OTAGO PENINSULA.

Evening Star, Issue 14626, 24 July 1911, Page 8

OTAGO PENINSULA.

CONFERENCE BF.TWEE.Y HARBOR BOARD AND FERRY COMPANY ABOUT dKTTIK.S AND CHANNELS. Tliiis iiiorruTip the Works Committee of l.ln' Otago Harlxii Ro.-i.rd .and the directors ol (ho Peninsula Ferry Company met- in eonfoxeni ■'.'., and for three-quarters of an hour discuf-iic-d in a friendly and businesslike way tho question r.s to what works an- r«|iiired to facilitate the working ot the eastern channel by the company's steamers. The members of committcs piosent were Me.sc.rs Belcher. Moller, Dickson, Hazlett, Campbell, and Wilkinson. The- company were represented bv Messrs C. ftpeiuht. W. Scott, W. A. Scott, A. .Milic-r, it. Hudson, and 11. (J. Hudson. On the motion of Mr .Moller (chairman of the Works Committee) Mr Belebor was voted to tho chair. Mr Bciclmr fcaid that the Rorud wore making regulations for tho effective- operating of t-ii'"! eastern channel. They bad ronsiderod their engineer's report, and befoie. going further they now thought, it rii*bt to give the Ferry Company an opportunity oi making as to what they thought f.hould be done. He could not d;>ch,;-e what the bond had done in committee, hut Mi the engineer's report had by sonic mysterious moans found it.s wav into the ne-w.-;-

papers lie presumed that thow, con-.-emed h*d pcrurod it. and the committee, would 1 be pleased to hear w!i;it. the deputation tiad to say about it. Mr W. Scott thanked the. member- of the Woiks Committee for pvie;; tin- opportunity of meeting them. 'lhe company wished to s*uddi>h a, te:rv Fe-rvicc t!;.'it would be. regular and reliable, and to iiin: e-!id certain faeilit.ie.-i were detdrable arid necessary. The> company's idea, was that if they worked four points of call --I'ortobello, Lioad Bay, Company 'ci Ray (or HinkleyV). and " Mucum.rew Bay" 'hat. would fiutlit.-o to bring all tiie pe.,pie> Mvi.ij on that .side of Die Peninsula within ia?;. reach of town. The company w< uiu lib.to work other wharves, but' tli.i would ; mean ieur;tbenii]g the; trip. "!hei,< r».,.-j been some talk about the inclusion of Company's Ray in the pohiLs of cadi. '! '■'■'■ matter w;is mentioned in a ]et;w bo/.: the Ferry Company to the. board on t)t, Hth in.st., the jo'-itioii in r.-oiineeti.-.o with Hinldey's wharf being then hroupi' to Cm notice, of the. board. In that, ielU'r he ''.Mr Scott) pointed out that owing to ■■',.. <-.;': u.-,-t-iort and the largo track of" level country | this district promises to be. one ot the most populous on the Peninpnta. and tne i company were- very anxious to make it a regular port of call, but cannot do .so owing to the fact that the curte-nt. ru.t.through the wharf, which the berthing of tho vessels broadside on to the current. If the wharf were so altered that, the. vessels when- berthing would hare the current with thorn or against, them. as at Macrmdreiv's. there would bo no difficulty, and the many residents who now complain of having to walk to Mncandjew'.s whan would have the beneiit ot a regular r-crvjeo at their very d00r.,. That was the comjiajiy's aim, to work those four wharves, j To Jo thi« they wottld like, to be able to ! ont across the banks to portcbello. Thero j R'iis a channel there, but it Cotdd the board do a. little, dredgiuc there? He referred to a spot l>otw«.n Pojiobeilo ! and Broad Bay, off Smith's Bay. If w., ! th" company thought they could run a i service within an hour and an hour arid ten ■ trdltutes. AL Broad Bay a new wh>r> was neceeeaxy. This was of vital importance to the residents. ihe> people in-em woukl have fiometliin-g to sav about the rite, and he would not raise that question. All that the. deputation asked for was a wharf that could bo worked at all stages of tho tido. They reckoned that if carrieo i out 500 ft further the present wharf could j t>e workwJ, becatieo though tl>-> vrai o " j

