GREY HARBOUR BOARD

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1932, Page 6

GREY HARBOUR BOARD

ORDINARY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Greymouth Harbour Board was held last evening, there being present: Messrs P. J. McLean (Chairman). W. Clayfton, (i. E. Perkins, G. A. Perry, D. Tennent and J. Ryall. An apology for absence was received from Air J W. Greenslade. The Treasury remitted wharfages and special rate on coal £1,391 18s 8d; rents and royalties £2O 3s 9d; £2l 17s 8d and £1 17s 6d; sale of quarry stone, £2l 15s 3d

Mr S. W. Strong, Geologist, forward'd a progress report on the geolog'cal survey, north of Ten Mile, Grey-Barry-town road. I; was decided that the annual meeting be held on May 7th. The Greymouth Borough Council for. warded a complain! by the Greymouth Watersiders ’ Union, about broken sewer pipes under the wharf, requesting that the Board assist towards remedying ith c trouble. The matter was referred to the Engineer to confer with the Borough Engineer. Mr R. Marley, Secretary of the Greymouth Unemployment Committee, wrote asking for a donation towards 'the Mayor’s Unemployment Fund.

The Cha'rman said that the Board were doing their best to provide as much work as possible. He did not know if they could make any grant. The matter was referred (to the Finance Committee, on the motion of Mr Ryall. The Secretary of the Marine Depart, ment, Wellington, wrote, agreeing to rhe biennial survey of “Mawhera,” when, she has been docked, and. it he external hull has been put in a condition for two years.

The Cha’rman said this arrangement was very satisfactory and would be a saving to the Board. Gunnerson and Noseworthy, Pty Ltd., wrote surrendering remaining .timber stacking site, reclaimed, land in Gresson Street. The surrender was accepted.

Air A. E. Morgan wrotie offering £1 for the purchase of d’sused windmill pump. The Assistant Engineer recommended the acceptance of the offer and ■the recommendation was adopted. Mr J. J. Rooney’s application for timber cutting tights, over an area, between Maori Gully and Garven’s Creek, which was referred to the Engineer and Secretary at the last meeting, was again before the meeting. The Assistant-Engineer and Secretary recommended that ithp application be granted under the usual terms. The recommendation was adopted. Messrs Guineas and Kitchingham, solicitors, forwarded the following leases for completion:. W. Messer. Section 171, Dobson; Robert McLuskie, Section 70, Dobson; and W. 11. Currie, Section 80, Dobson. —Approved. Messrs .Gujnepg and Kitchingham folwarded, assignment of SCctioji 5, Dobson Ernest Arthur Eder, to John.Sneddon Dunn, for consent.—Approved.

A recommendation that the Board purchase outright the slteam shovel at the Cobden Quarry was submitted by the Engineer. The Chairman considered it would be a good investment on the part, of the Board. It would facilitate the work of the Board. The Board’s finances were somewhat depleted and it would be wise to save money in buying the «hovel and devote the saving to other work, which would be brought nearer to completion. The (trouble was the disposal of spoil, and it was considered wise to have the steam shovel, as it only cost 5d per ton to the spoil as against 2/2 per ton. with .the cranes. Inst'ad of paying rent for the use of the shovel, the Board would be benefited by purchasing it. It got rid of the spoil much quicker, and was a great saving. He moved (that the Engineer’s recommendation be adopted. Mr Perkins seconded the motion. Mr Tennent said the shovel would reduce the cost in handling spoil and the saving effected would allow ihv Board Io devote a certain amount of its money to construction work. Th er.? was no doubt it was best for the removal of the spoil, as it only cost 5d per ton as against 2s 2d to 2s 4jd by manual labour with the cranes. lie allied if the shovel could be moved as quickly as the cranes. The Assistant-Engineer, Mr D. C. Milne, said the risk of the steam shovel being damaged by slips was very small. It could move at the rate of from three to four miles per hbur l n the softest mud in the quarry. He thought that there was less danger (than with the cranes. When a place was found to be dangerous they could remove the shovel. It would be kept working fairly consistently as there was a lot of spoil to be removed. The shovel could shift a stone ten itons in weight, so that it could be got at, whereas, otherwise, it would take four men half a day to get at it to be lifted to a truck by the cranes. The shovel’s working cost per day was estimated at £3. A careful record had been obtained of the comparative work of the cranes and the shovel. ; Mr Ryall said the only fhing he did not like about the shovel was that it was ten years old. It must have had a lot of wear and tear before it camo here.

Mr Perkins said that there was a crane in the quarry that had been in use for 45 years. The Assistant-Engineer said that when new, the steam shovel’s cost would be £6,500, and the Board were paying £1,500 M one, which was second-hand. There had not been much wear of (the machine. There had been a fair amount of wear in the caterpill ars, but nothing very serious. The recommendation of the Engineer that the Board purchase the machine was adopted.

