THE WELLINGTON DOCK. FURTHER DISCUSSION BY THE HARBOUR BOARD.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 46, 23 August 1904, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON DOCK. FURTHER DISCUSSION BY THE HARBOUR BOARD.

Tho dock question was before tlio Harbour Board onco more ycttcrday afternoon, when Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.H.R., moved, in accordance with notice: "That, as tho operations in connection with tho new dock are delayed through tho largo dredge being employed on other worlca of urgency, it. is desirablo that fcho dredgo should be employed day and night continuously on such latter works, so that they may be completed at an early date." The mover said his obiecb waa to hurry on th« construction of the dock. The delay up to tho pre&ont' time had been nothing short of icandnlous. By terms of tho Act of 1902 tho Board was ordered to proceed "forthwith" with the preliminary work in connection with the dock. Ho had come to tbe conclusion from tho delny that thero nuu»t bo some influences which were preventing any progress with tho work. The Board had obviuusly not done its duty. lit refused to accept excusins for further delay without tho beat of reasons. They had broken fnith with tho publio and with Parliament in not making a start within tho specified eighteen months. The Chairman suggested that the motion bo altered in the direction of providing that the hours of the dredge hands be oxtcudod from 48 to 60 or 72 hours per week. The dredging could not be carried on satisfactorily in the dark, and for a month at least the most they would get was about twelve hours of daylight. Ho would further suggest that the dredge should be put on the work aa soon as the dredging for tho Tarnnaki-street Wharf was finished. All tho work so far done by the dredge in the harbour had been absolutely necessary work. The Taranakistreet Wharf was a necessity to facilitate the trade of the port, and a 6 soon as the site for that wharf had been prepared the dredge could go to ' work on the dock site. Mr. Wilford: How long will Uia.tbet The Secretary agreed with the suggestion of the Chairman. He did not think they would get goad results from night dredging, ll was right enough in soft ground, but not on hard. H they worked in the dark there waa risk of acoident, and they would not get value in work in proportion to tho coot. Tho work would bo better done in the summer time by extending the hours of daylight working. Mr. Macdonald seconded the motion, and endorsed tho mover's views that thero was an impression in the public mind that the Harbour Board had no intention of proceeding with th« dook. This whs not to be wondered at, when nt every meeting of tbe Board one heard expressions of contempt for the dock. Th« apathy and indifference of members also lent colour to this impression. If the Hmbour Board en me to Parliament with any proposal in the future, Parliament would look with the gravest suspicion on tho proposal, becatUM it would few! that it Had been deceived in this matter. When Parliament saw that this sort of thine was done, it coulfl not be 'blamed. If all members and the Secretary w*ro impre**ed with the idea that the dock w«» a matter of life and death it. would be in a very different position^ to-day. . For twenty years he liad hcldthat a dock w«« oil absolute necessity fur Wellington, and before ten yean* members would regret that it hod not been pushed forward, in view of the impending increaso in tk» shipping trade. Mr. Townsond supported tho Chairman's suggestion. 110 personally wa* ntlxiouA for the dock, and hoped the Board would stick to iv * Mr. Beauchamp said that it had been understood that tho dock would bo airrkd out as soon n« the urgent works were completed. f Ho bad originally opposed the dock, but had recanted. He repudiot* cd tho accusations of apathy and indifference. The dredgo nad always been engaged on urgunt work, and it would be unwise to take tlio drudge off its present work for dock work, fie approved, instead, the #uggc*>tion that the dredge should work longer hours, and ho would support a propo-vil tlint after tbe work for the Taranaio-atrect Wharf was com pletcd, the dredge should be put on to work on tho dock jtchemc. Mr. Dnniell also gavo tho motion gen* eral support. Mr. M'Lellan mid he hud seen night dredging carried on successfully, hut bt bowed to the opinion of th«ir executive officer. He Buugcated, however, that whenover practicable the dredgo should be worked to its limit, employing twoohifta if necessary. Mr. Wilford amended hia motion, which was carried in tljc following form : — "That as the operations in connection with th« new dock are delayed through the large dredge being employed on other works of urgency, it is desirablo that the dredge should be employed at' least 60 hours a week, and after the completion of the dredging at tho Turnnnki-street Wharf, the dredgo to be employed in the work necessary for tho construction of tho dock."