HARBOUR BOARD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 11 April 1929, Page 9

HARBOUR BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING REPORTS AND GENERAL BUSINESS The monthly meeting of (lie Nelson Harbour Board was held yesterday afternoon. There were present: Messrs H. R. Duncan (chairman), F. W. Grcenslade, A. Drummond, If. W. Kelly, A. Gould, and Captain Moncrieft'. The bank pass book showed credit account as at Ist April, £215 6s 9d. The income for the month was as follows (the figures for March, 1923, are given in parentheses):— Harbour dues, £689 19s 5d '£6B7 8s 3d) ; special rates, £ll9 lis; rents receivable £24; wharf dues, £2060 3s 5d (£2478 2s lid); wharf and harbour dues. Mapua £220 6s 9d (£379 18s). Payments totalling £7015 17s Id were confirmed, and accounts amounting to £863 16s 10(1 were passed for payment. . CORRESPONDENCE Several letters were received from the Shell Oil Company about the lease of the reclaimed land alongside the wharves. The Shell Company agreed to a reduced rental of £2OO until the whole area of two acres is completed, when the full rental of £350 will become payable. The company also forwarded dimensions of their vessel, the Paua. A letter was received from a member of an Auckland firm of consulting engineers offering his services to the Board. A resolution was passed that the question of appointing a consulting engineer be held over meanwhile. A request from Mr F. W. Greenslado to be allowed to have advertising hoardings on Harbour Board land leased by him was granted. REPORTS HARBOURMASTER The Harbourmaster (Captain IT. Collins) reported : The trade of the port for the period eliding 31st March shows that although the shipping has been well maintained, the total tonnage for the month is slightly less than that for the corresponding month last year. During the month 97 vessels, including two oversea steamers, the Herminius and Middlesex, entered and left the port, having a total of 42.156 tons register, against 43,799 tons for March last year. The maintenance and pilot staffs have been fully employed during the month on various works which are as follows : Completing the roadway approach out on to the reclamation, repairing railway points and wharf decking on the main wharf, removing pipeline to the eastern side of the reclamation, and effecting repairs to the runaway ohi the dredge. Early in the month the stone pontoon developed a serious leak, and upon an investigation, being made, it was found that the bottom planking in many places had been riddled by the toredo to such an extent that the whole of the bottom planking would have to be removed. This has been put in hand and it will take at least a fortnight before the pontoon can be recommissioned. The dredge, which has been undergoing overhaul from the 4th to the 21st ulto., resumed dredging on the 22nd. Since tlin 14th' February last, 5000 tons of spoil has been deposited into the reclamation. The dredge is now employed cleaning up the berthage between the wharf and the reclamation wall in order to prepare a berth for the Kaione when that vessel "Tirrives for the purpose of doing dredging in the harbour. ' WHARFINGER The Wharfinger (Mr J. W. Harris) reported that the following cargo was received at the wharves during March. (The figures for March, 1928, are shown in parentheses):—lnward cargo 7607 tons (8905 tons); outward cargo, 3150 tons (4546 tons); decrease 2714 tons. Throughout the past month the wharves were kept fairly busy and outside labour had to be employed to cope with the work carried on. During the month we had two overseas vessels in port, namely, the Herminius and Middlesex. The Herminius arrived here on Sunday, the 17th March, commenced loading of outward cargo on Monday the 18th at 8 a.m., and finishing on Wednesday, 20th, at 1 p.m. The Middlesex commenced her loading of outward cargo on Monday, 251 h, at 9 a.m. and finished on Thursday, 28th, at 9.30 p.m. This vessel's outward tonnage of cargo does not appear in last month's returns. During the time these two vessels were in port the weather became very unfavourable for working cargo.