OTAGO DOCK TRUST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12599, 28 February 1903, Page 11

OTAGO DOCK TRUST.

An ordinary meeting of the Otago Dock Trust was hold at Port Chalmers yesterday; prcsent-Mefsrs E. G. Allen, M.H.E. (chairman), J. Thomson, and the Hon. H. Gmirloy. An apology for absence was received from Mt Dodds.

The Secretary of tho Tiinaru Harbour Board wroto asking to bo furnished with tho conditions under which tho trust erected tho cool stores, cost of up-kcep, etc.— Bequest to be complied with. Tho Auditor-genieral returned the trust balance sheets for the year ending December 31st, 1902, duly certified.—lt wes ordered to be printed. . Tho Finance Committee rccommenclod accounts amounting to £435 5s for payment A credit balance of £481 4s Id was reported. —Adopted. ■ ~ The Special Committee reported on the question of arranging terms with Mr I. Stevenson for tho uso of the forge that arrangements had heen entered into whereby Mr Stevenson took over the forge for five years at a rental of £40 per annum, machinery to be kept in good order and condition. The trust reserved tho right to givo the iKe of the dock forgo and machinery to anyone eke on terms to bo arranged between the parties concerned.— The r-port was approved, tho Chairman remarking that the terms were very favourable both for tho trust and Mr Stevenson. Up to the present the forgo had been worked very intermittently and at a lot of expense, attributable largely to the fact that, the fires boint, allowed to go out so frequently, the constant contraction and expansion allowed tho brickwork to get into disrepair. Mr Stevenson intended to keep the forgo fully occupied, and he was prepared to make heavy forgings for steamers, cie. This would be a, good thing in many ways, for it would prevent a very great deal of this work going outside the colony, as at present. Mr J. Smaill, engineer at tho freezing works, together with Captain Watson, reported on tho steaming qualities of tho dock boilers with a view to increasing their clfin'oncy. The boilers wero not provided with sufficiMit heating surface in proportion to the grato surface. The surface exposed to tho action of the flamo was far too short, being only 16ft, as compared willi the 60ft of tho freezer boilers. This reduced the power, requiring the fires to he forced and heavy co.ils to bo burned, the major portion of the heat escaping through the flues up Mie chimney. To rectify this dofect, it was proposed to increase the heating surface by means of a nest of pipes fitted directly into tho path of the waste hot gases. About 763 ft of 2gin piping was provided for in the plana. The feed waters entered at tho lowest oart of the pipes in tho plan, and in its passage was converted into steam.— It. was decided to adopt the report and order the work to be proceeded with at once.

The Dock Engineer reported that during the. mouth the. pumping machinery _ had been constantly employed, and was giving every satisfaction.—Approved. A letter was received from t-ho Minister of Agriculture approving of the acceptance of t-ho trust term? for freezing aaitl storage of dairy produce for the. United Kingdom and South Africa during tho season on the same terms as last year.—Received. The trust then went into committee.