THE HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 6293, 17 May 1883, Page 2

THE HARBOR BOARD.

A special meeting of the Board was Held this morning, and was attended by Messrs Ross, ftamsay? Paterson, Burns, 'Barron, Barnes, and Guthrie. Qn the motion pf,Mr Ramsay, Mr Ross was voted to the chair< The Chairman explained that the object of the meeting was to consider the following telegrams, which had been received ftofc Wellington from Mr Fish : [ ;. ; lsth May. '.: Mr Blackctt approves of the plans, but recommends that they be sent for Sir John Coode's approval. Government endorse thfc. )I proposev-to Ask I the Government to bend plans by mail leAVtnp on Saturday. ' Calla meeting'pj fheßbarchfor; eleven tomorrow (Thursday) tor approve tfiiij (ft Otherwise,! and Immediately wire the result. r

:; ' nth Wy. As telegraphed last tueht, the Gowrtnnjent recommend tho Board to send the p4a.ni to Sir John Ooodo for bis approval. The mall leaves here on Saturday, and in ord,er to send by that I propose asking; tho Government to forward theui. piey may, however, think It better for them, to go. from trt« ;Io that case will the Board authorise myself and Mr Barr to do so? The questions proposed to be afeked are-; (1) Whether.the portion of the work proposed to be carded but at present wilt prejudice the! full scheme as prcpised by Sir John (Joode. 1 (a) Whether; he aßpppves ofcthe material proposed to-be used! and the mode of oonstnuotinfit (3) Whether he would consider 'fib carry out uiejwefiwall to the full extent before from . Taiaroa .fiends, or she%er thi m&fc the effect can m jfr ophiion of 4ftfclfaWyof tfcai eost.:-1 propose fwask Slit -Jdhfc Coodft/*o,ito!p|r»rthf AlsMpK'aftdwe wuTp*ej»ire ajMjde. , Some additional hfo"office to PieW&Jk' Sftfffest to j.ho to In the course' $' some femftrktf !nV KOS#' said he did not altogether agree with the

questions .proposed to'.ta put jto Sfr John Coode. That gentleman's,opinionj©n jrome of the points was to befonna in the reports already made by him on the diffi*|nt Jaarbors. In reference to the of laying' the first course lof- ■ tie proposed breakwater, he pointed o%|btt3ir John Coode bad , given an :: h&mßMf& s** report on the which was applicable Then Sir John Coode had suggestecr staaing in the construction of the New Jnymouth breakwater similar to that proposed by Mr Barr. The only points upon which he (Mr Ross) thought an opinion -was necessary were the running out of the staging, the carrying out "of tte"tjreakwater beyond the Hei4s«wittnpt the construction of the retaining Van/and the th» Barr proposedWtace^^e^xlS l lnWlnthßf*%e breakwater. , : i :'." - *■•'•" Mr-BoRNS-moved-—~ That "authority <oe given to the th» Board to forward gie; questions contained in his telegram to Sir John Coode for his opinion, . r . That...gif John Cpode be also-irifdmed-ftnto $e sm%II amount >of haofhe effect of destenlng the bar by tft, "which has *>ot*»e*i undone by storms, which have been; very frequent, tbi Jastyear. r■■ \■'. • /'/ 'H\ That he be asked whether he would advise' the Immediate cutting away of the points of opposite Harrington Point, or' cutting- a straight channel through on the line of leading lights; whether he would approve of removingtye tpj*<rf ajl the sand-banks to the level<of low water, ; and, as a first work, the dry p&rtat low water of the sand-bank near the islands, so as to let the tide have a straight course to the Upper Harbor; arid to consider tho whole question and advise the works that should bewidfrtaken, and in whai rotation. • Mr Guthrte seconded the motion. • -- Mr Ramsay did not think the statement that the bar had been deepened 2fti%Y the dredge was correct, and therefore consinprecl it would be unwise to fiend it Home, as fir John Coode might be misled by it* He jnipved as an amendment : • That Sir John Coode be informed by the "Engineer what improvement has been effected oh the bV by the operations of dredge 222. 4 Mr Barron seconded this. '"''

Mr Guthriepointed[outthatthiHajfWrrhaster and Engineer disagreed as to the depth of water on the. bar. :.' y ■'• "-"'"■ Mr Ramsay-. Wa all Icnhw that tie Harbor-master has taken, too* sanguine-a view of the good that crn be done-by tKe dredge. He has reported a depth of S&ft arid 25ft 6in, and I make bold to aiy that there has never been : that depth.- He gets his information from " Wck, Tom, aMd Harry." Hois satisfied to take soundings made by the coxswain and the master ©f the dredge. Mr Barnes t It would appear -..from, "irhat you say, 'Mr Ramsay, that::"we hat© no servants we can tiust; and we had better therefore send the chairman or a committee down to take soundings. The Chairman : We hare gone 4own twice. .■•:••-- :..:■.;., J

Mr Guthbie: Two or three times. ;: Mr Bubns thought that the Harbor-Duster should be called before the Board and questioned on the matter.; ,•"..""' V j.\ Mr Ramsay:: The proper party lb 'a&nd Home reports to Sir John Coode is o«r Engineer, Leave the matter to him. If he sends Home anything wrong lie can be punifched. What does Sir John Coode care about the report of a harbor-master, coxswain, pr pilot? Reliable information can only .bo given by ourßngineer. : .r Mr BtJKtrs h I am somewhat - inclined to differlrom My Ramsay in this case. , We all know what engineers ire. They aire Here for the express purpose 6'f out works. When they get hold of ain idea, right or wrong, they will carry it out»i"Qa.") Rati Jmosritjorftjfact. I know Mr Barr as well as any of you, and perhaps better. He is lb very good man, but he is like other civil engineeis, and he might carry out the letter of the /metk>n and not the spirit. He" may give A report that willlead Sir John Codde to believe that the dredge has done no good at all. Ido not want my motion, carried in its present form exactly, but I think Sir. John Coode should be informed that the dredge has done some good. ..';.> ... ; f The Chairman r Why not say " results, as set forth in the Harbor-master's report," and get a report from the Harbor-master. Mr Ramsay: I know that Mr.Barr's report will be the result of soundings taken by his staff, a»d thoroughly leliable,'- There is: only one way of doing things properly, and the proper course was pursued Barr when he had a survey taken systematically and scientifically. That is far fcnbre reliable than che haphazard mode adopted by the master of the dredge And the coxswain. Soundings in one' case taken by competent persons, and in s ; the other by incompetent. . J Mr Guthbie: I think, the oner spundpg is just as reliable as the others Mr Bubns : I will back an old quartermaster for takjng soundings against any engineer. After some further discussion the amendment was put and lost; there, it Messrs Ramsay, Barron, and the chairman. The motion was carried minus the—last clause, which Mr Burns agreed ty withdraw. _____