HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10730, 30 October 1928, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. • The .Harbor Board meeting yesterday was presided over by the chairman (Mr W. G. Sherratt). There were also present: Messrs G, Witters, A. C. Steele, C. H. Williams, J.. Tombleson, Tl Todd. A. Wade, A. J. Nicol, W. J. Holdsworth, R. H. Scott, T. Quirk, T. Corson, J. B. Broadhurst and A. H. Wallis. The acting-Minister of Marine notified his approval of the wharfage charges of 2/6 per case on fruit exported and the classification of split posts as timber for the purposes of import charges. ' A tentative offer was received from a Melbourne brokerage firm to provide such finance as the Board might in future require at 5-J pep cent, at £96 net in Wellington, tho. loim- to have a currency from 15 to 30 years. The chairman explained that the Board had sufficient fund's until April or May next year, , Early in the new year, however, the finance committee would have to consider ways and means of- raising further finance. The Board accordingly decided to consider the offer when that contingency arose. The proposal to have tho titles of all underwater areas vested in the Board’ was mentioned by the solicitors, who advised that the Minister of Marine required an empowering clause in this direction to be submitted for inclusion in legislation of next session.—-The solicitors were authorised to draft a hill on these lines.

The Whangarei Board wrote, expressing regret that the Government could not see its way to purchase tho dredge. It had been- suggested that in tho event of the plant not being sold immediately, the Board mightdesire to place it- in a safe anchorage where it could ho viewed by a prospective purchaser. The Whangarei harbor was available for mooring the dredging plant, and in event of the plant being sent there the Board desired to know the terms upon which the Gisborne Board would he prepared to hire the unit for dredging in the Whangarei horbor. —Tho chairman pointed out that the dredge would he required on excavation work hero early next year. On his suggestion, it was decided to write thanking the Whangarei Board for their offer and explaining the circumstances. The Board hoped to sell the vessel by that time, he added, and did not desire to tie her up under a hire, agreement,

The Board granted authority to write off amounts on the rate book totalling £44 2 2s Id for 1927-28 and £22 Gs -3d for 1926-27. the former being due to revaluation .in the counties and the latter to sundry charges. Mr T. Quirk inquired if the amount written off for 1927-28 would affect the finances, but ho was informed that the rate struck lin'd brought in inure than had been anticipated. PROGRESS OF WORKS

The report of the engineer (Mr. (J. F. Marshall Smith) upon the progress of work during the monthstated - DREDGING. The John Townley has been employed intermittently on dredging at the harbor entrance. Repairs have been necessary to the suction pipes, the old pipes being completely worn out. These repairs are completed and tho vessel is again in commission: A. contract lias been let to Messrs J. J. Niven and Go. for tiny necessary alterations to the pumping arrangement for the reclamation work, and the actual installation will he made during the annual survey in about a month’s time. No. 1 grab dredge lists been engaged dredging in the vicinity of the slipway, and has enabled one or two small vessels to be slipped. The launch Takitimu has had the annual survey and overhaul and is again in commission. The launch G.H.B. has also been overhauled and is now ready for the purposes of the sea wall contract stone supply. KAITI QUAY

Section No. 1: Good progress has been made during the month. The whole of the pile cup beams is completed and all A frames and anchors placed in position. The deck slab is completed for 350 loot and the kerb and front beam for 120 feet. The difficulties at the creek have been surmounted and the iloor and lower portions of the walls of the culvert have been built. Tiie remainder of the culvert will be incorporated in the construction of the deck slab of the wharf. Section No. 2: This contract consists of a length of 200 ft. granted to Air Goodman as an extension on his contract. - lie has made a start with the preliminary work, including tho casting, of the reinforced concrete sheet piles required in this 1 section. Section No. 3: Tenders were called during the month for this section (300 ft.) and closed on Friday the 26th inst. SEA WALL (WAVE TRAP BREAKWATER, The contractor has completed ilri ving fifteen piles at tho diversion wall end of his contract. He made use of the Board’s spud pontoon foi tin’s portion of the work. He intends to use this first 40 ft. as a working platform, and continue straight ahead independent of tide and weather. He is now erecting liif. pile frames and \goar for this purpose. Satisfactory progress has been Made for the initial stages of the contract* NIVEN’S RETAINING WALL.

