THE QUEEN-STREET WHARF.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 56, 8 March 1899, Page 3

THE QUEEN-STREET WHARF.

BERTHING ACCOMMODATION FOR LARGE STEAMERS CONSIDERED.

At the meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday afternoon the question of berthing accommodation for large steamers now being put into the London and New Zealand trade came before members. In this connection Captain A. Duder, Harbourmaster, wrote to the Board: — 'I beg to direct the Board's attention to the new s.s. Papanui, now lying at Queen-street Wharf. This steamer is a fair sample of a number of new vessels that have been recently launched or are building for the New Zealand trade from London. Her draught on arrival was 23ft. Sin., but fully loaded it will be 28ft. I would respectfully suggest that as many members of the Board as can make it convenient should view the steamer's proportions, to enable them to form an idea as to the accommodation we will require in the future for this class of steamer.' The Work and Tariff Committee recommended that the plans for renewing Queen-street Wharf as amended be approved, and tenders called for the work. Mr Witheford rose and said he was opposed to long wooden wharf structures. He dissented to the recommendation of the committee on principle. However, he recognised that the work proposed was necessary, and he would not move an, amendment. Mr W. J. Napier aid the Board could not, of course, reverse the policy of some forty odd years. While the subject was under the notice of the Board, however, he might say that Mr Gibbs. the general manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, had told him that the company were building other three steamers of the Papanui type. The vessel's draught was 2S feet 6 inches, and, say, 30 feet would be wanted. Fortunately Auckland was not the vessel's last port of call. If it had been 30ft of water would have been wanted. It seemed to him that the Board had almost been caught napping. There had been quite a revolution in shipbuilding,. and at present the depth of water available at Auckland was 2Gft Gin, and they could not always rely on that. It seemed to him that the Board would soon have to go in for considerable dredging operations to deepen the berths. Mr Gibbs also stated that they wanted the berths nearer the town. No. 2 jetty was the sort of jetty these steamers were wanted to berth at, but Captain Duder said he would scarcely risk the berthing without the use of a tug, and that there was no tug in the harbour powerful enough for these big steamers. They had, therefore, to face the questions of more water and more assistance in the berthing of ships. Then another point had arisen. Mr Gibbs and the captain of the Papanui wanted to work all night, owing to the great expense of keeping the vessel at the wharf. But if they had worked all night, they would 'have blocked the sheds, and they could not have worked during the next day. The arrangement in the shed was, if an importer had only two cases he was allowed the space right up to the roof. The consequence was that the ship was stopped when the shed was only half full. The question of hoisting gear, so that the sheds could be properly filled, would, therefore, have to be considered, as' well as the question of more water aud assistance in the berthing of vessels. The recommendation of the Works and Tariff Committee with reference to the renewal of the wharf was then } adoptd.