HARBOUR BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14940, 13 March 1912, Page 4

HARBOUR BOARD.

NEW UP-RIVER WHARF. TO DEVELOP FRUIT FARMS. The Auckland Harbour Board met yesterday. Present: Messrs. J. H. Gunson (chairman), H. D. Heather, P. Virtue, A. J. Entrican, J. H. Bradney, H. H. Adams, J. E. Taylor, W. E. Hutchison, and C. Bagley. . The engineer to the Waitemata City Council forwarded a plan of new wharf, which the Council wishes the Board to construct at Riverhead, five chains above the present wharf. The Council, he wrote, intended to carry out, in conjunction with the Lands and Survey Department, a vigorous road construction policy, to open up the largo area of idle Crown land near Riverhead. The land was suitable for cutting up for fruit-growing, and a large population was expected. Successful settlement would, however, depend upon good communication with Auckland. The old wharf would be quite unsuitable, and the Council asked for a new one, which, being at the end of a proposed embankment to be made by the Council, would be only 75ft long, and would give a greater depth of water than that at the present wharf. The letter was referred to the committee, the engineer to report. LAUNOH-OWNEKS' WANTS, MORE ACCOMMODATION SOUGHT. The chairman reported that a deputation of owners of launches plying for hire had represented to him that the charges made by the Board of £1 per year for a license and 10s a quarter for shipping wharfage was very high considering the inadequate accommodation afforded to the boats, and had also asked that hand cranes should bo placed on the up-river wharves. Ho had replied that the charges were fixed by the by-laws. The matter was referred to the committee.

DUTY ON LAMP PARTS. A TARIFF PROBLEM The Secretary of Customs, in reply to the Board's request for the remission of duty on imported parts of lamps and beacons, wrote that the tariff exemption is " lamps peculiarly adapted for use on harbour beacons and lighthouses, also appliances peculiar to such lamps. '.V As the iron supports, hand pump, and iron tank could not be considered as appliances peculiar to beacon lamps they could not be admitted free. The letter was received, GAP IN THE DEFLECTOR. WHAT IT IS THERE FOR. The request of the Northern S.S. Co.'s steamer captains to have the gap in the tide deflector in the railway wharf closed was reported upon by the engineer to the effect that the gap was left ■ to ensure= tho proper dilution of sewage discharged into the harbour. The gap therefore could not be closed until the sewage was diverted into the new sewers. The Board decided to reply accordingly. MISCELLANEOUS* AN OBSTRUCTING ROCK. A petition, with 36 names attached, asked the Board to blast away a rock which has been found 100 ft from the end of the Black Wharf at Hobsonville, instead of putting a beacon on it. Tho reason for the request was that the rock prevents vessels berthing easily. The petition also asked that a set of sliding steps should be placed on one side of the wharf foiT convenience at low tides. The petition was referred to the committee. At the previous meeting of the Board a letter, from the City # Council was received, declining responsibility for the extension of the sewer at Mechanic's Bay. i It was resolved on the recommendation of the committee to obtain the opinion of the Board's solicitors as to the respective liability of the City Council and the Harbour Board in the matter. A letter was received asking that the charge for the recent docking of the Melanesian mission steamer Southern Cross in the Calliope Dock should be reduced to the Auckland* dock rates. The chairman said the steamer could easily have been docked in the Auckland Dock, but it was put off till the last moment, and. she had to go into the Calliope Dock. He saw no reason for reducing the charges. The request was referred to the commitee. The City Council having declined to make any reduction in the prices charged for water, the question of water supply was referred to the engineer for a report to the Board as to the possibility of ob» taming a supply from other sources, and the probable cost. A report upon the recent accident, in which the ferry steamer Pupuke ran into and damaged the ferry tee, receiving serious injury in return, was submitted by the harbourmaster. The chairman stated that the ship's owners had been notified that the damage to the jetty had been debited to them. The traffic manager reported that it would be necessary to appoint a storekeeper for the Customs examination floor of shed G., Queen-street Wharf. The officer should be acquainted with the working of electric lifts, and should assist in the handling of goods for examination and other duties. The report was received. The requests of the Takapuna and Devonport Ferry Companies in reference to the wharfage and office accommodation in the new ferry buildings having been considered by tho general committee were referred further to the Ferry Traffic Committee.