CTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7222, 10 April 1885, Page 2

CTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Harbour Board held yesterday was attended by Messrs A, H. Ross (chairman), N. V, A, Wales, A. Thomson, J. B. Thomson, Mil), Elder, Mackarraa, Roberta, and Cargill. OORRKSPOKDENCE, Mr A. Cairna wrote stating that the idea of formiug a Harbour Board for Dunedin wbb first mooted by him, and he thought the fact should be placed on reoord.—The Chairman mentioned that there was a Harbour Board constitution in existence in 1858, long before Mr Cairna had thought of it.—The letter was minuted as read. Messrs Kincaid, M'Queen, and 00, wrote stating that they had taken the contract for building a steamer, but were at a loss to know whero to build her, as they had no suitable sito for shipbuilding purposes. Tb6y asked tho Board to grant them a suitable site. —The Chairman said that the Board had power to grant Bites for shipbuilding purposes on the foreshore.—The application was referred to the Works Committee, with power to act. James' Fox wroto asking the Board to relieve him of sections 15 and IG, Pelichet Bay, leased by him four years ago, as ha had not been able to use them for the purpose for which thoy were leased, and he had since ] leased other sections. —Referred to the Finance j Committee.

Mr James Mills wrote on behalf of the Union Steam Ship Company asking that the Finance Committee should tcka into consideration the question of the revision of tho pilotßge and towage charges on the Company's large steamers using the Upper Harbour, as the charges and the extra cost of working cargo at Danodin wharves formed a very considerable item in the Company's expenditure consequent on tha change now being tried.—Referred to the Finance Committee. ■

Messrs Cuff and Graham (Christchurch) wrote asking what draught of vessels could safely cross the bar and also get safely up to Dunedin wharves. -It was Btated that a reply had boen sent to tho effect that vessels drawing from 20ft to 23ft could cross the bar, according to the state of the weather; and vessels drawing from 16ft to 17Jjft could get up to Dunedin, according to the stato of tho tides.

XHE BIG DREDGE. The debate on the following recommendation of the Finance Committee, adjourned from last meeting, was resumed :—" That this Committee desires an expression of opinion from the Board as to how the cost of dredge 222 shall be apportioned between tho Lower and Upper Harbours before entering into the consideration of allocation of the Board's expenditure." Mr J. B, Thomson spoke in condemnation of the strong adjectives used in Mr Elder's I speech. He said Buch adjectives might be used 10 years honoe, but he hoped the.members of I the Board then would be more charitable than to use them in reference to men who had done their boat and given ud such a lot of their ttmoJll fnnmarAhia-ii"^-'- ta-uf-Hra-DoniU.— There were only two or three sentences in Mr Elder's speech that were new, for it would ba remombered that Bomo years ago ho made almost the same speech, only with a fow more exaggerated statements, at a public meeting in Port Chalmers, The engineer had fully replied to the statements then made by Mr Elder, Btating that he must haya picked up his information in a railway-carriage during a state of mental or ocular obliquity. Da another occasion the engineer very proporly put it that Mr Elder was evidently determined to parado his declamatory powers evea at the risk of offending the good sense of all intelligent people.

Mr Carqill said tho question appeared to ba one as to the_ interpretation of the clause of the Act referring to the matter. It was a great pity that the discussion had resolved itself into a stiuggis between the intereota of the Uppßr and Lower Harbours.

The Chairman also opposed Mr Barnes' motion. Lagally and equitably the Board might charge a portion of the cost of the big dredge to the Lower Harbour, but he did not think it would be expedient to do so. He suggested that the amendment should be altered by the addition oi the words " interest and" before "depreciation."

Mr Roberts said he would support Mr Barnes' motion, as it was a fair compromise. • Mr Wales said ho had always been in' favour of looking at the harbour aa a whole, and he advocated taking a broad view of the matter. He would vote in favour of Mr Barnes' motion, which was to the eifecfc that tho cost be equally divided between the Upper and Lower Harbours.

Mr A, Thomson contended that the view taken by the Logislature w»3 in accordance with Mr Elder's amendment, and that was what they had to decide upon. On a vote being taken, Mr Elder's amendment was lost on the casting vote of the Chairman.

Mr Roberts then moved that the following clause be added to the original motion :—" That the further charges on account of dredge 222 as against the Lower Harbour be actual cash expended while working there, expense of repairs, and Euch amount for iutorestaud depreciation as shall cover thesp items of expense during the time she is employed at the bar and Lower Harbour."

