had been quite destroyed by the sea louse. The beam, originally a 12 i 6, whs reduced to b mer.e skeleton. The engineer said totara-was the best timber to use—wns more relinble than iron bark. He explained that the damage don,e was ody between high and low water-mark. The chairman Slid that the election of i members of the new board would take j on February IKb, 188&. The usual! polices would appear in due course. V

Accounts "mounting to £llO3 17s 4d were passed for payment, and the standing committee were authorised to meet and pay accounts for December t>v enable the annual balance to be proceeded with. V The meeting then adjourned.