GISBORNE HARBOR BOARD

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2140, 24 July 1907, Page 4

GISBORNE HARBOR BOARD

The monthly meeting of tlie Gisbonio Harbor Board was held yesterday. Present Messrs. Town ley (Chairman), Harris, Hepburn, AV, D. Lysnar, Mattliewson, AA’hinray, Sievwright and Hon. Capt. Tucker. DREDGING.

Captain G. P. Solvaiuler, dredge master, reported: “The dredge, John Townley, was placed on the slip on June 19th for annual inspection and was passed satisfactorily with the exception of two plates that had to be replaced with new ones. The vessel also received two coats of paint outsits and inboards, was launched again on July Ist, and started dredging on the 2nd. The amount of spoil taken out is 3250 cubic yards. Olio day was lost through bad weather.” —Reoeived. Mr. W. B. Mackie, engineer of the John Townley, submitted a report on the annual inspection of j the John Townley. Everything down below was in good order with the exception of three rivets in the port boiler, which had to be renewed. Mr. D. A. McLeod, overseer of works, reported for thp month ended July 20th; The “John Townley” since coming off the slip on July Ist lias taken 32 loads of spoil to sea, mostly silt. The small dredge this month has lifted 900 yards of spoil into punts, comprising 170 yards of clay from Roebuck road bridge, 90 yards of rock and 640 yards of silt from various parts of the channel. Four days were lost through breakage. No. 1 blasting punt li3s been at work between the mouth of the river and the up-stream end of the groyno, and the No. 3 punt between this point and the new wharf. “The wharf extension anil renewal is so far completed as to be now available for traffic. The longtitudinal decking betweeen the ! crosss-sec-tional docking of new wharf antj the bond store has been replaced with new timber, also 14 new 1 joists. I have liad to obtain tlio timber for this portion from' Evans, Nield and Co.”—Received. KAITI BREASTWORK AND WHARF. The Marine Department notified that the amended nlans for the lvaiti breastwork had boon approved. The overseer reported: “‘The timber for Kaiti retaining wall is coming to hand satisfactorily; about one more shipment should finish the orders.

“It is important that a;tender for the supply of timber for' the Kaiti wharf should be accepted without any further delay, so as to enable us to go straight on with it when the breastwork is finished, which will not take very long. One of the four tenders sent in is for the [supply of kauri only, and seems to : me .to be very low for the class of timber specified. The lowest, quotation I Jiave been able to obtain is 17s 6d per 100 ft, f.o.b. at Auckland.' The next lowest tender is from the Alpha Sawmilling Company. With regard to the-Australian Hardwood Co. it now transpires, after a loss of time of two months, that they are more than £3OO higher than any of the other tenders. Under those circumstances I would recommend acceptance of the tender of Evans, Nield, anti Co., at least lor totara, if not for both.”

Tenders for the timber! were submitted as follows:—H. J. Peacocke and Co. £BIB, Alpha Sawriiillling Co. Kauri £833, totara £1470—£2303 ; Evans, Nield and Co. Kauri £9i9, totara £I6OO, —£2519 ;W. . A. Hardwood Co. (kauri only) timber at 22s per 100 ft, £502 14s, and sawn timber at 4s 2d per foot lineal, £839 12s. After some discussion,

Mr. Lysnar moved that Peacocke’s tender for kauri, and the Alpha Co’s tender for totara be accepted. This would be a saving of £216. Mr. Harris said that if the work was hampered through delay in delivery of' totara the job would be a dear one in the end. Mr. Whinray said the saving was a mere bagatelle, as against the loss fit time. The tender most favourable in the aggregate should be accepted. He supported the foreman’s recommendations.

The chairman favoured the tender of Evans Nield and Co. as the delivery would bo assured, and the timber of proved quality. After further discussion Peacocke’s tender for kauri, and Evans Nield and Co’s for totara was occepted. Captain Tucker and Mr. Lysnar voted against the latter on the ground that the lowest tender should be accepted. “We can’t afford to throw a hundred pounds away,” commented Captain Tucker. GRAVEL SUPPLIES.

I >■! was reported by the overseer that gravel removed from the lvaiti beach for the month was as follows: --Gisborne .Freezing Works, 6 loads, Davys, Third, and Mitchell, 5; Nelson Bros., 22 ; Black Bros., 17; Spiral Pipe Co.-, 10; Mackrell and Colley, 120, W. W. Carey, 4; Smith Bros., 23 Borough Council, 11; County Council, 7; B. Cox, 2; Jameson and Foole, 7; Darker (Whataupoko), 8;

Brosnalian, 2; Gisborne Hospital, 2. Total, 240 loads. No authority hud boon givon to the throe last-napjed to obtain supplies. One carter .bail refused to stato for whom lm was,,carting, and it was booked to himself. Tho overseer asked tho Board to take stops to stop this kind of thing m futuro. Tho Chairman .said Dm carter was responsible for tho payment. Ho was tlie only man the Board recog-

nised in tho matter. Tlio Oversoor said tho carter mentioned took two loads, and refused t 0 P a y- . . , , The Chairman: ion must onlorco payment. . , , , „ Tho Ovorsoor suggested that is per load should bo charged, as there was such a demand for the gravel. Books of tickets could ho supplied and tho ear tors hold rosponsiblo. It was finally decided to cliargo Is Od per load, on tho Chairman’s motion. Tho method suggested will bo given a trial, tho Overseer to report at next mooting. SALARIES. Mr. Lysnar moved that tho question of tlio salar’es of tho office staff and the Harbor Master ho referred to tho Finance Committee for report. Ho pointed out that the new by-laws entailed a great deal of extra work on tho staff. In tlie case of the Harb r Master tlio largely-increased revenue warranted some increase in his remuneration.—Tlio motion was agreed to. APPROACHES. Mr. Harris referred to tlie extremely muddy state of tho wharf apple aches. He wished to know if something could not be done to remedy them. Tho Chairman said there was no possibility of getting anv metal till October, hut possibly something could lie done with .Haiti gravel.—Referred to tho Overseer.

SHIPWRECK RELIEF. Correspondence was received from tho Shipwrecked Sailors’ Relief Societv. Tho annual subscription by Harbor Boards, it was stated, was' £lO 10s. Captain Tucker said it should ho in proportion to means. He moved that a subscription of £5 5s he forwauled. If it could ho shown that it was insufficient the amount could ho increased later.—Carried.