NELSON HARBOUR BOARD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 6 April 1915, Page 6

NELSON HARBOUR BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. I The monthly meeting of the Nelson ! Harbour Board was beld this afternoon. Present: Messrs H. E- Duncan (chair-, man), A. P. Allport, W. W. Snodgrass, 0. Bishop, G. Macmahon, T. Bell. Cap- i tain Macnab was excused from attend-; ance. FINANCE. The bank pass book showed the following balances:—Ct. Gen. Ace. £487 Os 8d; fixed deposit £ISOO. Receipts! for month of -xarch £409 10s 9d (March ] 1914, £437 12s 9d; sinc« ls\ April £4Oll j 8s 6d, as against £4513 14s'3d for cor-; responding period last year; monthly average £334 Ss 8d as against £376 lis j 2d. Payments amounting to £IBO 18s 4d were authorised. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr Pepperell, stationmaster, Nelson, in replying to the Board's letter, said he had had a look at the cattle yards at the wharf, and had also made inquiries, and so far as he could .gather, it would appear that they were ample for present requirements. —It was resolved that a deputation consisting of the chairman, Messrs Bell and Macmahon wait upon the stationmaster in connection with this matter. _..e Engineer, Wellington Harbour Board, wrote to the effect that his Board would favourably consider the question of hiring tne dredge to the - Nelson Board. —Resolved to thank the Engineer for his offer, and to inform him that at present no harbour improvement will be carried out pending loan proposal to be put before ratepayers. Mr F. A. Thompson, Commissioner of Crown Lands, wrote that he was not aware of any considerable quantity of Crown land in the neighbourhood of the Dun Mountain, the exploitation of which would in any material degree assist commercially the Nelson district.—lt was resolved to communicate with the Commissioner of Crown Lands at Marlborough on the subject, and. on receipt of a- reply a deputation consisting of the chairman* and Messrs - Bishop and Snodgrass wait on the Commissioner of ■Crown Lands at .Nelson. The secretary," Nelson Yacht Club (Mr J. Glasgow) asked permission to erect bottom section of slip at their sheds in concrete.- —Writer to be informed that the Board had no jurisdiction. HARBOURMASTER'S REPORT. ' The Harbourmaster (Captain Collins) Teported as follows for the month -. —The trade of the pert for the month ending 31st March has been well maintained for the period of the season. ■ During the month 162 vessels entered and left the port, including one ocean-going steamer and one inter-colonial sailing vessel, viz. : 25 Union S.S. Co.'s steamers, 110 small steamers, and 27 sailing vessels, having a total of 30,990 tons registered. On Friday last, 2nd* April, at about 8 a.m., during a nor'-west gale and heavy sea> the whole of the piling marking the north side of the entrance at .high water, ried away into the channel by the heavy, sea that was running in the Bay. All the wood work was secured and taken to a place of safety at tho back of the Government wharf. As it will be necessary to have something to mark the nort hside of the entrance at high water,' I would respectfully suggest that six or eipht piles be driven and securely tied ■ .with" railway" iron, so as' to give the: piles 'resisting' power" against the' heavy seas that sometimes sfteep across the bank during heavy westerly weather. '-I have also to report' that the mole from the gauge beacons to-the wharf is con- ' tinually subsiding into channel, leaving exposed for a depth of three to four , feet the shingle that was deposited at the back of tho large'stone. At least some 300 or 400 tons of Astrolabe stone will be required to bind the mole up -to its proper height. All routine duties have been regularly attended to. . In answer to Mr Bell, the Harbourmaster said he was of opinion that the subsidence of the mole was due to scouring. Once the stones had settled down, however, nothing was to be feared. I It was further resolved that steps be taken to get a supply of Astrolabe stone to repair the mole. 1. The Chairman said the Harbourmaster had informed him that a- certain amount ! of silting had taken place inside the harbour. It would be a matter for the new Board to deal with; although nothing was required to be done immediately. Mr Snodgrass moved that periodic soundings of the harbour should be placed before the Board. The Board then rose;