WAIRAU HARBOR BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 262, 5 November 1912, Page 3

WAIRAU HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of .the Wai-j rau Harbor Board was held last.night. There were present: Messrs W. H. Macey (chairman), L. Griffiths, G. Houldsworth, J. J. Ward C. A. Eck- | ford, G., Patchett, L. Homes, and ! Captain Eckford. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. J • Captain Fisk, harbormaster, report- j ed that the bar had been in splendid working order during the month. There bad been some heavy seas, but owing to the great depth of water they had not interfered with the working of the bar. The maximum depth of water on the bar was two fathoms, and the minimum nine feet —an average of 10ft. 6in. The items in the account for assistance and work I done at the bar were all authorised by the chairman. He had finished working the cement blocks and the repairs to the foot of the flagstaff. The land-owners were still at work in a slow way clearing the willows away from the banks of the Opawa River. > The Wairau River, owing to the shallow water, had not been workable for the steamers trading here. There were 27 arrivals and 28 departures during the month. OBSTRUCTIONS. The harbormaster reported that, according to instructions," he examined the Opawa River and pointed out to a number of owners of property abutting on the river the obstructions they were required to remove The work done by Mr R. Allan was of a satisfactory nature. The appearance of the river had greatly improved. The secretary stated that proceedings had been taken against one riparian property owner for allowing willow cuttings to fall into the river to the danger of shipping. The case would come on for hearing shortly. ! Messrs McCallum and Mills advised that all responsible property-owners and occupiers had been served with notices to clear away obstructions between low and high water marks, and overhanging willows. ', Mr W. T. Churchward, solicitor, wrote with regard to a notice sent to Mrs J. O'Donoghue. He had advised his client to remove such, trees as were growing on her land, but not those in the Opawa River, which was a navigable river where it flowed past her property.—No aotion was taken, it being remarked that the time-limit fixed for the clearance of obstructions had not yet been reached. / ! AN IMPORTANT PROPOSAL. | A communication was received from j the masters of vessels trading on the i Opawa River, asking that attention ,be given, to overhanging willows, and more especially those at the Woolshed Bend. It also represented that the river badly required deepening in the vicinity of the wharves. The state of the river at that point was likely to become worse if some improvement were not effected. With regard to the overhanging willows, the harbormaster undertook to continue his inspection. Referring to the shallowness of the river at the wharves, Captain Eckford explained that the steamers were experiencing great difficulty in slewing. Captain Fisk said that so bad were the conditions that one vessel would have frequently missed the tide if the bar had not been in such exceptionally good order. ' Captain Eckford moved that the Board purchase a sand pump of sixinch suction and with eight-inch delivery to enable it to dredge the river at the wharves and elsewhere. The whole of the machinery and plant would cost about £1000.

Asked what would be the cost of working a sand pump, Captain Eckford said that the pump would require an oil engine and two men to work it. It would be capable of lifting big stones. A similar pump at Westport lifted a boulder weighing 681bs. .

Th© Chairman said tliat he could

not accept a proposition involving such a large expenditure except by way of notice of motion. Captain Eckford gave notice to move accordingly. In the course of further discussion, Captain Eckford maintained that it was too late in the year to undertake the harbor and river improvement scheme for the purposes of which the Board was asking the Minister for a £1500 grant. It would take three months for the contractor to get his gear on to the ground, and by the time he was readyJ winter - would be setting in. They wanted the long summer days for such work, and could not hope to commence operations till next season.

Mr Ward questioned whether the work was necessarily restricted to the summer season. The men could not be expected to work more than eight hours a day. Captain Eckford persisted in his view, and said it was for this reason that he thought the Board should now do the next best thing and put a sand pump on to the river. ■ In reply to questions, Captain Eckord said that the sand pump would be capable of doing good work in clearing out the channel through the Boulder Bank if it was thought wise to take it there. But the more the river was dredged, and the larger the1, volume of water it carried, the less trouble would they have with the bar. The larger dredging scheme could follow the sand-pump process if thought advisable, and the pump would still be a good asset. Finally it was resolved that a special meeting be held a fortnight hence to discuss Captain Eckford's motion, and also the question of proceeding with the larger scheme of works at the bar. . FINANCE. Accounts amounting to £70 19s 7d were passed for ipayment. It was stated that the fixed deposit amounted to about £1910, and the credit balance in the current account to £90, after the payment of accounts in hand. '