HAEBOUJR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7722, 17 November 1886, Page 4

HAEBOUJR BOARD.

The adjourned ordinary meeting of. the Harbour Board was held yesterday afternoon. There were present: Messrs Wale,? (chairman), Ross, Cargill, Law, J. B. Thomson, Reid, Mackerras, Hislop, Gourley, Barnes, and Fulton. COIiEESFONDENCE.

Alexander Gibson wrote asking for facilities in connection with the trial in the harbour of a new dredger for gold mining in the Molynoux river.—Application granted. The New Zealand Shipping Company wrote regarding the practice of allowing people to go out in the tugs to sco their friends on board the Home vessels. . They had given permission to some people to go on the tug, and found that the harbourmaster had charged them £1 each. The company thought as they paid the board such a largo sum for the tug, they ought tohavo some say regarding who should go out to meet the steamers on her.—The Harbormaster explained that on one occasion he had charged £1 tor tho passage of some people on the' tug, but in that cases they were getting a passage to a Northern port in one of the boats. He said it was very hard to know where to draw the line, as many people wanted ;to go on the tug and there was a likelihood of it being overcrowded. He therefore recommended that a charge of 10s per head be made, —The recommendation was agreed to . The Harbourmaster wrote complaining of the lighting of the Victoria channel. He had found two of the lights out on the 9th inst., and only three of them giving a proper light. Inconsequence of this one of the piles in the channel had been carried away by the Beautiful Star on a recent trip up the harbour.—A letter was also received from the master of the Beautiful Star complaining of the bad lighting.—lt was resolved that the contractor for lighting be fined in terms of the contract. • • . . ~ BEPOItTS. The Finance Committee's report as follows was adopted:— ■ ■ Your committee regret not being yet able to report on the Application for reduction of rente, as, until an answer 18 received from the Government whether the provisions of " The Local Bodies' Leaseholds Act 1886 are to be made to apply to the board the committee ftel that they are not in a position to deal comprehensively with the whole question. It is understood that the question was to come before the Cabinet to-day, so that tno committee hone to be in a position to report to next meeting. ' ThoWorks Committee reported inter alia: Construction of Tongue Wharf.-Messrs Hector M'Kenzie and Sons' tender (£1360 18s sd) beine lowest and approved of by the engineer, is recommended for acceptance; special attention to be called to the clauses in the conditions of contract referring to the time for completion of the works and the forfeiture for delay. North Head Works. Eecommend that authority be given to employ the requisite number of men re-' quired to replace prison labour on the 30th inst.1 Recommend advertising for tenders for construction of 970 ft additional staging, which will complete' the 4000 ft or limit to whicFi Sir John Coode restricted the construction until the eastern mole was advanced. The report was adopted. Messrs A] Thomson and Adams, who were unable to attend the meeting, wrote protesting against the expenditure in connection with the tongue wharf. THE BAK. The Harbourmaster reported that he had taken soundings on the bar on the 2nd inst., and found the lowest depth at low water in the line of the leading beacons to be 18ft 6in, beacons open to the westward 18ft 6in, and to the eastward 17ft Gin.—Adopted. ENGINEER'S DEPORT. The Engineer reported as follows :— UPPEH HAItBOUR. The dredge Vulcan was occupied small portion of October at Port Chalmers, but she was mostly in the steamers' basin at Dunedin, from which place she lifted 11,481 cubic yards of material. Tho greater part of this was in prosecution of the general scheme of deepening thiß basin over its whole area, but some also was lifted from close upon tho Cross Wharf, where dredging had not been done to the full depth of the adjoining berths. The material operated upon in the body of the basin still continues in the main of very stiff clay, just merging upon stone, though compact sand and patches of gravel have also been encountered. Her working cost has been Id per cubic yard, or with the repairs which have como to book adde 1 up to 4Jd. The side dredge has also hem at work in the steamers' hasin, excavatingthe corner atthe junction of the Cross wharf and the Jetty street wharf, from which she has lifted 1116 cubic yards atthe rate of Is 6d per yard. This also has in most part been stiff material and difficult to deal with.

Those two dredges were tendered by the steamers lona and Balclutha until the 18lh ult., and thereafter the former was sufficient so long as both dredges were in the basin at Dunedin. After that date the towing was considerably reduced by the concentration of our deposit within easy distanco of the place of excavation, nnd so long as these new arrangements are in operation a less expenditure than previously will suffice for towage. The cot of towage by the lona has been 2jd, and 4d by the Balclutba.

The whole of the material dredged in tho upper harbour by the stationary dredges during October has been deposited upon the board's endowments in the proportion of 10,488 cubic yards by cranes and derricks, and 5406 cubic yards by side punts. Deposit at Eavensbourno is now entirely stopped and the derricks are still left in position, but the one from Pelichet Bay (No. 3) has been removed to the wall Bouth of the proposed large dock, where it will lend valuable assistance in bringing that area into condition for occupation. The 10-ton crane originally belonging to dredge 222 has been erected at the extremity of the new wharf and is at work in reclamation. Its great power allows of two boxes being lifted at once, instead of only one as by the smaller size of crane or derrick.