shallow it was a soft bottom. Besides, this would enable motor launches and yachta to anchor inside and cut of the way of being run down. As to Company's Bay, be understood tho proposition was to extend the wharf-in the direction of the current, but he v.-as not sure that there would be room for tho steamers to circle round. With regard to Macandrew Bay, the wharf there was all right, and he thanked the board for putting up pik* and lights. The present arrangemants were a boon compared with what the steamers had beat used to. Mr Blair Mason: What about Portobe9» wharf? Mr W. Scott said it was a thoroughly substantial wharf, and the company's capta.iiis said that a good job had been made of it. The only thing was that the ew piece of wharf was a, little wider than ihe old piece. If tho board would widen the old niece the tampan v could pot up a barricade and control the crush traffic, and this would alt-o stiff en the wharf. Mr Belcher said he presumed that any feiry boat would have ihe ridit to tiise- that berth as well ns the rernm-ula Ferrv Coui-parn-'fl The fim. one to get there would have the right. Mr W. Soft a ?r «ed with that remark. One more little matter: with regard to ,x . litfht between Macandrew Bay and the three logs. There -.rasa n;u=tv cur-e there, and it was in tho shadow of'the hill. A iicht w;w wanted there, ray off Russell's vbrrf. It, was one of the worst places in tin' barber ti, work. The company had had a boat stuck there for two or ihr.-e hours. -As i--r accommodation at Duncdin, ho understood that, the Board had taken, that into consideraiiori. The present accommodation was hardly sufficient for two big boats in the holiday season. Mr riryisrhf remarked that the licht th°r • :-V. d tnr would be not exactly opposite Russell's wharf, but more opposite Glendininc's. The charges sneicresied by ih-i bo-ivl ha'dly commended themselves as fair to the company. They did not think they •should he e.illed on to piv for wharves on the Rivensboiirne eirle that they did not intend to work at present. What ihe company snrrcroded was that the hoard should make a fixed rhanrc for each boat according to her capacity. It was not fair to I'ix a small boat as much as a. large one. This fixed charge per boat would he simpler and fairer than harbor dues on cargo. The whole of the company's enrzo trade at present did not exceed £l5O a year. They had Iven compelled to reduce freights to compete with I'oad traffic, and if harbor dues were charged the. traffic would be. diverted to the wags-oiis. He thought it would b:- fair to all n.ll tie* if instead of raiinf the boats at £?5 each a scale were «rran<rcd with a, maximum of £SO. Mr W. A. Scott, spoke of the importance to the rompapy <d opening a channel between the main channel and the three legs. Mr JTn/lott ashed if the stcanK-ra ever stuck while goine; 'mm the Victoria, channel to 1b" ih;ce b<~s. Mr W. Scott replied that they frequently stuck ih-Tc rind' with heavy loads they often had to make a long detour to avoid thi= soot. Mr'M.r,!!.- r acked whether. i£- the wharf at Hinklcy's were extended, there would Ik> enough water for a boat to circle round? He doubted it. Mr W. Peott t--aid his own opinion was that, the wharf fhould have gone out from the other point. Mr Mfiller askrd if the company would be satisfied with the wharf at Broad Buy if it wore extended 300 ft.. Mr Speicht -said they thoucbt that would do, hut they would have to be guided by

Mr Mason's Foundirgß. Mr Belcher sud that according to_ the ensineer's soundings an extension of 300 ft or 400 ft would give water enough to work the boats at aiiv time. Mr Moller eaid it was stated that 700 ft would lie iiecess.-i.rv.' Mr Belcuer: I "underetod that it was

