GREY HARBOUR BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 August 1933, Page 5

GREY HARBOUR BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. Present at last evening’s meeting of the Greymouth Harbour Board were Messrs P. J. McLean (Chairman), G. A. Perry, and J. Ryall. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs J. W. Greenslade, D. Tennent, W. Clayton, and Mr T. A. Johnston, the Board’s Engineer. The Treasury remitted £612/17/6 and £822/15/10 wharfage and special rate, and £l/8/7 wharfage on through booked goods, also £583/15/-, on account State coal mines and £l2l/9/3 royalties and £l3O/6/9 for quarry stone supplied to the Railways Department. The Marine Department forwarded a draft of additional bar signals for Greymouth and Westport.—Approved. The Greymouth Borough Council wrote suggesting an exchange of Section 146 for a strip of land for access to the beach between sections 147 and 102, Blaketown. The suggested exchange would make for better drainage and direct access to the beach. It was decided to accede to the request, subject to the consent of adjacent landholder being obtained. The Greymouth Dental Clinic wrote asking for a donation towards the cost of the recent extension to the Clinic. —It was decided to reply stating that the Board regretted. that available funds would not permit of a grant being made. John Samuel Geoghegan, applied for renewal of lease of land at Dobson. — Held over for report to be furnished by the Secretary. William Watson was granted a lease of Section 107, Dobson, at a rental of 30/- yearly. Thos. Buchanan applied for a site for a bach near Kiwi crossing, Brunner.—Granted at a rental of 10/yearly. W. Henry was granted a lease .of land between Midland Railway line and Arnold River, of an approximate area of 110 acres, the rental to be fixed by the Secretary. Joseph Morrow was granted a quarter acre building section at the 111 mile peg, on the Coastal road, at a rental of 10/. yearly. Consent was granted in the following transfers. —L. Stevenson to Jas. Walker. Section 189 Dobson; A. D. Kelly to Jas. Brown, Section 26, Lot 1, Blaketown.

A timber splitting license was applied for by David Cook, over an area at. the back of Taylorville. It. was decided to ascertain whether the applicant had been cutting limber on the area. Consideration of an application from the Omoto Sawmill Company was deferred till next meeting, to enable the Secretary and Engineer to inspect the property. No objection was -offered by the Board, to an application from H. McLaughlin, for a license for a claim of two acres, on Ten Mile Creek, two miles up stream. CHARGES FOR REPORTS. The Chairman moved a resolution, of which he had previously give notice to the effect that, “In all applications for leases under' the Mines Act or Coal Mines Act referred to the Board for consent, and on which it is deemed advisable to obtain a report, the applicant must deposit with the Board, the estimated cost of obtaining such a report, before the application will be considered.” In support of the motion, the Chairman stated that The Board should know where it stood, and not be burdened with the costs of such reports, which were necessary to have.

Mr Ryall agreed that it should not cost the Board money.

The Chairman said the proposed procedure was to afford protection to the Board’s interests. It was their duty that the Endowment Reserve should be protected, and it was essential to obtain detailed reports before the Board arrived at a decision, in regard to the valuable areas. The Board secured only vague reports from the Mines Department, and such reports had to be paid for. It was only right that the persons securing a lease of the land, should pay the costs of reports.

Mr Ryall said that in consenting to applications, it was not necessary that a report should be obtained. All the Board wanted was to offer no objection to applications as the Warden’s Court referred them to the Mines Department, and the Department granted the applications, or refused them as they thought fit. Mr Perkins seconded the resolution.

Mr Ryall pointed out that an application granted that evening, would, if the motion was carried, entitle the Board to ask for a £2O deposit, before granting it. The Chairman said that it was only right for the Board to take every precaution with the valuable leases. The motion was carried. J. M. Dennehy applied for coal lease 237/32, of 100 acres north of Ten Mile.

The Chairman stated that this application had been held over from the previous meeting. No objection was offered by the Board, but a report would have to be secured from the Mines Department, and if Mr Dennehy was prepared to deposit the approximate cost, the Board would ask the Department to furnish a. report.

Mr Ryall asked what the position would be if the report was not. favourable.