This was agreed to, but on being put tho amended motion was lost, the matter then remaining as formerly.

Oa the motion of Mr A, Thomson it was resolved that further consideration of the Finance Committee's report be doforrod till next meeting. DAMAGING REPORTS ABOUT THE BAR. Mr Oargill mentioned that the harbourmaster had made a statement to him which he thought should receive attention, They all knew that the master of the Doric had made a great fuss about the bar before going out, and that he had insisted on soundings being taken. From what the harbourmaster had told him ho believed the master of the Doric had sent Home a very damaging report as to the danger of steamers crossing the bar, and yet it appeared from what the oaptain had said to the harbourmaster that there waß a bar at Now York with 25ft on it, which Btoameis bumped on and ploughed through, taking no notice of it. Tho very same steamor had been detained at Liverpool two days for want of water, and yet they made a great deal of noise about a delay of a few hours here. He thought the matter should be looked into, and oxpressed an opinion that they should hear what tho engineer had to say in connection with the matter.

The engineer was not in attendance, and the matter was allowed to drop, the Chairman agreeing that it should bo looked into. WORKS COSIMITrKE This Committee recommended that the application of Messrs P, Sutherland and Co, for remission of duos on timbor used in the wharf extension ba not complied with.—Mr Prince's letter re use of dynamo and Messrs ft. E. Fletcher luid Co.'b olfer re lighting docka and wharves: Recommended that proposal No. 1 lie agreed to, charging the cost to the dock ucoouui—viz, that cna dynamo be fitted up with a three-horse power engine and 20 lampa for a sum of £185 153 4d.—Worka at the Heads : The engineer'^ recommendation to employ 15 additional labourers hnd been agreod to. —Tenders: Strengthening jetty for railway traffic—Messrs Armour and Campbell's tender (£lO9 173 01).ha3 bMU noosptod ; and Moaors P Sutherland and Co.'a tender (£(JS3 9a 2J) for reinstating wharf extension, With roforouco to the tenders for barges, consideration had btien deferred to a special meeting ; as also the quostion of survey of dook endowment and eroction of a 10-ton crnno.—On the onginoar's recommendation Mr Wilson has beon appointed second ongineor of dredge 222. —Reclamation Dock EudoSmout, Port Chalmers: The engineer having reported that dredging by tho Now Era is nisarfy complotod, and that other means of reclamation will bavo to bo adopted, resolved to cull for tenders for completing tho work.—Tho eugiuoer'a reply to tho chairman*! memo, on' channol worka was nttachod for tha Bonrd'e information; in the meantime tho Cummittoo had deforced its consideration till next mooting.—Tho report was adopted. TUB UPPER UAHDOUU. Tho followiug letter from tho Enginoor wasroad :— Iv ao«orilanco with youv rciquost, I hnvo now tho honour to submit tho follow!"i; lo.imrka in roply to Iho lott-r of tho Ohatnnnn nt tho lioard, runJ at t:m B.):nd luouUnjf °' ">o I2th \w,t, liavi:iu' special retcr-om-o to tho iiiiHltl >n of tho half-tldo t-MiniiiK-wall bativoon Uunodln and Illnok Jack'fi I'olnt, fhouiain jmrts of tho lottor which roqulto roply refer to— (I) Tho amount of drodgiag required to maintain tha Viotorlt OhsQuol,

