HARBOR BOARD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 5404, 26 January 1886, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

A meeting of the Harbor Board was held last evening. Present — Messrs Guinress (chairman), M'Lean, Lahman, Kennedy, Kerr, and Sheedy. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The Works Committee's report was read as follows : — " Re LOCOMOTIVE FOB, NORTH SIDE WORKS.

" That they regret the contractors have not taken any definite steps up to the present to procure a locomotive, and your committee recommend that the contractors be informed if it is of advantage to them, the Board will advance the necessary funds if they will obtain a locomotive to be approved of by the Board, to be delivered in Greymouth within two months.

" The money advanced to be repaid in four equal quarterly instalments from date of advance. The contractors to pay interest at the rate of 7 per cent, until the advance is repaid. " The above resolution to be subject to the contractors satisfying the Board that they are able to give effect to it within one month."

Mr Kennedy said that, although the action recommended by the committee was beyond the functions of the Board, yet he was prepared to sanction anything calculated to advance the prosecution of the contract. According to the way in which the report was drawn up the Board did not compromise themselves in any way ; and the contractors were still as responsible as ever they were for carrying out the terms of their contract. The report was then agreed to, no one objecting. The report of the Engineer was read as follows : —

"As directed by you, I have the honor to report as to what portions of sections 310 and 311 are required to open up the quarry between Mr Wilson's fence and Mr Shannahan's house, also as to the best means of opening it up, and to reply to four questions put to me.

"2. A tracing showing four alternative proposals for opening up the quarry is hereto attached and the portions of land that would bs required in the event of any one of these being adopted would be generally all land jn these sections lying to the east and south of the line adopted.

3. As to the best means of opening up the quarry, I have taken levels over the ground and have estimated for four different ways of doing bo. These are

shown on the plan by different colored lines, marked A. A., 8.8., CO., and D.D. respectively. The line A. A., shown in orange color leaves the Hokitika railway near Alexander street crossing and would open out a face all the way between Mr Wilson's fence and Mr Shannahan's house. An objection to this line is that it would have to cross the coal sidings in the station yard and considerable inconvenience might be entitled in working the line in consequence. It would also entail the necessity of reversing the trains twice before they reached the main line to the breakwater.

"The line 8.8., colored green, would open up the same ground leading directly from the breakwater line with a back shunt at the quarry.

"The line C.C., colored purple, would start from the breakwater line near the water tank and would open up a face behind Mr Shannahan's house and as far as might be required in the direction of Mr Wilson's fence.

"I estimate that to open out the quarry by any of these three methods would cost not less than £1000, after making allowance for good stone fit for the breakwater which would pay for itself.

"The fourth route proposed is the one marked D.D. on the tracing and shown by a red line, and this I consider the best. It would lead direct from the main breakwater line to the face of the rock behind Shannahan's house, and I estimate that the quarry could be opened out in this way for £500.

"That a face must be opened out on the west side of the hill, sooner or later, I have not the least doubt, and I have never held any other opinion on this point. At the same time lam not prepared to recommend the Board to open it out themselves.

"If either the present or any future contractors should wish or require to open out this face, I would not recommend the Board to do more than give them full access to the ground. They could then be allowed to reach the quarry in their own way, after obtaining the approval of the Board to their plans or proposals. "In reply to the four questions submitted to me for report : — "(1 and 2). About 50,000 tons of stone are still required tp complete the present contract, and this will nearly, if not quite, finish the work sanctioned by the Government, with the exception of the facing of concrete blocks, specified by Sir John Coode to be placed over the outer end of the work. The large size of the stones which have been placed on the outer faces of the work have caused it to assume a steeper slope, and to advance more rapidly than was anticipated when the plans were made. As I believe that large stones would be a sufficient protection to the end of the breakwater, and much cheaper than concrete blocks, it may be advisable, when the proper time arrives, to obtain the sanction of the Government to the alteration, provided that a sufficient number of firstclass stones can be obtained from the quarry. There is also the future extension of the breakwater to be considered which will, probably, have to be carried on as soon as the north breakwater, as sanctioned, has been completed.

"In reply to question 3, 1 consider that the quarry is being worked in terms of specification, and I would be quite satisfied if a better output, especially of firstclass stone, could be maintained.

"As to whether the quarry can supply the quantity of stones required to complete contract No. 1, I am not prepared to commit myself to an opinion. Everything depends upon how the mines turn out' and past experience shows that no certain results can be relied upon. ' ' Question 4. The estimated expense of opening up the Maori quarry, exclusive of land and expenses connected with acquiring the same has been given in the first part of this report."

The report having been received, The Chairman said the report was of such an important character that he thought members would like to read it carefully and reflect upon it before coming to a final decision upon the matter. He then proceeded to comment upon the alternative plans submitted in the report of the Engineer for opening out the quarry from the western end. He therefore moved that the report be referred to the Works Committee to report upon at their next meeting. He maintained that in order to complete the contract it would be necessary to open the quarry at the western side. Over 52,000 'tons remain to be procured to complete the present contract, though another contract would be required to carry out the work according to the report of Sir John Coode.— Mr Kerr supported the resolution. He was not prepared to discuss the report just then. He would prefer to haye a conference with the Engineer in respect to the alternative lines on which to open the quarry. Mr Kennedy also supported the motion. He would naturally prefer to see the matter first considered by the Works Committee before bringing it before the Board. He did not approve, of the plan of opening the quarry at the western end at present. They were not yet certain that they would want any more stone for a long time to come. The contractors were bound to supply 52,000 tons more stone. It would be time enough to consider the opening up of the quarry and obtaining more stone when that part of the contract was completed. They could not open out the quarry without benefitting the contractors, and they should be careful not to lay themselves open to the charge of working for the benefit of the contractors. And if they opened out the quarry as recommended in the Engineer's report they would lay. themselves open to that imputation.— Mr Lahman said he did not consider they were called upon to extend the south wall until the north wall was further extended t\an at present. The contractors had to furnish 52,000 tons stone in any case, no matter where they got the stone from ; and if they wanted more stone, then it would -probably pay them to open the quarry on the west side without coming to the Board at all. He was in. favor of the proposal to refer the question to the Works Committee.— Mr Guinness replied to the remarks of Messrs Kennedy and Lahman, and maintained that it would be to the interest of the Board to get the quarry opened up as soon as possible. He had no doubt that the Board would have no difficulty in making arrangements with the contractors to quarry the stone at something less per ton than they were being paid now. The motion was referred to the Works Committee for consideration. . The meeting then adjourned.