HARBOUR CONTROL

Evening Star, Issue 20671, 19 December 1930, Page 3

HARBOUR CONTROL

MEETING OF OTAGO BOARD SATISFACTORY PROGRESS ON WORKS The final meeting ol : the year of tlio Otago Harbour Board was held last night, when the Standing Committee was followed by an open board meeting. Captain Coll M'Donald was in tho chair, and the following members were present:—Messrs J. Loudon, JW. Alunro, ALP., W. liegg, D. F. H Sharpe, T. Scollay, W. G. Love, J. M‘C. Dickson, H. C. Campbell, and H. AL Driver. REAIOVAL Oh RUSSELL’S JETTY The Macandrew Bay Boating _ Clue requested permission to roin»/o timber from Russell’s jetty to enlarge the club’s grid. . The Engineer (Mr J. M’G. Wilkw?) reported '"that the jetty should be pulled down, as it constituted a danger to children. The jetty had been barricaded lor some time. If a decision to dismantle the jetty were reached the board should remove the piles and timber, and then decide what timber should be given to the club. The Chairman said no rent bad been paid for the jetty, which had, in Ins opinion, become the property-' ol the hoard. ' The jotty was an eyesore ami a menaca to children. In reply to a question, tho engineer said the- whole structure could be demolished by tho pile-driving gang at a cost of £25. The timber was of little use to the board. It was decided to grant the club's request, the piles to be left intact.

DREDGE RUBI SEDDON. The dredge Rubi Seddon was o lie red for sale to the board by the Marine Department. A Member: Do we want to buy a dredge? The Chairman; If you get her lor nothing you might take it. On Air Loudon’s motion the hoard decided to ask the engineer and chairman to report on the offer. Captain M’Donald said the dredge, which was stationed at Westport, was a very handy plant. Tenders closed in June, which would allow, plenty of time in which to consider the matter. ENGINEERS’ CONFERENCE. The engineer was given leave to attend the annual conference of the New Zealand Society of Engineers, to be held at Auckland on February 17. Mr Swanson was also appointed to attend tho conference.

STAFF PICNIC. The Secretary of tho Harbour Board Picnic Committee advised that the annual picnic would be held at Evansdale oa February 21, and requested a halfholiday on that date and also .a, donation to the. picnic fund. The holiday was granted and a donation of £5 5s was made. DONATION TO PATIENTS’ AID. A donation of £3 3s was granted to the funds of the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society.

GUARANTEE OF DREDGE OTAKOU

Lengthy correspondence between the board and the contractors (Alsssrs Fleming and Ferguson, of Paisley) and their New Zealand agents (Messrs Richardson, M’Cabe. and Co.) on the question of guarantee of the dredge Otakou was read.

The guarantee period expired on December G, before which date faults were found in the buckets. Tho guarantee engineer (Mr T. Lothian) had returned to England, and Alessrs Richardson, Al’Calv, and Co. were representing the contractors.

The Chairman stated that several months would elapse before the matter could be settled. Tlio board still retained tiie final payment on the dredge, a sum largely in excess of the amount involved in repairing the defective buckets. SOUTH ENDOWMENT. The Chairman reported that the City Council had written asking that he and another meet the council in conference on the question of the south endowment reclamation. His view was that the South Endowment Committee should be associated with him at the conference, which would be hold early in the now year.

The board agreed with the chairman's view. In reply to a question Captain M'Donald said ho was cognisant of the questions to bo discussed at the conference, but lie understood the City Council desired to . ascertain the prospects of the board continuing the reclamation after it had reclaimed the fifty-one acres already decided on and now being reclaimed. . FINANCIAL. Messrs Larnach and Love wore appointed a committc to pass for payment. accounts totalling £11,268 11s. The credit balance at the bank was reported to be £1,667. MR MUNRO’S APPEAL. Mb Munro asked the chairman if the board was findjng work for all the unemployed it could. A deputation of some 200 unemployed men waited on him during the day, and he took them to the City Council and to the Hospital Board, but he was at a dead end, and lie asked if the board could do any more. The Chairman said ho would have a chat with the engineer and sec that ho put on every man he could possibly employ. ! SIGNING OF DOCUMENTS. I will not si«;;n documents with which I do not agree,’’ said Mr Sharpe, when the chairman moved that Messrs Scollay and Sharpe be appointed to sign documents, ono being that concerning the surrender of the lease to the board of the Pelicliet Bay property bold by the Milburn Lime and (lenient Company. Mr Sharpe -said lie was not in favour of the surrender of the lease, and he declined to sign documents. The Chairman: It is your turn to sign. As Mr Sharpe was adamant his name was withdrawn. Mr Begg being the substitute appointee. DREDGE VULCAN. The Engineer submitted a detailed report of the eost of alterations of the dredge Vulcan, the total cost being £7,626. The Chairman remarked that the eost was well within the estimate agreed to by resolution many months ago. Mr Dickson, who' bad asked for the report, said he had made the suggestion that dredge 222 should bo used instead of the Vulcan, and'a comparison of the eost of converting her with that of tlie alterations to the Vulcan would bo interesting. The bull of the Vulcan must be getting near its end, as she was a very old vessel. The Chairman said the 222’s draught was against her being converted for use in the work f o Vulcan was now T doing. If the board secured the Rubi Seddon it mig ;t find that she would be useful for such jobs. The report was received. OPPOSITION FROM'BLUFF. The exportation of wool was briefly discussed. A member said be was reliably informed that the Bluff Harbour Board had been organising meetings in the