(2) Wbethai It would not ba well to tA oace rsoir* meuca tha CMJifUitcn of a etcjnd wailirsm.BlMß. ; Jack's Polns up to ojip *lto Stuart a'.i'-et on Bit. Jcnu : yoode'ii lino. Hh- Chairman's opinion an tbo lira* of 'hoie la coiir tftlnsd la the tontoncea : '• ih.t if John <Jnud« lna bjiiu o >rreot> in lna pr fiction <t thu off. cti of a duvia- ; 'tloi-'U'h a hsa boon m-vio from the lino>rn,t oecl '" b- blui 18 nui 0 aoparoit. INm eVuiuei cmi o bo ma n'ain dat he <Vq Uxe d<jjth w too t alia 11 do ■>• ti ,iioui attiig af." t'aia *iatoait;ut ia goa r<U :u >t as are n'H 1y t prj|io 0.l 'or ouij o.iu pact I uiu tin «ui-o ■ this At R'Si .reUrt m ,rj p«.icaivry..M t-.o p..int Iju v7;:ij v laodui and i.iii»oi JioHu voi'W. Milled 10 ill » pirn, ho 'Over, utu s.a oma it i very mtjciui g. i may » Ijiv to, tint ecircely any vart M tbu A-orH: tv» mtnUiiid v-elt so »cli ni ihi', tbo dtedgi. B required fr in firas to la.t being very. s^.a.l. Iha Iwß boon tomo Blight deport within tho last 12 months, but thit was mainly duo to Ibo mate- , rial boinpf carried aw*y from the approach, to Stuiitt ulirout and tho area opposi.o tho wharf ejctonisio.i whoa dredgin? was being dono in those localities.. ' Tod deposit which has Moly taken plnce at tho, entrance .m* tho steamers'basin, referred to. In my hot jnmthly report, would not have been affected in . tho oUghtert degree by oithor Sir John Coodo's lino of wall or tins carrlod out, but Is tho result of tbo meating of the two current] of tho main channel ond tho steamera' basiin. I moat aUo point out that sinco tho extension of tba wall southwards thero h»a been no marked deposit at pile No. 11, as there was before it, whoa on ono oocjeion it mads up ; to 8(t at low water. This emill amount of maintenance dredging is qu!to consi-teni with Sir John Coodo'u opinion when he bus: '-It should bo understood thut I do nU go so far as to fay that in tbo absenco of a second or northwestern trainia§-b»nl! tho lino, aa ori^ina'ly kid out, will ceitiiuly require an undue amount of dredging to maintain the navigable depth." But lie would i;ive tho preference to hia own lino, aj lie sajv, " Wore tho j dredging opiraUono now to .bo undertaken ab imtio, or if s, portion of hia lino could bo adopttd without an , unduo Eacriflee of work already dono. I'lcaao to note that hlo couuemtation of tho original lino of wall 1b not oo strung oa Mr Kcas puts it botore you, ard that It ij rlvoii aa it applicable to the iiiftiatt-n or the wcrlio. With the opinion ot Sir John Coodo not strongly comloaiuatoiy, aud with Disown knawiadga of the local currents, it ia not to be wondered at that Mr Simpion persevered with tha design at lute part aa originally conodved und partly carried out; ami lam at a lob 9to understand how the Chairman can assert that had Mr Simp son continued to bo the Board's engineer ho would hare carried out Sir John's linos of wall boiweon Duncdin ad Black Jack's Point, teeing that such would hive croßsod his own d redged channel in two p!acea, aa you will observe by the tracing accompanying this. Asa matter of fact, Mr Simpson dredged that part of tho channol after June 33,1850, on hia own jiiw, after ho knew Sir Jehu's opinion, and wo can siarceiy imagine that he would do so with tho intfMion cf blocking it up with a rubble wall on another lite. The second point in the Chairman'a letter is a3 follows: "Tho question which I wieh to bring under the notice of the Board Is whether it would nol be better to proceed at once with the construction cf a Eocond wall from Black Jack'a Point to tho point Indicated opposite Stuart strops on the lino of Sir John Coodo, leaving for '.ho pro-ent the wall which haa bsen already constructed, and which, commencing to divcrgeat Black Jnck'sPcint, becomes at Ha maximom dlfUii.ca several hundred lodt from tho line proposed." 1 have already referred to tho fact th.it Bush a lino would block up the esisting channel in two places. Thoro would thus bo required a now channel and & new wall fully a mile in length, and at a coat of about £11,010. As the present arrangement of channel and wall doea not involve a heavy expenditure for laaintenanco, 1 am not prepared to recommend these now worlcs for the Boxd'a approval. 'Jlr.ugh of losa consoqucnoo thau tho points above referred to, 1 must aak your attention to whit the Chairman h;8 said with regard to tho three piles locently removed by my imtructiens from the edge o! the dredged channol. lie has assumed that these . were pieced by Mr Simpson to mark, the " out3ide or southern boundary of .the channel," and the "part of tho letter immediately preceding that has reference to Sir John Coodo'a Hne3 of wall, therefore we may conclude that the channol meant is also that of Sir Johu. Thoco pilo>, however, were within the narrowest limit of that chancel, and a long way within tho wider limit and that which Sir John seemed to con Eider as the ultimate cxteut to which drodgißj; wbb to bo extended. )f, therefore, Mr Bimpson intended these, as Mr Bcsj supposed he did, then a very sarious blunder in measurements was made when they wore placed. It i; lha fact that ono of these piles was wlthin-264ft ol :hc vharf, so ta&t uu'.il it was removed and the site dredged no ve-sel over 2Go;'t in leneth could bo swung at thit berib. My chief reason for tho removal of these marke, and for dredging the locality, waa to onabja vessels coming up tho harbour to approach and enter the steamers' basin with greater facility aid safety than they could do if they had to follow tho awkward bands mjrkcd cfl by tho3e piles. My intomicn in this respect was put befoio tho Worka Committee on tho Bth of January la ; t. On compiring tho. new lino with Sir J. Or.oda's, 1 find Jhai wo can still dredge'a further 150 ft ia tho direction which tho Chai-mon ofjecta to bcfoie receding tha limit o! least width shown by that ongineer, and Mill asioiher 430/t bolote reaching Ilia cxlrema limit. This is so veiy different from the. view put beforo the Board in tbo letter under reply' that I must beg your special attention to it. There aro otner points in tho letter, which I might mako the subject cf romaik, but they aro more of the nature of ioDuendo thau diree ly affirmative. I be iove what I have written will show that the letter haa put Sir Joh:i Oood^'s opinion, Mr Simpson's intentions, tnd my acts wholly in a wrong light, and In a manner unjust to myself, -1 have, So,, Gborob M. Baeb, Engineer. Tho Chairman said: Tho reply by Mr Barr, tha Board's ongineer, to tha remarks which were contained