HARBOUR BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 22636, 30 April 1937, Page 4

HARBOUR BOARD

KING GEORGE MEMORIAL DONATION OF £2OO A decision to make a grant of £2OO towards tho national King George V. Memorial Fund was made unanimously by the Otago Harbour Board at its monthly meeting last night. There were present;—Messrs J. B. Waters (chairman), W. Begg, R. Duncan, D. Copland. J. W. Munro, M.P., F. E, Tyson, D, F. H. Sharp© A. Campbell, M.P., T. Scollay, J. H. Duncan, R. Harrison, J, Preston, and R. S. Thompson. The Prime Minister forwarded a copy of his appeal to the people of New Zealand in connection with tho King George V. National Memorial Fund for the permanent establishment of children’s health camps. ‘ On the recommendation of the Standing Committee, it was decided to make a donation of £2OO to the fund. FINANCES GREATLY IMPROVED. A credit balance of £16,180 16s 6d was reported, • . The receipts for the past six months were £89,056, being little short of the pre-depression receipts. Comparative figures for previous years were 1935-36, £83,897; 1934-35, £75.055; 1931-32, £68,745; 1929-30, £89,292.

SHIPPING IMPROVEMENT. Tho summary of shipping' arrivals for March was-Coastal, 26 (16,540 tons) ; intercolonial, 3 (8,750 tons),; overseas, 16 (84,276 tons).. The inward tonnage was the highest for March in the past nine years. CORONATION CELEBRATION. The request of tho Acting Prime Minister that Coronation Day be observed as a paid holiday for all employees was acceded to. Tho board bad already approved of special illumination for tho north-west-ern end of tho board’s office, but on the recommendation of tho Standing Committee it was decided that, in addition to tho ordinary wharf lighting, the wharves be illuminated by turning on the special cargo lights when such lights would not interfere with navigation. An invitation to attend the service to be conducted on Coronation Day by the Council of Christian Congregations was accepted. DONATIONS. Donations were made as follow Otago Rowing Association, £5 ss; St. John Ambulance Association, £lO 10s. QUESTION OF BOUNDARY. The Stanfiing Committee reported having approved the correspondence with the town clerk relative to the inclusion, within tho city boundary,, of the whole, of the land from the Leith Canal down to Black Jack’s Point. ARAMOANA FIRE. The Standing Committee reported having considered the report by the harbour master with respect to the lighting of a fire on the sandhills at Aramoana by certain persons on March 28, together with the communication to the Aramoana Progress League and its reply. It had approved of the draft letter, "with an amendment providing for tho receipt of an adequate written apology from the persons concerned prior to the board meeting, failing receipt of which a prosecution would take place. Complete apologies fox making the fire were received from three men, one stating that it was a foolish action. It never occurred to him that he was breaking any regulations _or causing danger., and he had apologised the following day to the harbour master, Tho apologies were received. ACCESS TO BOAT HARBOUR. The District Engineer of Railways advised the terms and conditions for tho granting of the board’s application for a temporary level crossing to give access to the Boat Harbour. The terms and conditions as submitted by the Railway Department were accepted, and it was decided to put the work in hand. TALLY CLERKS’ ACCOMMODATION. Tho Dunedin and Port Chalmers Tally Clerks’ Union asked for an extension of accommodation in the building on the George street pier. _ The union suggested that the building should be increased to double its present length. It was decided to ask the engineer for a report. CUSTOMS ACCOMMODATION. The Standing Committee recommended for approval the sketch plans and estimate as submitted by the architects, providing for accommodation for tjie Customs wharf staff on the northern corner of the cross wharf, and, further, that the sketch plans be submitted to the Comptroller of Customs for approval, and that on receipt of such approval the architects be instructed to prepare plans and specification, in the meantime tho chairman and secretary to submit a report in regard to tho necessary finance. The recommendation was adopted. OVERHAUL OF TUG. On the recommendation of the Standing Committee it was decided to call tenders for the annual overhaul of the tug Dunedin, in accordance with the specification and conditions of contract ■(emitted by the engineer, and that the chairman and Mr R. Duncan bo appointed to open and deal with the tenders, ENGINEERING WORKS. The report of the engineer for March was adopted. It stated, inter alia:— The dredge Otakon dredged a total of 19 loads or 24,220 cubic yards, of which 16,280 cubic yards were development dredging at Deborah Bay. Of this material 13,940 cubic yards were deposited at sea and 10,280 cubic yards at the dredge Vulcan. During the month the dredge steamed 261 _ miles and consumed 81.87 tons of fuel oil. Docking,-—Five vessels were docked. Leith Canal.—Tho excavation of the section below Anzao Avenue was co?>tinued, 3,900 cubic yards of material having been excavated and spread on the adjacent land. A commencement was made to fill in the gap between the new northern wall and tho recentlvconstructed abutment of the Anzac Avenue bridge on the down-stream side, a length of 132 ft. The reinforcement required for connecting up the northern wall on both sides of the bridge abutment was fabricated. boxing for this work was reconditioned, and an immediate start will be made to complete this section of the wall, Birch Street Wharf Reconstruction Tho demolition of a 300 ft length of the ohl structure was completed and tho piles drawn. A width of 12ft of tho concrete floor of the coni dump war lifted, and a temporary crane track laid to facilitate tho use of the three-ton Smith crane behind the section of the wharf under construction. To date 277 beams for the new wharf have been dressed and 187 piles prepared for driving-