NAPIER HARBOR BOARD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5399, 4 June 1879, Page 3

NAPIER HARBOR BOARD.

'*"'[ ;- \ "'- ,':, Tuesday; June 3. - i The board met' ait 2:30 p.m. ''Preß^ht^Messrs. Smith, Miller, Robjohns, Yautier,, Kinross, and Lieut. - Colonel' Lambert! : In the"^sence of the Chairman, Mr Vautier wa's vbfced to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting «were"read and ->- : •'■'-•■ •J-'W"^. ! ; r ' Ji THE 'CHAIRMAN. ,' t f e: !Eiettt,--O6l6riel Lambert; stated that he jti&d' received '. a' letter from !Mr Buchanan, e^'plainin^.'.^thi^' hia' absence froth that 4ay's ; meeting was occasioned by there l bej.ng r p9. o Bteamer leaving Wellington, to reach Napier (as is usual) on Tuesday. j "A i [ I •'! OO3RIIE9PONDBNOB. , oriiTEe; folio wing letters were. read. :>rr ;. stating -that in consequence of the absence of the Hon; J. N. Wilson from Napier he was unable to be present a£ thai day's meeting of the board. ■'• r " ; \ fi'^Odstlie motion of Mr Smith, leave of absence was granted-toMr Wilson. From the pilot, showing that the depth tb^wfete'r-on'thTe^bar from the 20th to the 26th;of ; May ranged from from 12 feet l 3'inches to- 12 feet 6 inches. A sketch map accompanied the letter, showing the soundings in various, parts of the channel. The Chairman 1 suggested that a skeleton plan Bhdulcl be lithographed on which the -pilot should mark down the soundings. ;. Mr, Smith thought that soundings twice a% week .would sbe sufficient. There was no ( #egd' ; f6r. (ia^y foundings. . '„' .'

i Mr Miller moved JtMt the .overseer of works prepare a Bketch plan, and that 100 copies be lithographed; ;.■-. The motion was seconded by Mr Rob-

Johns and carried. v ";; From the clerk or overseer, pf works, reporting that in accordance with, the resolution of the board he had invited ten •

ders for strengthening the .pier-heads, and had; accepted the tender of Mr Angus M'Kayafc £3 18s per pile and £15 for the upper work. Colonel' Lambert objected to the overseer of works accepting tenders. It was a very irregular proceeding. The tenders should have been submitted to the board.

: Mr Miller considered that by the terms of the resolution passed at the last meeting of the board,, the overseer was justified in .accepting tenders. The work waa required,to be done at once, and the overseer was actually directed to get it' done forthwith) and What else could he d.o. than accept the most eiigible tender. The Chairman read all the tenders that had been received, from which it appeared that the tender that had been accepted was the lowest. Colonel Lambert had no doubt about it ; still he held that it was not right that the board should delegate to the overseer the 'power to accept tenderg. The Chairman, while admitting that no actual harm had been done, considered the course that had^been pursued to be a .very unusual one. He did not belieVe 'that there was such urgency for the work =as to warrant.so serious a departure from ..proper procedure, „ Colonel Lambert'" wished to know whether the board could not refuse to ac- , cept the tender. "' ; "Mr Smith did not think the board ; c6uld very 1 well do that. i ■. .: After. "Some ::further discussion, Mr Kinross moved that the acceptance [of Mr M'Kaye's tender be confirmed. \ The motiou was seconded by Mr Miller and carried. '" * v From the Land Tax Commissioner, I s furnis,hing the, board -with the valuation ibfHhe vaVious harbor reserves. From Captain Campbell, of the Kiwi, Ithankingitheiboard for remitting ?dues as requested by him. \ \ From iMr Stuart resigning his seat at the board. 1 /From .:the oversees ixrfjjKorke, Mating that as his duties required his presence ; mostly! at the. Spit he thought it would b$ unnecessary to^ continue the present .offices an.f;;Tennysonrstreet, _for which a rental of £10 a quarter was paid. '""A* suitable office could be built at the Spit for £25, and he recommended that course. ,_,, .,,. . n „,,.. On the motion of Mr ' Kinross it was decided that the inspector of works be authorised to incur an expense of £25 in erecting an office in the board's shed at rthe Spit. .;; REMOVAL OF BOULDERS. The following letter from the clerk of works,. on the removal of boulders at the entrance to the harbor, was read : —

Sir,— l have the honor to transmit' Herewith plans and speoifioa'tibns for the removal of the boulder bank at the entrance to "the harbour, which have been ..prepared in accordance with a resolution of the Board.