The stone wall on the south side of the proposed large dock has been proceeded with, the stone being got partly from the old walls adjoining. This is in portion on the site recently occupied by the floating dock,' and consequently requires a considerable quantity of stone to fill up the depth. The shed contracted for by iMessrs M'Millan and Moffat was competed on the 6th nit. Mr Ciscy's contract for filling at the lower end of Rattray street is also finished, and the contract for further filling and metalling at the new what is making good progress. The 0 irpenters' shop has been removed, and the punt slip is being fitted up at the same place.' Dredge 222- removed from the Victoria channel, near pile 21, a quantity of 6547 cubic yards and deposited it at sea at rate of id per yard for the total service. LOWER HABIIOUIi. The dredge Vulcan had part of two days' work at Port Chalmers, and removed from theExp >rt wharf a quantity of 384 cubic, yards. She did not complete her work here in Ootober, so that the remainder will come in for notice in the report dealing with the operations of this month. Towing was done by the Iron Age. Dredge 222 had tho principal part of the month at Port Chalmers, and removed from the basin there a quantity of 12,273 cubic yards at cost of 4d per yard, including botli dredging and deposit at sea. No dredging was possible on tho bur owing to the state of the weather throughout the month, but soundings still show a channel across it with minimum depth of 19ft 6in at low water.

At the North Heads Iho qurirry and staging operations have been satisfactory. The yields from the quarries have beon— C.-yda. O.yds. Stone. Spoil. Total. North Qunrry—Prison labour 1,799 • 2,293 — 4,092 South Quarry-Free do ...4,003 1,909 — 6.572 0,402 4,262 —10,664 The cost has been— Per cubic yard Prison labour—Getting and filling .-,. 9Jd Free labour—Getting and filling ... 9d Work at North quarry of Borao free men at Bhifting spoil ... ... Id Average ... ... ... lOd Koads, hauling, and tipping ... 4d Mining and blasting (approximate) ... 5d Total ... ... ... 19J .The'stone in tha South quarry is now of n quality inferior to what it has previously been, and requires selection. The bulk of it is still good enough for breasting whero tho force of the wave cannot roll it about and break it up. The line weather has allowed the eonlractor for (he staging to make good progress, so that the piling has now reached to pier 128, or 2824 ft from the beach abutment.—l have, &c, Geokge M. BiRH, Engineer. The report was referred to tho Works Committee. DEPUTATION. Messrs A. Mercer, A. Bathgate, Matheson, and two other residents at Portobello waited on the board as a deputation to urge that repairs to the extent of from £25 to £30 be effected to the Portobello jetty. Tho Chairman said the Harbour Board had no use for a jetty there, as they derived no revenue from it. Mr Bathgate said the residents would not object to paying a rate with the view of gainingl their object. Several members expressed an opinion that the board should not entertain the proposal, and others that it should, be referred, to tl|e Works

Outninittee for consideration.—Tho latter course was adopted. thndeks. ' The following tenders received for the supply of malleable iron wero referred to the Finance } Committee:—Kincaid, M'Queen,and Co., £142-1 4s Oil; Morgau and Cable, £1455 ; Joseph Sparrow, (£1477; R. S. Sparrow and Co., £1475 ; Cossens and Black, £1485 9s 7d; Young and Garden, £1473 7s Gd. M/ECTION OK CHAIRMAN. Mr Walks, referring to the election of chairman, 3i)i<l ho had now held the office for 12 mouths, aud thinking that ho had held it long enough he now begged to be relieved of the post. In vacating the chair he had to thank the members for the uniform courtesy and forbearance which they had shown him while acting as their' chairman. He had felt that it was a pleasure in presiding over the meetings, for on the whole they had been very harmonious and the business had been transacted with despatch. He had also to thank the officers of the board for the willing and obliging manner in which they had always assisted him. It was pleasing to know that the board had officers of such zetl and ability always willing to work in its ii> terests. Referring to the present position of the board, he said that financially they were iv a creditable position. Their last loan had been successfully floated ; they had still £80,000 on hand, and the works had been very fairly advanced. By the time this sum was expended the revenue of the board would be quite sufficient to meet the ordinary maintenance and departmental expenses, aud ho hoped they would require no f urthor loans. At the heads substantial progress had been made with the mole, and he hoped that noxt year would see the completion of tho works there; Ha felt sure the works would be successful. The depth of water at present was not perhaps so great as it was before the seveio gales in August last, but it was sufficient to admit of vessels 'drawing 23ft of water. Ho thought they might congratulate themselves on beiug on the right track as regards the deepening of the bar, and ultimately he believed they would have without dredging a sufficient di-pth of water to take in any vessels that might come to the port. The works at the heads, he mentioned, were being carried on considerably under tho estimate. Up to theprcseut time between £37,000 and £38,000 had baen expended, and the estimate was£80,000; so that when tho work was finished it was likely \o be considerably within that sum. He also made reference to the satisfactory progress that had been made with tho Victoria channel and the other upper harbour works, and concluded by moving that General Fulton bo elected chairman for the ensuing year. General Fulton said he must decline to accept the position.

Mr Goublky proposed that Mr Wales be reelected. . . .

Mr Wales said ho felt that he must absolutely decline the honour. His principal reason for declining was that his own business required tho whole of his attention. ■ ■ ■

Mr Thomson moved and Mr Reid seconded "That Mr Mackerras be appointed chairman for the ensuing year." . ; Mr Mackeheas declined the honour. .'•", Mr Hislop then proposed and Mr Gourlet seconded the election of Mr A. H. Ross. Mr Ross consented to accept the office if someone would act during his absence in Wellington, and his election was agreed to unani-' mously, it being understood that Mr J.. B. Thomson should act in his absence. Mr Ross proposed a vote of thanks to the retiring chairman, which was briefly acknowledged by Mr Wales. The former also returned thanks for the honour done him by the members. . COMMITTEES.1 The old committees werere-elected, Mr Wales taking the places formerly held by Mr Ross; and it was decided that the Works and Finance Committees Bhould each select two members to form a leasiug committee.