PATEA HARBOUR BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 3 June 1924, Page 4

PATEA HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Patea Harbour Board was held at Patea yesterday, when there were present: Messrs Christensen (chair), Grainger, Williams, Pearce, Paeey and Cbrrigan. REFUND OF RATES CLAIMED. There was some discussion over the position arising in paying rates twice on 104 acres of ' highly valued land. Through some mistake on the part of the Department, the area of land in question had been included in two different valuations, and as a result the ratepayer concerned had paid double rates on the 104 acres.

Members agreed that the ratepayer was entitled to a refund, but in view of the very strict wording of the Act they did not know whether they would be permitted to make the refund. It was decided to write to the Audi-tor-General and find out what the Board's position was.

SILTING ON THE BAR. The chairman remarked that he was pleased to note that the temporary silting up on the bar had all disappeared. INACTIVITY CAUSED BY WEATHER

Mr Corrigan said he noticed that there had not been very many arrivals and departures during the montn. Captain Tinney replied that that was due to the very rough weather.

HARBOURMASTER'S REPORT. Tho harbourmaster, Captain W. Tinney, reported that the channel over the bar was straight, with about lift. 6in. between the walls, and about 14ft! on the bar at high water spring tides, with Bft. 6in. between the walls and about 17ft at high water neap tides. He sounded the bar on the 28th, and got Bft. between the walls and lift, on the bar, with oft. 6in. showing on the .tide gauge. He also sounded the river on the 28th, and found much deeper water all along the wharves, but shoaled up a little at the viaduct, where the dredge was at present working. The dredge had been getting some big snags out on the flats, but there were still a few left along low water: mark, where they could work when the bar was too bad to carry on dumping operations. There had been 8 arrivals and 8 departures since his last report, three going out* on the lights. The walls were keeping in good condition, and everything at the station was in good working order. The report was adopted. DREDGEMASTER'S REPORT. The dredgemaster thai for the past month the dredge had deposited at the mouth of the river 3310 tons of spoil, taken chiefly from along the grader and * railway wharves • and the tide gauge. He had assisted Captain Tinney to sound the river on May 28, and had found a marked improvement over the dredged areas. The viaduct was found to have the poorest soundings, and for the past few days the dredge had been engaged in that locality: At least half a dozen large logs had been removed from the bed of the river. For three days, owing to bad weather, he had not been able to dredge, and had taken advantage of Hie opportunity thus given to tidy the fence at the corner of the Harbour Board road, repair the roof of the orane shed at the heads and carry out minor repairs to the machinery in" the dred.ee. The engineer had reported that all the machinery was now in good order, as was also everything on boa<rd . the dredge.

The report wo.s "Wonted