The Chairman replied that the applicant would lose his £25, or what-? ever the amount. Mr Perkins: It might be money well spent. Mr Ryall: He would be buying a pig in a poke. The Chairman: Mr Dennehy states that the Department will agree to the application. Mr Ryall asked whether it might not be best to approach Mr Strongman, Inspector of Mines, if the Department intended granting the lease. He should know whether it was to be a favourable report or otherwise. The Chairman: No, it is for the Minister. Mr Rvall: That should not be so. The Chairman said that the position was similar with regard to Mr .1. R. Leitch’s application. Mr Leitch had been prepared and had paid for a. report. If 100 acres were not worth ■ spending a little money over, it. was j not worth while taking up. The point! was that the Board should not have to; bear the costs of reports. On the motion of the Chairman, it; was resolved that Mr Dennehy be 1 asked to deposit £25, the approxi-, mate cost of a report on the lease ap-j plied for by him. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Harbour Engineer, Mr T. A. Johnston, reported as follows for the work done, during the month of July: Cobden Quarry: Work at the quarry

was considerably restricted by the wet weather which prevailed during the greater part of the month. The extraction of stone from the upper part of the mound w. s continued and a quantity of first class stone was f obtained. The quali.y of the stone 3 brought down was ex client and most ■ of it formed large blocks which could L ’ be used effectively < i the formation 3 of the head of the South Break- • water. The output for the month 3 was as follows:—F' st class stone 949 tons, second cl ss stone 507* ’ tons., third class stoi. ) 173 tons. 1629 1 tons to South Breakwater, spoil 1481 1 tons to spoil dump, fl ital output 3110 ■ tons. 1 South Breakwater: The deposition of stone which had 1 een suspended ■ since the end of Ap. il was resumed during the month, fl he formation of I the bank on the chan; el side has been continued and a considerable quantity ■ of large blocks were placed on the ‘ head. The total quantity of stone ■ placed during the month was 1629 tons and the total quantity deposited up to date amounts to 25,778 tons. North Breakwater: Preparatory ■ work in connection with the construction of the staging was carried out. The piling plant which had been used on the South Breakwater was dismantled and re-erect( d on the North Breakwater. Approximately 21,000 sup. feet of timber w :s delivered and the other materials required for the construction of the staging have been assembled on the site of the work. Railway Maintenance: Maintenance work has been carried out on the quarry sidings and on the line to the North Breakwater. The track required for the piling plant has been laid and ballasted and repairs have been carried out on the switch gear and crossings on the North Breakwater. General: The new 25 h.p. electric motor was delivered and installed in the fitting shop in place of the gas engine, which has been dismantled and stored. The installation of the electric lighting in the fitting shop and store has been completed. The interior walls of the fitting shop have been painted white and the floor has been laid in asphalt. Repairs have bepn carried out to the wheelhouse of the dredge and cabinets for the new signal flags have been constructed at the signal station and on the tug. Plant: Maintenance repairs were carried out on the quarry cranes, steam shovel, locomotives and on the I winch of the piling derrick. . 1 FINANCE REPORT. fl’he Finance Committee reported that the following accounts have been < received since last meeting:—Wharfage and special rate £2020/16/6; shipping dues £1251/17/11; royalties £l2l/9/3; rents £lB/17/5; hire and ; sales £2B/19/10; quarry stone £l3O : 16/9: miscellaneous £3/12/6. Total \ £3576/10/2. The Harbour Fund ac- : count has a debit balance of £527 : 14/11. Accounts amounting to £2759/5/5 , were passed for payment. i The Harbourmaster (Captain F. W. : Cox) reported: During July, the bar ; maintained a fair average depth. The j weather has been generally moderate ! for this period of the year. The ; depths at high water for July were: ; Springs, July 9, bar 22ft 9in, river' 22ft ; 3in; springs July 24, bar 24ft 3in, 6 river 21ft 9in; neaps, July 2. bar 19ft ? 9in, river 20ft 3in; neaps, July 16, bar j 21ft 6in, river 21ft. The month’s ■ mean averages were, bar 23ft lin, > river 20ft lOin. Rainfall for July was | 12.02 inches, and rain fell on 15 days, j Shipping for July, steamers inward 20, I tonnage 12697; outwards 19 steamers, I tonnage 11,367. During the last | month or so half a dozen life lines | have been cut off the life-buoys, that | are placed upon the wharf for use in F case of accident. The matter is now | in the hands of the police. It is a | practice to hoist a flag at the signal | station to recall boats outside, on ac- | count o£ the sea making on the bar. | On July 23, at 1.15 p.m., the flag was | hoisted, but it was three hours after- g wards that the last boats returned, g and got into difficulties. Only the g prompt action of the “Annabella” averted the loss of two lives. There s is nothing else of importance to re- a port, the ordinary routine duties hav- g ing been regularly attended to and | satisfactorily carried out. §