PATEA HARBOR BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 13 September 1921, Page 6

PATEA HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Patea 1 Harbour Board was lield yesterday. 1 Present: Messrs Grainger (chairman), I E. A. Pacey, J. R, Cdrrigan, J. Walker, A. Pearce and J. Verry. Mr F. Sladden wrote ottering to grub gorse on the Board's reserve tor £4. —The secretary stated that an arrangement had been entered into with Mr Sladden on the terms named. The Borough Council had notified that the gQrse must be cleared. Acetone Company wrote. asking for a return of the cylinder sent some time ago and suggasfci«g. that the present cylinder in use be forwarded for recharging.—The harbourmaster stated that with the new light-that had been installed a cylinder lasted three months against one month with the former light. The New Zealand Powell Wood Company wrote offering six 24ft rails' (531bs) arid some shorter rails at £12 pervton f.o.b. Rangatane. The New Zealand Railway Department wrote offering some third-class rails on loan. In a further letter the Department stated that it could not undertake to hold the rails for the Board till November, but if they were not otherwise dealt with by that time the Board could have the vise of them. The chairman said they wanted 100 -24ft rails. The rails, according to Mr Pulley, should not be less than 531bs in-weight. | It was decided to make- further en-

quiries. ! Messrs C .Fr Pulley and Co. wrote regretting their inability to undertake repair work at the Heads.—Received, j Mr W. R. Menhennett wrote asking for "permission to remove some firewood from the beach that had been cut prior , to tihe notice prohibiting removal be- ( ing given.—lt was decided to charge a ' royalty of 2s per cord. ; - The* Harbours 'Association, wrote ask-' ing for the subscription ibr the year,' namelyv £1 Is. The Association also forwarded a legaT opinion obtained pri- j manly for the Nelson Board, defining* what was meant by "baggage." It was explained that the case concerned three • policemen, who were travelling with j their wives and families, and for whose j baggage exemption from wharf charges was claimed on the ground that they were? public servants. The legal opinion went to show that baggage did not include furniture. Messrs C. F. Pulley and Co. wrote offering 110 yards of gravel nt 12s per yard, subject to a prompt reply. A reply was also asked with regard to the. offer of a 7-ton crane. Jt was stated that the amount asked for the crane -was £390. In a later letter Mr Pulley asked for an early< reply to his offer or gravel as, in the event of the^Board declining, it was the company's intention to have it carted into Patea. and stored for odd jobs. .„ : ■ i Mr Corrigan^pointed out that the; shingle could not /be removed without paying the Board a royalty. | -■.. It was decided to accept the offer of shingle and to inform Messrs Pulley and Co. that the Board would have the crane inspected and would let them Kave a reply at tfie nest meeting. - Messrs Pulley and Co. wrote claiming £25 for blocking a hole in the concrete wall through which driftwood passed. The work, the letter stated, had been done under arrangement with the last chairman. Mr Paeey said ii was xmderstood that the last payment by the Board was final and covered the whole of the work, v

Mr Corrigan moved, and Mr Pacey seconded, that Messrs Pulley and Co. be written'to stating that the Board liad no knowledge of any special' ariaugcmcnt with regard to the work and" requesting them to allow the. mat- - ter to stand over till the return of Mr Chrlstensen. The motion was carried. The town clerk, Patea, wrote stating that the Council had fixed the value o* the wharf site at £10 and a refund ot £15 18s lid in rates would consequently be made to the Board.—Received. Mr. E. Tait wrote offering a quantity of stone for repairs at the Heads. The price would he dependent on the quantity.—lt yas decided to ask for a quotation for approximately 200 tons to be delivered in position as directed by the board, the sizes to be from seven tons downwards. The bank wrote acknowledging the limit of the board's overdraft at £5000 on the loan account. Tiie chairman said their overdraft stood above that amount at present. The matter wast allowed to stand over till the chairman had seen the bank % .manager. The dredge/master reported that since last meeting the dredge had been working along the lower end of the grader wharf and 100 feet below the mooring pile, removing the papa bank. A number of snags had been lifted, but one large snag had yet to be removed. The number of cubic yards lifted was 4320, and 34 houus had been spent snagging. While waiting for the grab the crewwere engaged removing gear from the ironsand building and storing it in the hide shed; also chipping and painting, the dredge. The dredge master stated that there was 18 feet of s water over the snag, which was not in any way a menace to the. safety of vessels.-- - .■„ The chairman" said that the dredge would be laid-.up' next 1 month for the annual overhaul.' It was a question ofwhether they should not lay, her up altogether. ..; . .' ■ ' '-' " > The-dredge master said that a few loads had yet to be removed from a place opposite the freezing :works." • Mr. Corrigan: If the dredge' 'could lie laid up for five or- six it would help the board's finances. . The report was adopted. The harbour master (Captain Tinney* reported as follows: "The channel over the bar is straight, with about 13 feet at high^ water spring tide, 9ft. at neap tides, and between the walls 12ft. at spring and Bft. at neap tides. I sound- • ed the bar on the 22nd ult., and got '13ft. on the bar and lift, between the walls,-with only 7ft. pin. showing on the tide gauge, but since then it has shaled up between the .walls with bad weather and low tides; but I think it will scour out at the next spring tide. I sounded the river on 9th inst., and found- that it had shallowed a little by the viaduct and near the wool wharf, and a. little at Pulley's wharf, bin everywhere else is the same as in my last report—about 3ft. lower than the tide gauge. I examined the walla on the 2nd," and found that the western wall is keeping the same where the drop is and at the north end it is filled tip with logs and sand. On the eastern side the wall has dropped about nine inches just where Mr. Pulley started. The lower block has drooped" from the capping. There have been 12 arrivals and 10 departures since my last report, ' and^sevbn went,©jot on the lights. At the end of last month the s.s. Wait&ngi-v.-as laid up at Patea." ».. ■ / With -regard to the sinking of the eastern, wall -the harbour master said that there was no list. The wall had settled down evenly, and was quite safe. Mr. Coarigan suggested that regular soundings should be taken while the dredge is laid up. so that they would know the effect and he able to make comparisons: ; The dredge master said he would supF v the board with regular reports. The report was adopted. !