TIMARU DREDGE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21198, 23 June 1934, Page 6

TIMARU DREDGE

HIRE TO 0 AMARU HARBOUR BOARD'S DECISION Alter long consideration in which members fully discussed the possibility of the harbour suffering in the absence of the dredge, the Timaru Harbour Board at its meeting yesterday by eight votes to five agreed to hire its dredge to the Oamaru Harbour Board for four months. Mr W. T. Ritchie moved that in view of the work ahead for it in Timaru the dredge be not hired to Oamaru, the motion being setonded by Mr R. S. Goodman. In moving the motion, Mr Ritchie said that there was strong opinion that the board was getting on well with the work of improving the harbour with six months' dredging a prepared only to maintain the present time was favourable to undertake additional work. If the board was prepared only to maintain thepresent state of the harbour the plan was all right, but there was more work ahead. What for instance was the use of dredging as at present when there was a depth of only 27 or 28 feet outside the harbour? he asked. He wanted to see the harbour and its approaches made so deep that it would be unnecessary to hold up overseas vessels for some hours because they were deeply loaded. It was, he considered, more important to watch Timaru harbour than to look for income from Oamaru.

Mr A. F. Campbell expressed the opinion that the work suggested by Mr Ritchie could be done after the dredge had finished its work at Oamaru. There was no reason why the offer of the southern board should not be accepted. "I agree with Mr Ritchie to a very large extent." said Mr A. R. Guild, "but it is a case of when we should tackle it." The board counted on receiving so much from Oamaru when it struck its rate and could not now afford not to accept the offer, since the rate was kept down to its present level. He agreed that the work suggested by Mr Ritchie should be done, but at a later stage. "If we had 14 engineers on the board instead of 14 laymen, we would still have as much diversity of opinion as we have to-day," said Mr I. J. Bradley.? "I am against the dredge going to Oamaru. It is as calm outside this harbour sometimes as it is inside it, so there is ample opportunity for us to do the work suggested."

Mr W. M. Whatman moved as an amendment that the Oamaru Harbour Board be offered the use of the dredge for four months after its annual overhaul, this being seconded by Mr W. Hayman. The chairman saiid that he would agree that there was work for the dredge in Timaru but at the same time it was the duty of the board to accept the offer of the Oamaru board, which would improve the local board's finances by £6OOO or £BOOO. The work suggested by Mr Ritchie was not so urgent as to preclude the dredge going south. The amendment was carried by eight votes to five, and it was decided that the cost of the dredge to the Oamaru board be £GO a day. Messrs D. C. Turnbull and Company wrote stating that as they understood the board was contemplating restricting the working of the dredge they would like to bring under the notice of the board the delay in despatching two vessels to their agency, which would not have occurred had there been a greater depth of water in the channel. The vessels were the Cambridge and the Port Napier. It was decided to receive the letter.