TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2270, 22 October 1891, Page 3

TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

The regular monthly meeting of the Harbour Board was held yesterday morning. Present: Messrs E. Acton (chairman), Evans, Hill, Stumbles, Flatman, Talbot, and Morris. An apology was received from Mr Gibson. The chairman stated that the insurance company concerned had paid £4s'for the damage to the four coils of hawser in the Buncoora which was wrecked at Melbonrne, and the entire cost of the four short delivered; total £152. Mr Gaze, clerk of Arowhenua Town Board, forwarded £l3 rates for 1890 collected, and stated summonses were were being issued for the remainder uncollected. Some were not recoverable.—Mr Talbot stated the county V council were taking steps to J assist the board in getting in the V arrears. Mr J. Anderson, Christchurch. wrote respecting repairs to grab bucket, and asked that Mr Marchant should go up and inspect the work before it was sent down, as they always had great trouble in pleasing him. After a discussion, it was decided that the engineer should not go up, and that the cost of nesessary alterations to the grab be deducted from the contract price. With regard to the wreck of the Lyttelton, the Marine Department, through Mr Hall-Jones, offered to allow the wreck to be blown up by Captain Falconer, provided the board bore all expense and responsibility. It was ascertained in the course of discussion that the work would cost about £IOO, and it was decided to do it under the supervision of the works committee. The harbor master reported the arrival of 21 steam and 3 sailing vessels, and the departure of the same number, during September. The weather during the month was fine. The engineer, reported that he had made a trial of the shingle-shifting gear with satisfactory results, so far as he went. He hoped to have a most satisfactory report to submit by next, meeting. He had removed 300 tons of shingle, but the hole thus created was filled up with fresh shingle. During the month 9500 tons of spoil and 420 tons of rock had been dredged. In the discussion which followed the engineer admitted that the suction pipe had collapsed, and Mr Evans suggested that the members should see for themselves whether the experiment should be discontinued. On the chairman's suggestion it was agreed that the engineer and harbor master should as early as possible make a survey of Caroline Bay, to ascertain the amount of siltiug.up that has taken place, and to extend the survey outside the harbor. Mr Stumbles remarked that they would soon have a racecourse in the bay. Mr Hill replied at some length to the chairman's remarks of two months i ago, and reopened the whole question shifting the shingle versus perworks, and a long discussion took place, the report of which we are compelled to hold over. Mr Hill afterwards moved, and it was unanimously agreed to, that the members should visit and inspect the NinetyMile Beach to the Opihi before and after the shingle-shifting experiment, in order to see what, if any, difference js made in it by the removal of shingle.