PATEA HARBOR BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 8 April 1919, Page 3

PATEA HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

The usual monthly .meeting, of the Board was held yesterday. Present: Messrs Chnstensen (chair), Dickie, 4 Pearce, and Grainger. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Verry and Pacey. Matters relating to a peace memorial and celebrations are reported under a separate heading. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows: During last month good progress was made with the breakwaters' extension contract. On the eastern breakwater five caissons, Nos. 34, 25, 26, 27 and 13, were deposited and consolidated, whilst tour caissons, Nos. 37 to 40, were manufactured in the yard. On the western breakwater one caisson was deposited and consolidated, and one caisson, Ao. 26, manufactured in the yard, lne total length of the western breakwater to date is 134 ft 6in, and the eastern breakwater extension 256 ft 6in, which now overlaps the western breakwater a length of 90 feet. For work done m connection with the eastern breakwater a progress payment amounting to £3071 16s has been certified to, and tor work done in connection with the western breakwater the payment is ±-007 3s.

Regarding the material there is at present in stock 109 i tons cement, 46£ cases distillate, 11 casks oil, 900 feet 3m steel wire rope, 1500 feet 2in steel wire rope, 2021 yards hessian, 1581b sewing twine, and for the amount of material used out of stock there is a sum of £247 10s 9d due by the contractor to the Board.

Position of contract, including today's payments and charges: Payments —Eastern breakwater £19,316 12s lid western breakwater £16,878 18s 7d, cap eastern breakwater £3431 3s 6d — £89,626 15s. Total advance made to contractor in cash for material £9343 10s 3d, amount refunded in cash £5062 6s Id, advance balance £4281 3s sd. Total amount of contract £67,500, cap eastern breakwater £5164 14s, total £72,664 14s; less total payments £39,626 15s, balance owing £33,037 19s, less advance balance £4281 3s sd, amount due to contractor £28,756 15s 7d.

Dredge Wallace —This dredge has been _ employed alongside the wharves and in the channel adjacent to the viaduct. Recent soundings taken at the wharves show good depths of water there. The total number of loads dredged since the 3rd ult. is 87, equivalent to 5220 cubic yards. A number of snags were also removed, the total time spent at the work being five hour*. The clerk remarked that, in regard to loan account there was £3728 in the bank; fixed deposits (May and August) £10,000, and Government £13,000; accounts owing, £73: total. £26.803. The chairman, remarked that this left a balance of about £2000, added to which to-day's payments of about £4000 would mean that the Board would be between £SOOO and £6000 short to com. plete the contract. PILOT'S REPORT. The pilot report-eel that the channel over the bar was straight, with, about 12ft. at high water and Bft. a.t neaps, and 180 feet wide. He sounded the bar on the 21st, and got 12ft. good, with Qft. showing on the gauge. There had been 21 arrivalig and 22 departures since his last report. EASTERN WALL CONSTRUCTION. Following upon an" interview with members oi the Board the contractor, Mr Pulley, wrote: "The level shown on the eastern wall is shown distinctly a continuance of tlhe top of the existing old wall. This level was held to be correct, and has been adopted all through. With regard to this wall a great deal of soft foundation had been encountered, and in consequence a considerable amount of alteration has been made to find a solution. Also a considerable amount of experimental work was done, as suggeseed by Vernon Hareourt, on foundations. You will clearly admit that 1 have been put to serious expense in making these tests. Now that the work on the pell-mell foundation has been found to aaswei the P'Jrp'xse ths-i-e • is no valid reason why this work cannot be carried iut on the same level as originally shown, namely, the level of j the old eastern wall. You will readily I understand that to l^wer the level will involve an extra expense m cai-rying out the work, and in consequence I submit that you keep the top of the finished level to the level of the old wall, a© shown on your original plan." The engineer explained that this proposal meant raising the level by lft. siß. and would involve a cost, of £1335, -or th© curtailing of the length by 17 feet. The original length, of the proposed eastern wail extension was 490 ft., and this had already been curtailed by feet, due to the extra cost of the pellmell system ifor fouoarlsttione. The chairman regretted that there was such a small rmeeting that day, and under those circumstances h© did not think it advisable to discuss this suggestion a± present. Personally no did not favar 'curtailing the length of the eastern wall 5 itheir experience so far | and the opinion of the shipping masters i was opposed to that. In order that the position might be discussed by a full Board meeting he would give notice of motion *o rescind the resolution passed !at last meeting adopting plan "Y." He ! also moved that Mr IPulley "be written to notifying him that Idis letter would be considered at the next meeting off tihe BoawL Seconded arid caiTied.