Engineers Going To Clyde To Watch Dredge Trials

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 20

Engineers Going To Clyde To Watch Dredge Trials

Final trials on the Clyde estuary of the new dredger, Peraki, will be attended by the Lyttelton Harbour Board’s engineer-in-chief (Mr J. A. Cashin) and a marine engineer.

Both engineers will fly to England. Mr Cashin will return by air and the marine engineer will return in the Peraki.

Speed trials of the Peraki had been put in hand, Mr Cashin reported to the board yesterday. Some modification to the coalburning gear was found necessary and the vessel was converted temporarily to the oil firing. A mishap to the Peraki at its wharf was reported by the consulting engineers but a report reprinted from the “Glasgow Bulletin” gave a somewhat different version, said Mr Cashin. He had cabled for full information.

Mr L. G. Amos suggested that, in the interests of New Zealand's economy, the Peraki should use coal fuel. With filters, the smoke nuisance could be reduced. The board should make up its mind now, as dual equipment was only adding to the cost of the vessel. The dredge was built to burn either coal or fuel, replied Mr Cashin. When the Peraki was ordered coal was cheaper than oil. but the prices were drawing closer as time went on and the time might arrive when oil would be cheaper than coal. "I had intended to put in a report at the next meeting,” said Mr Cashin. "I have all the information and the figures are very interesting.”

The dredge had undergone trials with both fuels and would

make the passage to Lyttelton on oil fuel, said Mr Cashin. When the Peraki arrived, the board would have to decide whether she was to operate on coal or oil. The Customs Amendment Act, 1959, imposed a tariff of 20 per cent, on British vessels and 45 per cent, on other vessels with the proviso that the Minister of Customs had the right to remit the duty, said the chairman (Mr A. A. Macfarlane). The ports most affected were Lyttelton and Timaru, both of which had dredges on order. He was advised that the Minister had remitted the duty on the Umaru dredge, but duty was to be payable on spares. Application had been made for the remission of duty on the Lyttelton dredge. The amendment was designed to protect the shipbuilding industry in New Zealand, said the sec-retary-manager (Mr A. L. Burk). It the duty was not remitted, the Peraki would cost the board more than £BOO,OOO.