PATEA HARBOR BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 5 August 1919, Page 3

PATEA HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Board was held yesterday, when there were present: Messrs Christensen (chairvf, n)' C ArA ig^r' Pacey > H- Dickie, Verry and A. Pearce.

THE BAR ENTRANCE

A communication was received from tlie masters of boats trading to the port, drawing the Board's attention to che entrance of the port, which, had been silting up on the western side and causing the channel to become very narrow it was only navigable along the western wall, and in places within twenty or thirty feet or tnis wall there were concrete blocks lying on the bottom, which were a great danger to navigation. Thej recommended that these should be lifted. The'chairman remarked that he had consulted the engineer about this matter, and the position was that the contractor had to maintain these walls for a certain period after the completion of his work. If the Board removed these blocks before the contractor had tinished and anything Happened to the wall the Board's liability might be considerable The pilot was of opinion that the trouble was due to the manner in which the boats were navigated in the channel. There was ample water. The engineer added that the contractor had ultimately to remove these blocks; that was provided for in I nis contract.

•^ eft i with tte engineer to consult with the contractor.

I PILOT'S REPORT. I The pilot, reported that the channel over the bar was straight with 12ft at fc.w.s. tides,' Bft 6in at' h.w. neaps, and a width of 180 ft at the entrance, tie had taken no soundings of the bar S. IS month owing to the weather, there had been twelve arrivals and thirteen departures during July. On the 16 th, when the Waverley was coming m , she got alongside the eastern wall well inside the bur and bumped over some outer blocks, doing considerable damage to her bottom. H e recommended that these blocks be removed.

PROPOSED ADDITIONAL LOAN

Communications were received from the Board's solicitors, Wellington, in reference to^the Board's proposed Empowering Bill to authorise the raising of the 10 per cent. adrHtkmal 0n the Board's previous £86,000 loan. The chairman reported that he' had interviewed the A.M.P. people in Wellington, who said that they could advance the Board an additional £8600 at 5i per cent next year. They could not do so this year owing to the Government's war loan, etc.

BOARD'S ENDOWMENT.

Mr Corrigan reported that he had not yet been able to get a copy of the lease from Messrs Halliwell, Spratt and Thomson in regard to the lease of. the Board's property beyond Normanby. He had, however, inspected the property, and excepting for a few gaps in boxthorn hedges planted by Mr Hook, everything was in very fair order. The land was worth at the present time about £6 per acre per annum.

IRONSAND DEPOSITS

The chairman reported that Mr Heskett had suggested that the Board take over his lease of ironsand deposits, and then let it to him on a monthly tenancy. Provided the Board could legally do so he (the chairman) thought they should accede to this request. There would be, roughly, £100(y worth of buildings there, and it would be desirable to have someone in charge.

It was resolved that a committee, consisting of the chairman, and Messrs Dickie arid Grainger, enquire into the Board's legal position in regard to cancelling the lease, and that they have power to act.

DRIFTWOOD

In regard to Mr Vincent's (a re- ' turned soldier) application for the exclusive right to take firewood from the Wairoa beach, Mr Dickie mentioned that the difficulty was access to the beach ,and people who had been in the habit of taking driftwood from the beach strongly objected to this privilege being taken away from them. There were two roads to the beach, but generally people went over private property..- There were tremendous quantities of wood there —enough for everybody. It was finally resolved that the Board had no objection to Mr Vincent or any settlers removing driftwood from this beach.

WOOL GRADING

Mr Verry brought up the question of having Patea declared a woolvaluing port. The trend of past events was to send nearly all the wool from this locality to Wanganui, but in view of the railway restrictions it might now be pointed out that the haulage from Waitotara, Moumahaki, Waverley, and north of Patea would be a lot less to Patea than to Waitara or Wanganui. He moved that the Government be approached on the matter. Mr Dickie said that he had been hammering at this matter for a long time, and had a portion of the last loan earmarked for an up-to-date wool store. The charge of 9d per bale to ship the wool over the river to their present sheds killed their wool trade.

The chairman said that the new store recently erected by the Refrigerating Company was 'built with a view to the Board taking it over when cheese stock accumulations were relieved.

Mr Corrigan was hopeful that the large stores at Hawera and improved shipping would very soon considerably relieve the dairy companies' accumulations of cheese, and as soon as that happened the Refrigerating Company's new shed would be available to the

Board. The chairman remarked that it was absurd that settlers had to send wool, hides, skins, etc., to the sales at Stratford and pay freight to Stratford and hack again to a port. Finally it was resolved that the chairman and secretary draft a request to the Government.

ENGINERE'S REPORT

The engineer reported as follows: Breakwaters Extension Contract— J During last month excellent progress was made with the above contract in spite of the bad weather conditions. On the eastern breakwater three' caissons (ISos. 40, 41 and 44) were deposited and consolidated. On the western break-1 water two caissons (Nos.'24 and 25) were deposited and consolidated, and one caisson (No. 31} manufactured in the yard. The total'length of tlie western breakwater extension to date is 161 ft. ,6in., and the eastern breakwater extension 316 ft. 6in.J which now overlaps the western breakwater a length of 120 ft. For work a«ne in connection with the eastern breakwater a progress payment amounting to £1045 19s 4d has been certified to, and for work done in connection with the western breakwater the payment is £1014 18s 6d.- There is ajt present in stock K8 tons cement, 8 cases distillate, 6 casks; oil. 900 feet 3in. steel wire rope, 1500 ft. Sin. steel wire rope, 1844 yds 'hession, and, after due allowance has been made for material brought into stock and material used out of stork, there is a balance of £70 15s Id due by the contrac-

tor to the Board. Position of contract, including to-day's payments: Eastern breakwater £23,362 8s 9d, western breakwater £19,843 19s sd, cap- eastern breakwater £3431 3s 6d: total.'payment?,. £46,637 lis Bd. Total advance made to contractor: In cash for material £9763 17s 9d, amount refunded in cash £5296 17s 7d—£4467 Os 2d. Total amount of contract £67,500, cap eastern breakwater £5164 145—£72,664 14s; less total payments, £46,637 lls 5d— £26,027 2s 4d; less advance bulance, £4467 Os 2d —balance due, £21,560 2 S 2d.

Guide Pier—Tlie loose timbers have been removed from this structure and erected as sheet piling at the shore end of the western* breakwater.

Dredge Wallace—l'ais credge has heen mainly employed dredgung and snagging the river channel adjacent to the railway viaduct. Since the 7th ult. the total number of loads removed is 25, equivalent to 1500 cubic yards, whilst tho total time spent snagging is 70 hours. Three large snags>, each 40 feet long an<i 4 feet through, were removed, besides a large number of smaller snags.

Diagrams produced indicated the improvement that had been made in the channel opposite the railway viaduct. Before dredging operations were commenced the average depth at high water spring tides was lift. 6in.; to-day it had increased to 15ft. 6in.