AUCKLAND'S DOCK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1033, 24 January 1911, Page 6

AUCKLAND'S DOCK.

!■' ' i- '■ —» ———' , 'A REPLY TO MR..WILFORD. -■' (By Telegraph.-Special Correspondent.) '•' Auckland, January' 23.' In connection with some remarks of tlie, chairman of the Wellington.Harbour Board as to "Auckland's dock and harbour, Mr. A. J. Entricon, chairman of -this Auckland Harbour Board, interviewed this morning, said-Mr. Wilford had'evidently .been making some examination of Auckland's wharves and docks. -. "Mr.'Wilford," ho said,."has naid us a compliment upon, the excellent ferro-con-erete; work-that has been done in connection, with our .wharves,, but takes us to task in connection'with our.dock.. We do not consider that.Mr. WilfordVcriticisni.'is.of; any value, however, because .ho .was.never.in ,thc- dock. The remarks he has hmdo are evidently based' upon the copy of a-report by.the-Union Company to tho Harbour Board a few weeks ago, in which tho company, advanced oortain reasons as to why they should get a refund in dock dues on one of their vessels. The subject ..matter of that communication is stale .'news to the people : of. Auckland, and -has. bpen before tho board on/two'.occasions. As-far as tho punips aro concerned, it may be mentione'd that, tenders havo been called for now pumps, and tho caisson will bo docked and repaired during' tho time that they are being installed. Tenders will be. returnable at tho end of this month, and.tho work.will, it is .estimated,, cost between. >CSOOO and,£lo,ooo. Tho pumps ■are in quite good'order and repair. The time it takes' to pump is, of course, entirely in proportion to the size .of tho vessel and'the size of .'the dock. .At present it frequently happens that the pumps havo to bo stopped for "the" cloanihg and, shoring of .the „ vessel. Another . point to be remembered is'that when a very small vessel goes.into a very, large.dock the. pumping is a considerably Lugger contract. Our dock takes a vessel of 12,000 tons. When .a vessel ;the' size of tho Atiia goes in, the pumping is naturally very considerable.' . There, is., also the question of the-denth of water on tho sill..of'tho dock. This dock provides an allowance for 35ft. of,, water., ■ Consequently, when a vessel drawing-only 16ft. of' water goes into a dock of this' size, there must bo extra-pumping. Of. course,' wo cannot altogether- blamo Mr. ■ Wilford -for. following..this lino ■of criticism; as .he has an example to follow in the a'tti-. tude of some of. our. own members. There is absolutely no" justification, howovor, for tho,statement that' there is anything obsolete, about our dock. It is in thorough good order and jcpair. . In fact, to provide.for.the newer" typo of vessel that-is being built we havo.-recently widened the bottom of the'dock, and we con now take in any vessel,that trades to Australasian waters."- .......