in a memorandum which I, aa your Chaiiman, felt it my duty to submit to the Board is, in niy opinion, very plausible, very specious, but very, illogical, and from a professional point of view not at all what we havo a right to expect from a gentleman occupying the position of engineer to this Board. . Acting upon a suggestion made to ma last evening by the Chairman of tha Works Committee, I do not intend to deal at any length with the text of tha engineer's reply until after it shall,have baon printed and considered by the members of the Board, but will on the present occasion only direct the attention of members to the tracing which accompanies such reply. The tracing professes to show the portion of the channel between Black Jack's Point and Dunodin as it haa been drodged; tho training-wall proposed by Sir John Ooode, and referred to by the Chairman; and the -ttaming'wall as approved by the Governor-in-Council and carried out by Mr Barr, The channel I will not deal with at present. With respect to the training • wall proposed by Sir John Coode, the tracing does not show it aB referred to by the Chairman. Sir John Ooode recommends that the Una should "sweep gradually around, so that it would be generally parallel to the south eastern or harbour frontage of the new dock, and about 1000 ft distant therefrom," tho line shown on the tracing is a dis tortod caricature, curving abruptly round towards tho dpek frontage. The line shown aa approved by the Goyernorin Council, and carried out by Mr Barr, ia certainly not such a lino as ia indicated on the certified copy of the plan approved by the Govornor-in-Council which ia in possession of the Harbour, Board. Let mo direct your attention" to a few diffarencoa between tho two plans: Ist, tha terminal point of constructed wall shown on tracing is distant from the terminal point on approved plan about 1850 ft in a north-easterly direction; 2nd, the line of constructed wnll, as shown on plan at its '. poiut of widest divergence, is 280 ft .from tha lino ehown on approved plan. As to tbo terminal point of wall proposed by Sir John Coode, tho tarminal point of constructed wall (as shown on the plan) is distant from it about 1400 ft in an easterly direction, and about 660 ft distant from a line proceeding from Sir John's terminal point towards Black Jack's Poiut, upon which, if the traininst-wall were constructed, it would, without crossing the dredged channel at all, have effected the results sought by Sir John Coode —viz., "to confine the scour more entirely to the actual channel, and so tend to maintain tha required depth." Tbe constructed wall as shown on tracing is at its terminal point distant from the dock frontage over 1900 ft, or nearly double tho distance recommended by Sir John Coode as that.upon which the wall ought to be conßtruoted. In answer to a question, the Chair >ran Baid the plans were kept in the Board's Bafe, and were in the custody of tha Board's executive officers. He thought it was only right that they should bo in such keeping, and thus be beyond the risk of beine tampaif d with. Mr A. Thomson : Does that mean to say that you have no confidence in your engineer— that you cannot trust him with your plans ? The Chairman : I don't know what right Mr Thomson has to ask what I mean to say. Idid not mean to convey any Biich insinuation, and I am sorry Mr Thomson imagined such was my intention. Mr Mill Baid he thought more of the engineer now tban evor he did before, Speaking on the question of the report on the channel, he said he wondered if any of the members wore aware of tho fact that Sir John Cooda got £821 for his ona day's visit. He thought they should not talk about sending for that gentleman again. - Mr Roberts said the relations that oxisted botweon tbo Chairman and engineer were evidently such as could not last. If the Chairman was correct, then the sooner they changed their engineer tho better, Tha circumataucos in connection with the matter wera bayond Mb depth, and would require a more professional hoad than his to settlo. He wa3, however, of tha opinion that the matter should ba fully gone into, and ho would move that the whole question be referred to the Works Committee for a full inquiry and report. It was very uecessary that the preEent state of relations between the Chairman and the engineer should ba cleared up. Mr Cargill seconded the motion. He did not agree with amno of the remarks made by tho engineer. Ho bad no doubt that the proper place for the Board's documents waa in the Board's safe, and in .the custody of the Board's officials Mr Wales : I understand that we purchased a Bate some time ago for the engineer's office. What was that safe intended for ? Tho Chairman : For the ongineer to keep documonts in, Mr Walks :If he has a safo, I maintain that all documents in connection with the engineer's department should be kept in it—(Hear, hear), —arid that tha other documents should be kept by tho secretary. What was the uss of our building a eafo there unless for that purpose ? No man in the world could know what documents were in tho eafo unless ho had constant accoas to it. The Chairman : Ho had access to them. Mr Wales : Unless he had a properly indexed book of bis own lie could not be expected to remember all the documents contained in that safo. I havo had some experience in these matters, and I would not remain in'tho engineer's position'ono day unless I had control of thosa documents, If I hnd not tha conlidonco of tho Board to take charge of the documents in connection with my department, the Board might go where it liked for mo.— (Hear, hear.) Mr Cauoii.li said that Mr Walo3 was talking nonsense. Ho asked how they could have handod over tho documents to tho engineer when it wna only reoeutly he had been sup-, plied with a safe. Mr Wales : 1 am on the floor, and I hope I have said nothing to rouse the iro of anyone, I think it would havo been far bettt v if the Chairman hnd scon the engineer previous to writing about this matter and explained to him tho whole of tho circumstance!) in connection with it. 1 am sura they would have understood each other bsttor. 1 think it will be found that thore ia a raißunderstandinft on both fides. I understand there its a certified plan in the office bhov/iug a different lino to that on the original plan. Should not tho engineer's. attention have been called to that? I think the time of tho Chairman and officers of the Board has been occupied too much in connection with these matters under notice, and that

