GREY HARBOUR BOARD

Grey River Argus, 10 May 1934, Page 8

GREY HARBOUR BOARD

ORDINARY MEETING. At the Grey mouth Harbour Board monthly meeting Alessrs P. J. McLean (chairman), J. W. Greenslade, G. E. Perkins, D. Tennent. G. A. Perry, J. Byall and W. Clayton were present. The Treasury remitted Wharfages and special rate on coal £BlB/15/5; 18/10, 11/-, sale quarry stone £37 16/9. The Grey Electric Power Board wrote offering the Board’s store in Gresson Street to the Harbour Board at £5OO, the rent due to be committed. The offer was accepted.

United Brunner Collieries Ltd., asked for further extension of time in which to pay back rents on company’s lease at Brunner. It was decided to reply asking for a definite date as to when the rent* could be paid. .1. W. Whitelaw applied for opossum trapping license over 200 acres at the Twelve Mile. Coastal Road. Donald TliHier, applied for an oppossum trapping license over 50 acres behind Dobson township. The Commissioner of Crown Lands forwarded application by H. McLaughlin for an opossum trapping license over an area at the mouth of the Ten Mile Creek. Coastal Road; a'so application by T. J. R. Gallagher for an opossum trapping license over an area nt Seven Mile. Mr. Clayton suggested cutting the area up into blocks and calling tenders. The Chairman said he had many callers regarding the matter, and endeavoured to get information from the Acclimatisation Society, hut could not do so. The matter was left in the hands of the Chairman and Engineer to make the best arrangements possible by calling tenders for block*. John Rutherford’s application for lease of Section 202. Dobson, was granted under the usual conditions. G. K. Keown’s surrender of right to lease quarter acre section Nine Mile. Coastal Road, was accepted. J. Jacques application for a timber splitting license over an area at the back of J. Nicol’s lease. Stillwater, was left in the hands of the Engineer tn make the necessary arrangements in regard to collection of royalty. A draft of By-laws regarding vessels touching on the liar was forwardnil bv Messrs Guinness and Kitehingham for perusal by Engineer and Harbourmaster. Messrs Guinness and K'tcliingham forwarded of Section 571. Block in Arnold S.D.. in name of Alic? Manthorpc. for completion.—ApprovRDPORTS. Mr. G. E. Perkins, chairman Finance Committee reported: The following accounts have been received since date of last meeting: Shipping due* £240/3/7; Royalties 18/9; Rents £37 11/10; Sale Quarry Stone £37/16/9; Accident Compensation £33/11/4; Deposit Hire Plant £2O; Wharfages £705/11/11; Special Rate on Coal .£ll4/13/4, total £1,190/7/6. The Harbour Fund Account has a debit balance of £2.885/17/5. Your Committee recommends that accounts as per list amounting to £839/2/8 be passed for payment. The report was adopted. The Harbourmaster, Captain F. W. Cox. reported as follows: During April the bar maintained a good average depth and generally the weather was favourable for shipping movements, with the exception of strong freshes on the ISth and 24th. The depths at high water for April were: Springs, April Ist. bar 24ft 4in.; river 22ft. 4in.; April 15th, bar 22ft. Gin.; river 22ft. Bin.; April 30th. bar 25ft. 6in.; river 22ft. 6in. Neaps, April Bth, 23ft. 3in.: river 21ft. 3in.; April 23rd. bar 26ft. Oin.; river 22ft. Bin., Month’s mean average, Bar 24ft.; River 22ft. The,rainfall for April was 10.31 inches and fell on 17 days. 'Fhe shipping return for April was: Inwards. 23 steam. 12.501 tons. Outwards, 21 steam. 10,856 tons. Freshes on the ISth and 24th April cause*! considerable shoaling in the berthage and lowrr end of wharf. Upon completion of repairs to dredge winches, etc., the Mawhera was placed in commiss;on on April 30th. and started dredging the berthage <»n May 3rd. After clearing up the berthage, the lower end of the wharf will be dealt with, also some dredging will bo necessary in mid-stream. The report was adopted. Mr. Perkins said that every precaution had been taken. The shovel had boon shifted back about a chain, and the almost sheer drop of stone was unexpected. Tn reply to Mr. Clayton, the engineer said the foreman was responsible for the shifting back of the shove.’. The stone was actually part of the quarry, and ho and others actually stood on it two or three days previously and they then had no idea it would come away. It camo away, no doubt, as a result of the shooting and the heavy rain on top of this, may have loosened the rock causing it to comp off the bed of clay. The Chairman said that if it had happened three hours later it would probably have resulted in loss of life and probably another larger crane wnn’d have been destroyed. Mr. Milne said thorp would have been two cranes there and four men on the face, and they would not have had “a ghost of a chance.” They had been shooting the top stone down and were taking extra precautions in doing this. Tin was satisfied the foreman was justified in putting the crane back to where he did. The Chairman said he had made an inspection and was satisfied that every reasonable precaution had been taken regarding the safetv of the machines. Mr. Clayton said there should be an instruction to keep the machines well hack from the face. It was not a rostlv matter.