■ 400 f t" • • 1 4 Mr Moiler said thai it v.is n prett-v had place off Smiths Bay. Up took it that the. company pra< -tically asked for .1 liow channel there. If so, it me.',m dirdinv*.' oft Cemelerv Point r-n -s to allow the boat.; 10 co straight to PmMir.fr Tdand. Mr W. Scott. replied that a channel o.tI isted. and it would not he a heavy task In ! open it, ami once open it could bo kept, -lean for it had a hard sandy bottom. Mr Moiler said he was not quite oKir about Company'.- whn'-f. T)irl he understand that if the boats could not circle round it was no aood ? Was there any ether wav to work that wharf? Mr W." Scott : Our suggestion is to alter the wharf so that the boats can go Ln and j out on' the current. Mr Belcher fa id the question was which way the wharf should be constructed. ! What did the deputation think about that? ! Mr W. Scott :We haven't sufficient data i to form an opinion. 1 Mr Blair Mason : Thero would be 110 i difficulty if 40ft was put on to the end. \ because" a captain could then get hold of 1 the iettv. . Mr Speight said the only way to decido j this would' be for members of the board j to go down and see a steamer working in 1 the'tide. j Mr Moiler askid if it would bo any I advantage if the ioviv were, continued I more towards Portobello. 1 nY\ > oft 1 jhcJ that they wot Id Ine d tr <>n lit l icir ciptxns before 1 answennp that question. ] Mr Molh-r: If we aprc-e to your alteraj t,i< 1 111 ■» il "> it is a ii" 11m that I\} i \ 11 ' 11 Hums rif.ul 11K I " \Jt \\ - t "j e ive wou'd havf i tine ai k n n i ■> 1 it o- irtjt £< th -« 1 t I 1! In in - i Vr Di / »on \fr W -c mi) In 'ii 1 \ H'th i"i 40ft kngt 1 r ' if; 101 hi d mi ft I I Mr I hj her 11J it •ctt- ol 1 jti-. tn if hj « 1 nh \i a to f< r 1 1 c nutL-Kn was to _o , d un here and a t Mt working 1 \ mt 1 qui tion 1a Mi 1)J Km p is .to he ftn r Pml u< ha\in_ udn 1 i<- itr 1 M 1 nil t I<] t'nt if h- 1 nc« UlO I mn m tmmo rv Aim rr trd thev « 1 1 d ~ ,1= 1 ut tp c ible to try to fjvciL 4 M< tit v rf th ■> e-stcrn channil tint ( t u i bout <r ad ttirul ~u ti ii I>l dup u wmt d ular\' , t 1 * 111 li ci< < < Tin brwid iH Inn 1f n ui ( ii J er le lu t 1 1 11 in 1 <.t t 1 ur=>. of ill ill hi \ 1 iifr t) „ th" where j ,1 iii il I on) i cost a 1 ui inn itndtitl id P v j, nt 1 hf (1 pw w line \\f iMf» 1 1)1 up 1 1111 n I oai 1 w dfvir us f _n 1 ill [< 1 fici iti r 1 tUe,ni 1 1 111 11 s d mi .un ple-joed I , lj 1 i 1 11 uDf < 1 tl I >rrv , lin 'lit vat t it u„1 r d t net y ~1 lil ni tl 1 d r ukJ it d t ji f c a< m « hit inrn ' < n 1 1 n„ to D_ r . 1 \o jlin ' v 1 111 1 1 i 1 J i' ~11 Ihj 1 h n It' tti r l ii~' > f lb j i mi 11 fh \ 1 id _ " f Lr 1 1 Ki in t 1 i k -w rk thi vi <- in hj irtii 1 II .\ ud ad o(I lit * 1 < i'd inuki gM dli ■* 19 j i 1 \ r mid Bu u rt. lin u t ondfrii , tr -n icr ti» 1 rl ' 1 in it In u to d-> d '■dp-^tj ihi 1 vff|t, old Prt* c tinji I 1 ) 1 \ c «-tl\ i'l ' prj n ,ir y 1111 _ ft nt nir -.j c jJt L - sno '■mi It *' Ixaid got n dr<dce su table i r work in shallow water he presumed tlia tin ci tini chitine! -Rrti'd g* t a, fij in tint t ii r*ion lie tjipi lid ot the ut pi c^ l ilit J d b> tin t iiparit, iut ti I 1 jt) >i I iu-1 <>.& a. futile bodt was ii p inp to it in a-in vij <_Tpioit«d l y iiny private 'nmpam ]f< vatia Liiai very carefully. Mr W. Scott : Wo do not. think of ?uch. Mr "Beicher: But where rcn.sor.ablß which he believed to be reqtiisita, could be given, he, as. a membor of thft hoard, would always support such action. Ho thanked the Ferry Company <l:'rcctoi« for attending and giving tho board the benefit of their experience, and if thrcompany thought it desirable he. or somt other member of the board would tit. down to Jlinkley's and tea bow matter*

i-tootl aft&r a practical illustration. H« hopr-i the company .roukl not expert too much., for the board had not 3 let of money to spare. Mr W. Scott asked if Mr Belcher could give any information as to what the board were Hkelv to do about accommodation at

Dunedin. Mr Jselcher answered that he conJd not divulge anything till the matter was out of committee. Mr W. Scott thanked the committee for their courtesy in tie matter of the conference.