Gore district to influence farmers to auction in Invercargill wool which was usually sold in Dunedin so as to obtain the exports for the port of Bluff. The movement was an active one, and the chambers of commerce, woolbrokers, and farmers’ unions were combined with tho Bluff Board. It behoved the Otago Board to put up some fight against the opposition. Captain M’Donald said bo would be only too pleased to instruct the secretarial department to make inquiries. A report would bo preseiuoii at the January meet!' before which little wool would be exported. A Member: Wo should not take this sort of thing lying down. Captain M’Donald; You are quite right. PUMPING OE DOCKS. When the dock master’s report was under consideration Air Scollay said there was some trouble in pumping out the docks. Two pumps were used for emptying the docks, and they could bo used simultaneously. One pump was supplied with power from three steam hollers and the other from two electric motors. It seemed a complicated arrangement, and probably if it acre looked into it would probably be found that both pumps ( Id be worked by electricity. The Chairman said that the engineer and he had been looking into the matter tor the last week or two, and he thought that before many more meetings a report would he placetl betqre members and some satisfactory solution of tho problem found. The matter had been unsatisfactory for three or lour years, but he and the engineer had the problem in hand. A sum of money was on the estimates to deal with the matter. The report was noted. HARBOUR MASTER’S REPORT’. Tho report of the harbour master stated that the least water in the lower channel at low water was 3Gft. In the Victoria Channel there was a depth of 20ft at low water. During the mouth thirty-six coastal vessels aggregating 10,020 tons, six intercolonial vessels aggregating 15,313 tons, and twelve oversea vessels aggregating 51,035 tons arrived in port. The report was received. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The report of the-engineer (Mr J. M’G. Wilkie) stated that during the month the dredge Vulcan pumped 14,800 cubic yards of spoil received from the dredge Otakou into the southern endowment area. Mole Reconstruction. —During tho period of seven weeks ended November 20, 1930, 5,335 cubic yards of stone were deposited on the mole, 254 cubic yards of ballast on the new traekwork, 701 cubic yards of metal on the Port Chalmers road, and 204 cubic yards of metal oa the Aramoana township roads. No. 3 tunnel in the new quarry was fired on October 24, No. 4 tunnel was driven to a distance of 35ft and the cross drives commenced. Repairs were effected to the boiler tubes of the Dubs loco. Tlio loco has been brought up to the board’s workshop, where repairs arc being effected to the firebox. Victoria Wharf Reconstruction.— During the month four sets of new caps were fitted, eleven new beams placed and fastened down, and two bays of sleepers laid and spiked down. Two gangs are now working on this job, one at each end of the old structure. At- the northern end to date twenty-six new beams have been placed in position and fastened down, forty old beams rospaccd to suit railway siding loading, and ten of sleepers laid and spiked down. The decking has been temporarily laid (lending tho fixing of positions of the railway crossovers.

George Street Pier, Port Chalmers.— During the month ten new piles were driven, one bay redeeked, and the braces and walings for five bays repaired. Dock Wharf.—The small wharf between the Port Chalmers dock head and the Union Company’s wharf is being repaired. The five-ton crane was removed and the old decking taken up. Four new (files were driven and half the decking replaced. Birch Street Wharf.—Sundry repairs were effected to the decking and belting of this wharf, and a ramp at “F” shed repaired. South Endowment Wall.—To date a length of fourteen chains of the seaward face of this wall was bandpitdicd with stone. Raveiisbonrne Wharf.—The piledriving work lias now been completed. The approach deck beams arc all in position and fastened up. The work ol laying the approach decking is proceeding rapidly. The raker piles of the main whart have been secured, and the bracking beams placed and fastened in position. The main deck beams are now hi place, and the work of laying tho main deck will bii commenced shortly. Altogether the work is proceeding in a satisfactory manner, although at times interrupted by strong winds. Victoria Wharf Roadway.—The formation of the roadway behind Victoria wharf north of “ X ” shed was commenced on Tuesday, December *9. Twenty-five relief workers arc employed on the job, whirl) is being subsidised by the Unemployment Board. Slip.—One general service punt was milanked and tarred. Repairs were effected to tug Dunedin’s No. 3 lifeboat, the gunwale being raised to comply with tho new Government regulations. Rattray Street Wharf.—The iull length of Rattray street wharf received a coat of tar and sand. The report was received. SEASONAL GREETINGS. " As this is the last meeting of the year, 1 desire to thank all members for their loyal support to the public during the Inst twelve months,’’ said the chairman. “ Sometimes we have wars and rumours of war in this board room, but for all that and in the end wo are all brothers. I also wish to thank the whole staff of the board, from the top to the bottom, for their most loyal support to me during my short term as chairman, it is only when a member becomes chairman that lie realises the loyalty of the board’s employees. 1 have made many voyages with all sorts of crews, but I must confess that my crew on this voyage of eight months as your chairman has been the most pleasant I ever had, nd will remain as a bright spot in my life. I also wish to lender my sincere thanks to the friends of all members of the board, the Press reporters.” On behalf of the members, Air London reciprocated the greetings, and the secretary (Air Bardsley) replied on behalf of the staff.