THE HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 6365, 10 August 1883, Page 4

THE HARBOR BOARD.

The regular meeting yesterday wy, P.ttena-.-:<i by Messrs A, H. Eojjs (presiding), J. Bvces, J, Barron, S. Patersoj, H. Guthrie., and His Worship the Mayor. CORRESPONDENT'S. Mr A. J, representative of payers of clues, wrote tendering his resignation a-j a member of the Board, as he was leaving Dunedin for Bomo ti.ne.— Resignation accrpte J. A letter from Mr W. Koberfcson, of Sandymount, containing suggestions as to the increase of water on the bar, vis received. The Eaglneer suggested that tenders be called for alterations and repairs of five punts j for ironmongeiy and ship chandlery, timber, and brass and copper work for twelve months,—-Tie CHAIRMAN suggested that tenders bo delayed for a time, as one of the present members would likely be a tenderer, and it was undesirable.lk-it he should resign before the new Board wai constituted.- Mr Barnes opposed at-y d-te-/ m the -calliDg for tenders If any members wished to tender they should resign.— Other members ex-iii-eased similar views —Mr Barron remarked ihaithe membership of the Boird w-.s becoming smaller and beautifully less; and, r;i w that rthey had a very small number of w>-kii:g snombers, vacancies ought cot to continue on Che Board. Neither the Government nor the Chamber of Commerce should wait vtvtil tiuy saw what was done with tho new Bill, but both bodies Bhcii'd appoint representative; on tho Board. The Under-Se-sfotasy for Wo. In acknowledged receipt of the Board's letter an aeaouot for L 12,703 &i i.Od for dredging at Kopiihii Bay. and stating that the Gove'inmcat were ef opinion tint no liability had b.:u> incurred by them in this matter. —Mr M. V/. •Green, M. 'f-I-'., wrot? with respect to the same mniier iks Minister for Works had informed him that the G-r/ernrncot do >■.<>% recognise the claim, and tha*. it i" not their intention t-> pay iitiy W-i -n of it.—The Chairman pointed out that by ths dredging at Port Chalmers th • colonial treasury had ben benefited, as vessel* could now enne alongside Che wharf. H? thought that in equity tho Board had a ciaiii; tho Government.Ihe nutter was referral to the Fmsnca ComTnittte.

The Harbor-master reported tLut tho North Island was visited by special [;a'ca •during the month, and while the forco of such gales never reached Occgo li>ad; the sea set up :by the saiae did so, and for two d-j.y-i was very iheavy. Os the bar the dentil of water ho.i feeen improved by dredging sines W.t report, ikere row boiog tuliy loft at low water ; and he ■was kopoful thiit by the &Jod werk the dredge is aow duing on the fcai' a eoiisiderable Improvement ic. the depth of the water across it will soon be effected. The ship Auckland au-iv-d c!f the Heads on ihe 20th ult., and when Cape Saunders signalled to be reported ; bat no report of the vessel was s«nt from the statiou. The George htreet export wharves at Port Chal.ratrs have not yet been equipped witi- lifesaving appliancea, and he suggested that tb-i Board ahoald bring the matter under the notice .of the railway departmeot with a view to provide tbe same. During the month the shipping

at the Port had been exceptionally dull, and during much of the time nothing had been done ftt the graving dock. Having referred to tao i.,ct the steamer? Hoihowand Kotornaand ih-> bmantino Stanley had come up to Dunedin, ■n-iiiiMu Thomson m-oceeded to state that the board's attention would now require to be ejected to tii* farther deepening and wmemng of the channel round the steamers basin, as tne time is not far distant when the Ts Anan and Koiomahana may come up to Dunedin, There was no time to 1030 in proceeding with an extension of the wharves, which should be from the outer end of Kattray street wharf to the point beyond Kiucaid and M'Queen'a crane. The snsg that is near the upper dolphin should now bo removed, and with the extension of wharves tho accommodation should be increased. He ;ilso recommended that a shed should be erected at the new wharf referred to and another at Jetty street, and that if possible they be constructed on a plan that would give facilities to collect outv.-ard cargo in a second storay, while the inward cargo is being discharged on the ground door, and that the sheds should be fitted with hydraulic lifts. The Engineer reported a3 follows : I forward herewith tracings showing soundings of steamers' basin at Dunedin, and also tho edge of the cut as already executed, and the extent to which that cut should be widened and deepened. The early prospect of some of the Home vessels being discharged and loaded at these wharves starts the question as to whether it \fould not bo advisable to make special provision for their berthage at some part accessible by railway, of which could easily be made so. The only part now touched by tho railway is the Jetty street wharf, and there would be no srreat diiticulty in preparing a berth there, though this would involve the short piling of part of the wharf, and also a considerable amount of dredging for the approach-channels. A deep-water berth is so far advanced towards completion at the outer extremity of the Rattray street wharf as to be available for a large-class vessel within two or three weeks. Ultimately the be 3 t place for these vessels will be at an extension of the Kattray street wharf in a direction parallel to tho main channel; but we cannot expect a railway connection therewith in less than eight or nine months, unless a line be run down Rattray street, which could be quickly done, and would but little interfere with outside traffic. As the soundings arc only just completed and plotted, I have not had time to make calculations of the probable cost of my present proposals, but hope to be able to submit that to the first meeting of the Works Committee. I forward herewith the report by the Inspector of Works for the month of July. By it you will learn that dredge 222 has resinned work on the bar, after extensive repairs, but unfortunately the state of the weather has prevented much work being done. One thousand two hundred and sixty-seven cubic yards of sand ha 3 been removed in parts of three davs, which was the whole working time between the 20th and 31st July. Yesterday the dredge lifted and deposited 1,000 tons, and with favorable weather this oupflit to be rcpeeted daily.