The contractor has completed the concreting of the wall and. only the finishing touches and clearing up ol the site remain to lie done. The filling at the back of the wall will he undertaken after the concrete has had sufficient time to harden. WHARF SHEDS. ■ Steel roller shutting • doors: Tenders were called for the supply of steel roller shutters for the three news sheds and closed on the 17th inst. By including tlio three sheds in tho one contract, much better tenders have been received. I recommend that the tender of Messrs Dan■sey and Co. Ltd. for galvanised doors be accepted, the amount being £1948. Tenders Panged from this sum up to £3087 10s. The doors for each shed separately cost £779 4s, £569 8s ‘4d, £599 7s Bd—total, £1948.

Tenders liavo just been called for the erection of . the first- shed and will he closing in time for consideration at tho next meeting of the Board. Alternative prices are sought for galvanised iron covering and Tor Robertson’s asbestos protected met--4 ■,, ' , HERCULES CRANE DISMANTLING, Tho .contractor, Mr O. (j. Moatt, lias completed his contract to my satisfaction. Sale of plant: The Board’s ’pprt* able air compressor has been sold to tha Public Works Department for the sum of £550 and delivery has been given.' Other small items of surplus plant have been disposed of during the month. Cement’: The whole of the stock of damaged cement has been disposed of, tho quantity sold being 9i| tons at an average price of; £2 10s per ton. Road metal • The Borough Council has com- > pleted delivery of the order.wo gave, then} for broken metal, namely v 496 cub. yds. at a total .cost of £345; Bs. Tuamotu Islaul: The anchorage 1 has been surveyed,' leading • beacons ’ erected and a chart prepared to en-J sure safety of the Board’s plant during the transportation of rubble and stone for. tho sea wall contract, v T MAINTENANCE: ' ' Maintenance work has been carried, , out as required, including repairs , to •fleatisg plant, wharves;, sheds, slip-

way, punts, etc. Overhauling of cranes, winches and other machinery, shifting; and mooring -floating plant a'swrequiredj and! such other detail work as has been necessary. During the discussion, tile engineer, in reply to Mr T. Quirk, said he was now well satisfied with the progress of the contracts in the Kaiti basin. Mi-. T. QuU-lc referred to’ ’the tenders for the supply of steel roller shutter doors for the new goods sheds, stating that although the cost seemed heavy; the ease with which the doors could be operated and the saving of space in the shed would more than compensate for, their cost. Apart from that, these doors were adopted, by all the principal fcbards- in the Dominion for their wharf buildings. , / ' “Is it possible to make the sheds wider?” asked the chairman. The engineer replied that the firstshed to be erected would be the narrowest. It would not bo constructed any broader than Soft* owing to space /imitations, and the fact that road access for vehicular'traffic had to be provided on the shore side of tho shed. The two sheds on the other wharves would be 40ft. in width. He explained details of the shed, showing there would be ;twice as many doors on the shore side of the sheds as on tho sea-side, which, he contended, would more than account for the narrowness of the sheds. The buildings would ’ be more in the nature of transit sheds than store sheds, as tho goods would largely,he taken right through the sheds to the waiting carts on tho other side. Mr A. Wade urged that tho plan of the proposed sheds should be submitted to a conference of representatives of waterside rs, shipping companies and carrier to ensure their meeting tlieiv requirements. The engineer said that ho had already conferred with the principal officers of these bodies and had incorporated their suggestions in tho plans as far as possible. He emphasised the necessity of the Board accepting tenders for the materials that day as any delay in the completion of the building would affect the completion of the training wall. The harbormaster (Capt. A. Carson) reported a.s follows :—The weather experienced during the month has been somewhat boisterous, strong westerly winds predominating. An exceptionally heavy gale from the N.W. blew on Oct. 10th. accompanied by heavy raip during the afternoon." The wind and rain moderated towards evening. Tho soundings show 3, narrow channel with a depth of four feet when zero is uu tho gauge. The navigation lights are all in good order and condition. Fortysix ships worked the port from the 2Lst September to the 25th October. Nett tons 9483, gross ' tons 20,748The reports were adopted.