The Engineer said the same applied to the cranes. To shift them right

back would lake two hours, or one and a-half hours oil: the working day, and this would mean a serious loss of working time. The matter, he considered, should be left in the hands of the foreman. !\bo, if he saw any danger, would shift the machines back. Air. Clayton said he was satisfied it was a pure accident, but the machine.-, he considered, should always be put out in a reasonably safe place. Ou the motion of Mr. Clayton, seconded by Mr. Greenslade, it was decid:ed that the foreman be instructed to take additional precaution in the event of any danger with the face and run as little risk as possible to any plant in the quarry. Air. Tennent said it should be pointed out that there was no negligence on the part of the foreman or engineer. The Chairman said he was satisfied that there was no negligence on their part. Air. Greenslade said that all precaution had been taken and it showed that they had to he careful as to similar difficulties that might arise in the future. The adoption of the report was held over until after further consideration of the matter at the finance meeting when it was adopted. The Harbour Engineer (Mr. D. C. Alilne) reported as follows on the work carried out during the month of April; Cobden Quarry; The excavation of spoil from the western, face was continued and further work was carried out on the removal of the stone toe. A considerable quantity of first and second class stone has been accumulated at the quarry and has been stacked along sidings in convenient positions for rapid loading when required. The steam shovel was put out of commission by a. fall of stone on the 24th. This matter is deah with in a separate report. The output for the month was as follows: 3rd class stone 203 tons; spoil 1.399 tons. Total. 1.592 tons to spoil dump. South Breakwater: The moderate seas experienced during the month produced no movement in the stonework at the head which maintains the tipped slope and the deposition of further quantities of stone was unnecessary. North Breakwater: The railway approaches to the staging have been repaired and the staging has been overhauled in preparation for stone tipping which has since commenced. Railway ATaintcnance; Repairs were carried out to the lines to the north and south Breakwaters and to the Quarry sidings. Wharf Repairs; A number of walings and braces were rebolted and two new fenders were fitted at. the Tug berth. The footpath to the South Breakwater was completed. Repairs were carried out on the docking of the Tug. Repairs were effected to the winches of the. dredge 11 ATawhera” and the annual inspection was carried nut nn the boiler of the Tug. The overhaul of the'loco “Ahaura” was continued and this work is now nearing completion. The report was adopted. DAMAGE TO STEAM SHOVEL. Thu following special report was submitted by the Engineer:—At 5.15 on the morning of the 24th, part of the tipper face of the quarry broke away. The block of stone which became dislodged was approximately 100 tons in weight, and it f?ll a vertical distance of 160 feet, striking the steam shovel a direct blow, a”d causing very sivc damage- The position of the shovel at that time wi ; approximately

70 feet, from Hie wnikiug face, and the apparent stability of the latter justified the assumption that in this position the machine would be safe. The question of negligence on the part of those concerned, tliorefcre, does not arise. The shovel has been operated at Cobden Quarry for a period of two years, and had excavated and loaded approximately 58.000 tons of spoil, with total saving to the Board of £4300, after writing off its purchase price. To reinstate the machine in working order would cost between £7OO and £BOO, and in view of Hie fact, that several good shovels arc available at a reasonable price, it would be preferble to purchase another machine. I recommend acceptance of the offer by the Public Works Department of the 808 Bucyrus, .for the sum of £9OO, f.0.b.. Wellington. This shovel is a sister machine to the one owned by the Board, and would enable many of the parts of the damaged machine to be used as spares, thus very materially reducing the cost of maintenance