In the Upper Harbor the Vulcan has been encased in the steamers' lutein, mostly deposited at the derricks. The material is now of such a nature as to run easily away, so that if the Board direct that the Vulcan is to be continued in the steamers' basin for some time, and the material continue to be of the same nature, it would lie advisable to Rive* the contractor for spreading the material at Kavcnsbournc the seven days' notice required to terminate the contract. A trial sluicing experiment on a proper scale cannot be made unless bv the u-;c of stronger pumps than any in the possession of the Board. Powerful pumps —either centrifugal or force—would be of great service in spreading sand at the derrick:-', and in many other ways could be profitably employed in carrying on the works. I would therefore request authority, not exceeding L2OO, for the provision of such. A PERSONAL EXPLANATION. The Act.'NG-Chaimian wished to allude to some remarks which had been made in the City Council in reference to hi 3 action in the treatment of certain liters and telegrams from Mr Fish in Wellington. He would preface his remarks by stating that on all former occtsicss all communications sent from Wellington had been addressed to the chairman, and under present circumstances they might, ai a matter of courtesy, have been sent through the acting-chairman. " He thought very liitlo of this, bat it showed that the usual comtesy had not been extended to him. These telegrams were received by the Board's secretary, and bore nothing whatever to show that they were private. They were remitted by the secretary to the Works Committee, and read at the next meeting, when only Messrs Barnes, Mill, and thu speaker was present. There being only a bare quoiura the* telegrams wera remitted to the Board, not at the speaker's suggestion. When laid before the Boaid it was remarked that possibly the reporters would not publish tlura," fv, when read, there appeared to be some seriU-rir.es which would be better nos published, and which, had he (Mr Ko s) been able to exercise his discretion, should not have been. Two papers did n-ei publish the telegrams, and one did. At the following meeting he remarked to the secretory that Mr Fish might have some good ground for complaining ot the publication of those, particularly ■ those portions which showed his despondency. The secretary replied tint he had not given them to the reporters- This wa; all the speik-, r had to do with the matter—no more than any other member of the tfoard. It was also stated at the City Couucil that Mr Fish had cent a letter which he atke-d should be considered in cimmi.;::ee, u-r-d that he (Mr EJoss) had wished it read in pv.bl-.e. K>; gave that statement a flat denial. * What ho eeid was shat a letter had been received fiom Mr Fish which, as it contained remarks personal to him (the acting chaiiViian) he ahou : d wish could have been read openly, but thsr. a*- Mr Fish had asked it should be eonsiueied in committee the Board had. no alternative. H" had made the explanation in justice to himself and to the Board. Mr l-'AKXE.s understood that the acting chsirma.'i wasalludieg to him ; but his remarks had bees pur in a " broader" way than they were niide. Kii ae.',r.'.>-i remaiks wore almost identical v/ith ii.e explanation just given by Mr Ross. The -KGKi-yfAHY raid that ;vb the meeting refers ed to Mr Burt hid asked how they could tell whether or not to consider the letter in cem'r.itteo, unless it w?re firr.t read. The Actixu-Chaikman said it was quite evident thao Mr Fiah wa; under the impression that he (Mr Ross) had cau-cd those private telegrams to bo red in public, because he had made that the icason for his resignation As least, Mr Fieh professed to be under that impression ; but, at the same time, the speaker did not think he really could have been, as from the length of their acquaintance he must have known him to be incapable of such a thing. THE BAH The ACTfNi:-CHAHorAN said that he hid recently been present when about thirty soundings were tali en on the bar, both with rod and line, the results varying from 22ft On to lKft 3;n. This v.Wf in the line of the leading lights, and only a. small patch was 18ft 'Shi. Ko had directed the soundings to be carefully continued and the remit notified by telegram. This had just come to hand, and stated that theies.it depth foiiiid at low-water was fully 18ft. This was eminently sai-isfaofcoiy considering the few days the dredge had keen at work, and if the weather continued favorable ho believed tin work would not be Join/ in accomplishment.