HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10422, 26 July 1895, Page 4

HARBOUR BOARD.

Au ordinary meeting of the Harbour Board, held yesterday, was attended by Messrs H. Gourley (chairman), W. Murray, J. Carroll, J. T. Mackerraj, B. G. Allen, W. Joel, J. Robin, W. Wright, N. Y. A. Wales, and Captain Moir. FINANCIAL. The bank book, which was laid on the table,"! showed a credit balance of £5806 8a 8d Th 9 Chairman stated that £764 had been paid off oa account of sinking fund purchase, or the balance would have bceu £6570. CORRESPONDENCE. Tha Secretary, of the St. John Ambulance Association wrote stating that he intended to place a stretcher, hamper, &o. in the harbourmaster's offiea on the Ratfcray street-wharf .—lt was agreed to grant permission to the harbourmaster to take charge of the appliances.

■r WORKS COMMITTEE'S BEPORT. ' The Worka. Committee reported that after cartful consideration of.the' Inspector of Works' rjporo pu.sand pump dredging in New South n ties, and having had the banefit of several cc.,;f-»rt.nces with .Mr George Higgins, civil fci-tmeer, who had had Urge experiecce of that rootle of dredging, thej Citue to the conclusion that none of the pumps offered to the board would giye 'anything- approwhing the results ttiafcmight.be obfcihiod f com a pump suitable to the dredge Vulcan's power. The comparative capacities, with given lengths of pipes and K^Tva? Pr at Vamp; being'(a) 00,.fi) 67, (c) 87, and pump proposed 18in, 215, .determined the committee to arrange with Mr Higgins to supply'plans and specifications for a pump of the type approved by the New South Wales authorities after five years' experience of various types of pumps. The pump and all appliances could be" manufactured locally. The committee - recommended that, as the plans and specifications would be ready in a few ,-.<Jayf, they be empowered to call for two separate contracts— viz., (a.) construction of pump, gearing, and fitting on board the Vulcan; and (6) supply of piping for discharging material. An'application by Mr Lee, to ba allowed to do a little dredging at the entrance to Anderson's Bay, having been reported on favourably by the harbourmaster and/ inspector ' of1 works, was recommended 'to' be granted.—The report, which was considered in committee, was adopted. : " :

FINANCE COllMtrsEa's RBPOHT.

The Finance.Committee reported that after sundry correspondence they fdnnd that the railway aufhoritie3 were how prepared to treat the Jetty street wharf as a railway wharf, and that undw the railway tariff (page 48)' adopted in 1893 there was no ..terminal charge of Is 2d per ton. but only a charge made of 6d per ton for labour. The position of matters did not appear to have been known to some of the officers, of the department, .neither was it known to the wool, grain,; and other" agencies; and the committee were glad to have the present opportunity of drawing special attention to the district traffic.manner's information that " the terminal charge,of Is 2d per ton is not now madein the 'case of Dunedin1 when the goods are consigned to,, the1 railway wharf for shipment in vessels lying there." The former charge of Is Bd, gay, on oats was equal to £d per bushel. The com-, mittee were pleased to be able to report that the traffic manager assured them that he could nob discover any ground fcr complaint in ivgard to want of facilities in tho supply of trucks, at all events for some years back, and that when they did exist, explanations were made that were deemed reasonable at the time. The committee hoped, ,with the. information now at command,; that the wharf connection with the railway would bo taken more advantage of in the future. They recommended that dues upon machinery from Waipapa Beach be eiassed as retarned, and that due's upon soda be classed with soda cryttais. They reported that. 40 debentures at £105 had . been completed by tenderers and arrange'nM'rit* made with the bank for paying off the 38 sinking fund 6 per cent, debentures drawn on June 30 ult, aud payable on September 30 pros. Accounts amounting to £727> lOd had been passed for payment.'—The report was adopted. HARBOUHirASTER's KBPORT. • " " ' " The harbourmaster reported that, soundings taken during the current month gave the following low waiter depths :—Eutraccs to the harbour, leading beacons ,in line, 22£f6;, beacocs slightly open, east and wast, 21ft; new north channel, 30ft approximately (siight: swell on the bar. The beet lines in the west chaunel gave 20ft, 19|ft, and : lS^ft respectively. The.depth in tae Victoria channel was 12^ft. During the month 46 vessels, rcpraseuting 34,900 tons, arrived at thia port, and 45 ve3Belß, represeoting 35,798 tons, departed therefrom. • '-'-.[