REPORTS. Th«- Harbour Engineer (Mr T. A. Johnston) reported as follows on work carried out during the month of April: The opening of the main line from Cob. den Quarry to the Railway system has resulted in quarry operations returning to normal and the output of stone to the Soulth Breakwater has been resumed. The output for the month was as follows: First class stone., 1517 tons; second class stone, 904 tons; third-class

stone, 341 tons; toltal 2,762 ton s to South Breakwater; third class stone 893 tons; spoil 698 tons; total 1,591 tons to spoil dump. Total oultput, 4,353 ton?. On the South Breakwater extension, stone t ppiag was resumed on the 7th, and during the month 2.762 tons were deposited. A stone mound has been formed on the northern side of the staging up to pier 54, the work being carrier! out under the protection of th.? new bank on the southern side, which, by providing shelter from the prevailing south-westerly seas, enabled the work to be done without danger of stones being swept into the navigation channel. Th.e top levels of both mounds are well above high water mark and it will be possible to fill the space between the mounds with a limited quantity of third class stone, which otherwise would be run to spoil. The centre pile at pier 54 was damaged in .tipping stones, but the stability of the pier is not seriously affected and a renewal of the pile will not be necessary. A progress plan i s submitted on which the work done during (the month is shown in green. Railway maintenance repairs have been carried out on the lin.e to the North Breakwater and on the siding at the spoil dump'. All the iron ladders on the river wharf were repaired and 'two now ladders were placed in position o n the lower reach of the wharf A new timber punt was constructed and minor repairs were made ■ on the woodwork of the dredge. The construction of the new store ait Cobden Quarry was completed and repairs were carried out on the locomotive shed. A detonator house was erected about 20 feet away from (the mazaginn at the quarry. A survey was made along the foreshore to the north and south of the Harbour entrance for the purpose of locating (the section lines for the roadstead soundings and the survey of the stone bank beneath the wharf was continued. The 25-ton steam crane was put under test On the 15th, in the presence of representatives of the contractors, the Inspector of Ma. chincry and others initerested in the trial. The following tests wer ft carried out:—No. 1: Load of 12 tons 19 cwt: This load was If ted on single purchase and the crane operated in all motions. The specified lifting and slewing speeds were easily obtained. Test-No. 2: Load of 25 tons: For this test the crane was lifted, clear of the track and the weight of the crane was taken on (the outrigger jacks, which were carried on blocks of hardwood packing. Th,, 25 ton load was lifted On double purchase and the crane was operated ’n all motions, and specified lifting and slewing speeds being obtained. The stability of the crane a f this load was unsatisfactory. The jacks farthest from the load lifting slightly off the hard wood packing. Test No. 3: Load of 30 tons 18 cwit: From the behaviour of the crane during Test No. 2, it was app’arent that the stability margin would be inadequate to deal with the 25 per cent overload and the crane failed on this test. While the crane has ample pow ; ?r to lift the specified loads and the working speeds of the various motions exceeded the specified lim'ts i.f will b.' 1 necessary to add an additional counterbalance of approximately six tons to provide sufficient stability margin to deal with the 25 par cent, overload. Tolly and Son. Ltd. arc in commun’cation with the makers regarding the matter and tfho final acceptance of the crane by the Board will be deferred until the question of counterbalance has been settled and the working (fests successfully passed. The steam shovel is dealt with in a separate report. The hull of the tug was surveyed and maintenance repairs were carried out on the dredge, cranes, locomotives and Ingersoll-Rand air compressor. Paid holidays are dealt with in a separate rep'ort.

The Finance Committee reported that the following accounts had been received since the date of last meeting: — Wharfages, £1,159 4s; Special rate on coal, £232 14s 8d; Shipping dues, £227 2s; Royalties, £43 18s lid; Rents, £46 10s 6d; Quarry stone, £2l 15® 3d; Interest, £120; Hire of plant, £3 15s; Deposit on. plant hired £2O; Total. £1,875 0s Id. The balances of (the va.r'ous accounts were as follows:—Genera] account, credit, £4,258 14s lOd; Insurance fund account, £15,700 on fixed deposit, credit, £l7 888 12s; Special rate on coal account, credit, £1 062 2’ Bd. The Harbour funfl has a credit of £9 9s 6d. Fixed deposits on the Genera' Account total £' 100, and on th> Inniran-n Fund Acc* tint £15.700. Accounts totalling £l.'?'3 Is 4d were recommended to bo p'-f-sed for payment.

Th*: Harbour Master (Captain E. W C »x’ reported as follows: —During the r ’(‘nth of April, . !■<■ bar ha? maintained •i 'pry good ave-:ge depth and genar <’ly ha. been fa* curable for shipping m«. • iircnts. Th? depths a t Irgh water f r Ila month wer»: Spring tide-, April 6th, bar 26ft 3in; river. 22f : 3in. April 21st, bar 26ft Bin; river 23ft Bin; neap tides, April 15th, bar 23ft 9in; river 20ft 9in; April 28th, bar 24ft; river 21ft. Month’s mean average: Bar 25ft 2in; river 21ft 9in. The rainfall for April was 8.33 inches and fell on 14 days. The shipping for April was: Inward, 20 steamers of 13,757 tons; outward, 20 steamers, of the same tonnage. The tug is now undergoing her annual survey and being the end of the specified term for hull, engines steam pipes, etc., make it of a very comprehensive nature. Captain J. Rec. ves started hi« annual holiday on. April 11th, and having 34 days due, resumes duty o n May 15th. Mr J. K. Saint terminated his service as mate of the dredge on April 23rd.