Harbor Board.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3751, 5 January 1881, Page 3

Harbor Board.

*Tho ordinary fortnightly meeting of tfer& Board was held yesterday afternoon in tbe Borough Chambers. The Mayor (William Wilkinson, Esq.) was voted to the Chair, and there were also present Crs Read, Osborne, Bagnall and WilsonT

,; The minutes of the previous meeting wore read and confirmed. HAEBOEMASTER'S BEPOBT. The Chairman and members Thames Harbour Board. —Gentlemen, —l beg respectfully to bring under your notice the increasing defective state of the Burke street wharf, not only the top planking but the strjngers show signs of decay, and at times it is found necessary to nail or bolt pieces of timber on to the longi tudinal beams for the purpose of nailing the deck planking down, tbe top part of the stringers being rotten and not able to hold the nails. A great quantity of timber is required monthly for repairs, as the planks break quickly after being wet and suddenly healed again. If tbe Board could see its way to do it, I think the best plan of remedy would be to have the wharf filled in something like the railway reclamation as far as the" silt works, and I am of opinion it could be done cheaper, while the trucks, etc., used for the railway embankment are here. The work, no doubt, would be costly, but far more economical iv the long run than patching the old or building, a new timber wharf. I have further to report that one of the buoys—tbe black one of tbe swatch way —has either broken adrift or sunk, The stormy weather lately prevailing bas prevented me from ascertaining which, but I intend, as soon as the weather moderates, to have a search for either the buoy or the moorings. One of .the beacons, Shortland, has also, during the present month, been carried away, but I have given notice to the agent, of the vessel to retain sufficient moneys he has in hand belonging to the vessel that did the damage to pay for the erection of a beacon in the place of the one.desfroyed. Owing to the bad weather, only one of thebuoys —the Eairway—has been cleaned, painted and replaced.—W:; Davies, 11 arbour Master.—Thames, January 4th, 1881. \ Mr Dean said that the Board were spending £12 per month in timber for' the repairs of the Burke street wharf, and that amount was too much. He thought, however, it would be as well to adopt the recommendations of the Harbor Master, although the cest would probably be £400.. . ' " • i Mr Osborne: We can spend £150 in ■mall amounts, bat where are we to get £400? The matter was left in the hands of a committee to consider ways and means, consisting of the Chairman and Messrs Wilson, Osborne, Bead.. The report was received. ,

NEW--BATE roll. The secretary was instructed to prepare the above in accordance with the stipulations made by the Act in readiness for the election of the new Board. All the members of the present Board, with the exception of the Mayor, have to retire, their time having come to a close. This was all the important business.