r.usy wora eonsidaring oatsids mnttera too much Instead of attending to tho roat work of the Board. The sooner we find ra.eans to put A stop to this tho batter. ■ Mr Cakqill : I perfectly npraa with everything that ftlr Wales hus stated in his lateral romnrks, but what I objected to was the question of o >nu'danca in the raginoor, which lias nothing to do with the queation undar discus(ion, . . I Tbe Chairman said it wan perhaps a pity that he had dooided to hold over his full evitiewm on the engineer's letter, a3 from what he had to state it would ba seen that he had consulted tha engineer. Tho engineer had told him that ho had curried out the work according to Mr Simpson'n plan, tat on going into the office they found that tho plan did not correspond with the way ha had laid the line down. Tho engineer then said there was another plan; and that was true, for thoro was nnothor plan that had been hanging in tho office for some time, and on this plan tho line was in accordance with the line faid down by Mr Bnrr. ■ He repeated that it waa not with any feeling ngainat the engineer that ho had brought this matter bofora the Board, but simply from a sense of duty. He had found that the channel was gradually silting up, and at once sought for the cause. He found that the causa was in connection with the training-wall. Mr Mill : It's not the training-wall at all; it's tha Dunedin sewage, and it will ailt up aa long as it's there, Mr Elder expressed bis astonishment that an official map Bhould bo hung up in the office to mislead the members of the Board and the engineer, The Chaibman ! I don't think it waa inlanded for that. Mr Eide* : I do net say ii; is, bui the fact remains that it ia thoro, if there i 3 an error, that map has no doubt been the cause of it, The Chaibmau : Oh yes ; I think bo. Mr Elder; It in a monstrous rtate of affairs. The suggestion of Mr Eobarts to refer tha matter to the Works Committee was agreed to.