I estimate, the cost of carrying out this work, if performed *-'by contract, at £5250, that- is the' removal of 15,000 cubieyardsY" at 7s per yard. This may be considered a ! vory high estimate, but when we take into 'consideration the : expense ;' attached to bringing the necessary plant to Napier, together with interest upon the outlay and risk, and to spread that amount over comparatively such a small number, of yards, I think it will be found that the estimate is ' not too , high. If a larger quantity of dredging was let at the aame time the cost per yard would be greatly reduced. For instance, if, together with this bank*,! the removal of the two banks that contract 'the : channel, abreast of the stone embankment, and also the dredging alongside the breastwork bo as to provide necessary wharfage accommodation, in all amounting to about 80,000 cubic yards, were, tendered^fpr in one contract, it is very probable thap it would r be done for about 3s 6d or 4s per yard, as : the work -could be kept going, at ... nearly all times, for when dredging operations could not be carried on at the entrance, on account of the heavy sea, the dredger could be worked alongside the breastwork. .. .-• „ v ./"The moat economical plan would be to hire a dredging machine -for a certain period, if one could be. obtained. At the present time it is. quite doubtful whether one could : be got, as I understand that most of those in the colony are fully employed, but if enquiry was made at all the ports in the colonies where they have been in use, one might possibly be obtained. The board, have .on hand some dredging gear, -which has never been in use, it is evidently intended only to dredge to 12 feet deep; a dredging machine could be fitted up with this iiackle, which could be arranged with the addition of a. few extra links and buckets to dredge tolßfeet, The cost of a hull, engine, &c, and fitting up complete, would be about £7500. Before any dredging operations were carried put it would be advisable to lengthen theeaßteni ;; pier about 300 feet, so that the ' dredge^ -would be' -more - sheltered whilst working at the' entrance,; and also to prevent any shingle going, round' the end of the pier while the operations were gaing on. If would also have the advantage of placing the -end ! df 'the pier into about 2 feet more water than at -present, which depth' could be r carried by, the dredger right up the channel, thus giving a depth of fully 17 feet at ordinary high water. At the present time the shingle is travelling round the end in considerable quantities, but the current has been able to keep the channel clear of ;I«v''- i: :.'. '::.':' !::'''',.'"■' i: i',''.V:' '' r -J' ; J As it must take a considerable time before a dredging machine" could be obtained; I would suggest/ that, in the" meantime, endeavors be made to shatter the boulders at the' entrance ;by the aid of dymanite, so that they would be reduced" in 1 Bize to such an extent that the current, would be Able to remove them. The dynamite could be used either- by sinking tubes a* Bhort .distance into ; the bank and then inserting the charges of dynamite and discharging them by elec- , ! tricity, or by placing the. charges upon the entrance of the bank and firmg them by \ ordinary fuze, which wonlcUhave good effect , on account oE the ,w£ter Sbpye lit. Of course it ■ iWould require; larger charges "placed ujaon the ; surf ace thin "when inserted, into jthe - bank, but I am of opinion that it'-wduld be far | more economical, as the coat of the extra | charge would be much less than lihe : cost ,6f ; sinking tubes. ■■ The bize bf the 'charges ire- ; quired "would have to be- decided --Tiy experi- : meh't." v li had intended" to • have ' tried the effect 1 of a few: charges of frdm 1 ! 1 to 31bs ! each, i! during' the '■•' past- week,' but- was 'prevented- •by the' weather, • but ■ Will : erideavor to bo on the first 'opportunity,— l have; &c, ■ -. • ' ' '•'•' '- • FKANCIS IS. SATJHDEBSi ■ CLERK OF'WOEKS. ' On the motion of Colonel Lambert the consideration pf the letter was postponed. ...... ACCOUNTS. : • ■ . A number of accounts were passed for payment. ■ :•. . ACCEPTING TBNDBES. Colonel Lambert moved, "That in future, when tenders for any work to be. done required by the Harbor Board, that the said tenders be opened by the chair- . man , at a meeting of the board, unless otherwise directed by the board." The motion was seconded by Mr Smith and carried. NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr. Vautier to move, " That in view of more shipping accommodation being re- - quired it will be necessary to utilise ihe present works pending the construction of the breakwater at Ahuriri Bluffy and to this view it will be necessary for the -clerk of works to prepare plans and speci'ficationsand call for tenders for the pur- ' pose' of sheet piling in between the main . piles, section B, of the eastern pier ; the tie-beams at present in between the main piles in the upper part of the works in section B to be used for sheet-piles, also any timber at present in stock ; the above section to be finished with cap and fenders on main piles, so aa to admit vessels lying alongside discharging their cargoes : the road as originally laid out alongside ! section B to. be formed and metalled." TJie. board ttien adjourned;* "■ '•■< . • ;; !