GISBORNE HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2125, 26 February 1908, Page 3

GISBORNE HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

Tlio Harbor «&artl met afternoon. .Present: llis Worship the Mayor (in the chair) and Messrs D. Hepburn, J. '\ • rniSfSQtan-is and the Hon. CaI,tniI COMESPO^BJ3NCE Tho Public Trustee, Upon, wrote informing the Board that th sum of .£I3OO had been mres.ed ,1 mortgagee at 7i per cent on help, of tho Reserve Fund Account. He nad also arranged for a similar u vestment iu regard to the sum oi £-r 400, thus leaving only £193 Z-«d in respect of the Sinking l i ml Account, Mortgages No. A L1. .00, and No. 12, £3400, being •nvestinmts of tho Sinking Fund Account, having boon repaid, he had , e-mve-dul the total sum of £4400 on mortgago at 44 per cent. Ho furthei adv sed that, mortgage No. 4, £3,000 o. the unexpended balance of the man v.ss repaid on the 13th inst., tho mortgagor haring re-arranged his m.utgalie transactions. This sum would be “re-invested at 4) per cent as from tho Ist prox.—'Received. THE WHARF RAILWAY. Mr H. J. Day. Stationmaster in charge of the Gisborne railway section wrote that the rails crossing Read s Ouay were occasionally used to put wagons there for traffic purposes. The •wharf was considerably wider there than it was further along and such a thing as loading cargo direct from the ships’ slings into tho trucks was quite out of the question, but he had thought that it might bo possible if the rails were extended as shown on a sketch to the narrower parts and would the Board give the Department permission to extend the rails. He thought it would he in tho interests of the port and probably be of service in clearing away cargo more rapidly in souio cases than is done at present. The secretary said that if carried out, the work would be a great convenience to the Board. The permission should be accompanied by a stipulation that woodwork be put; ■beside the rails to prevent accidents. , The Chairman said that it would mean carrying the lino a good 4'®" tanco along the firm ground which was used for stacking timber. The wharf was not strong enough to stand tho strain. Tho matter was referred to the public works committee .to report to next meeting. JJIHE OUTER HARBOR. Mr. F. \V. March ant- acknowledged Teceipt of Mr. AVilson’s plans and ■report on the outer harbor. Ho asked the Board not to do anything further in the way of sweeping the bottom, taking further soundings, or submitting the matter to another expert, -until his reply to Mr. W ilson's report was received. There was, he ' said, no essential difference between the two reports; Mr. AVilson’s only suggested a slight modification in the. position of the outer arm of the breakwater. Mr. _ Wilson had quite overestimated the items of plant and reclamation, for which he allowed £52.600. He was quite sure that the Board need not spend one-half of this amount in order to do all that was necessary. The question of shutin"- the site to seaward of Pah ml. Bay needed a good deal of consideration, and he would deal fully with it. ir The Chairman said that this was a straightforward and reasonable letter. The matter was too important to reply to hurriedly, and lie must have ample tirno to consider the report. The letter was received. REPORTS. The Harbormaster reported that it was necessary for the Board to order a new buoy for marking the toul ground j and suggested that an ill'llminated bell buoy should be obtained, as it would be a guide to the best- anchorage, and ot great benefit to shipmasters when making port at night. This port was worked more than most ports at night, and all dangers should be well -marked. Ike noucin use could not be seen at night, and shipmasters had to guess the position of it. Illuminated buoy, were now 'greatly used all over tin. world, and bad proved a great success. He enclosed a pamphlet regarding the AVigham patent _ and buoy. Soundings taken in the. channel on 25th inst. were End o. breakwater 13ft 6m, 3rd and 4th bollard 9ft, Snark’s landing /ft Sin, big crane Bft 6in, AVaikanae Bft 6m. new wharf 7ft to Bft, town wharf .ft to 9ft The dredge was now working at , the Snark’s landing. .Shipping during the month was : Steamers, arm als 42, sailing ships arrivals 12. Mooiages collected for extra lay day. 19s, lighter dues £lO l.s 6d. In regard to the buoy, the Harbormaster was instructed to get information necessary as to cost, etc. The report was adopted. Mr D A. McLeod, overseer, reported that the John Townley was * taken off the slip on 3rd inst., and began dredging on Saturday, 81 , and had taken 21 loads ot spoil to sea since. The small dredger this month lifted 685 yards ot silt, to yard- „ of rock, and 210 yards of gravel; | total 940 yards. One or the mud ' punts had been slipped, overhauled, and recaulked, and . tarred. lb second punt was receiving a similai overhaul. The small dredger nsubsequently to be put on the slip foi repairs! The loss of one day replacing a broken pinion m the slewing • near and having the use or only ont punt, accounted for the small amount of spoil lifted by the sma dredger this- month. The suction dredge had been steadily at vvork, except for three days occupied JllJ ' nairs to the runner case, etc. Uu lime‘lost-., through ‘Chokes vverc much the samd as last month. an ' boiler of the pile-driving engine has ' keen fitted with a small set ot new KAld toted to inch It was- now in good working • order. Pile-driving was recmnmencced' this morning on, the retaining wajl.-at Kaiti near the smallTfj The .contract let to Messrs. - ;J ' Holdsworth for additions to -Nm *4hed was satisfactorily compfe-d. The water supply mP e ®,!. f L tho laid along the town wharf by tnc Borough turncock, with delivery ves Ala?ed about looft _ apart, pincson the Kaiti side were being fa& by Mr. C. Olding, who expected ■)' to finish in a couple of day s. '4% Borough Council’s steam roller vva. engaged three and a half da vs rollt, jng the road at the wharf, and a -ports m of the work bad been tailed )V 'the- Council’s staff. Mr. Hah good delivered 180yds of broken i. 0.al this month, making h.s to a Saturday last 371 yards. One l.im dred and forty-nine yards wci( H ( moved from the Kaiti Ucic mdhth. , , The report was adopted. The financial statement was presented :—Ordinary account 2d. Harbor improvements <u • £1416 4s lid. Current account cr. £275.7 ’2s 3d. Outstanding: Arrears of rates 1906, £4Ol 10s; do. 190 n wharfages current- £.19 4s «xt.