LOWER HARBOUR WORKS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13941, 28 June 1907, Page 3

LOWER HARBOUR WORKS

MR BULLOCK SEEKS INFORMATION.

hen the Harbour Board engineer's report wis being discussed at yesterday's mooting of tho board, Mr Bullock said that with reference to tho works at tho Heads ho cou!d not sop anything on tlw table ae to what tlio water was like there, and he thought the board should have some definite plan indicating -what the engineer was doing and what progress was being made. A groat deal was heard about tho worte, but bo had not scon any plan of tbo improvements ihat were being carried out. Ho wanted to know how matters stood.

Tim Engineer said tho plans could bo Eocn at. any time.

Mr Bullock: Then I would like to know tho soundings in the now cut.

Tho Engineer tho soundings given by tho harbourmaster woe 17ft in the centre and 16ft on (ho eastern edge. He had had soundings laken during (he last fortnight, and the deep water was making to the eastward all tho time. As soon as tbo big dredge was away from tho Victoria Channel it was tho intention to remove the small impediments to the east of the dredged cut. The new cut was a temporary exp«lient.

Mr Bullock: What is the water in,the new cut? 1

Tho Engineer: It was dredged to 22ft, but has now silted tip to 17ft. Mr Bullock: Then it seems to mo that if it was dredged to 22ft and is now 17ft, it is time something was dono to it. The dredging has had no effect. Tho Engineer: Certainly it has had an efToct. I never anticipated when tho dredge ■was put there that- the'deep water would remain in that position. It was absolutely impossible to cut a channel anywhere else at that time.

Mr Bullock paid at the time the channel was cut nrtic'es had been written about the wonderfid improvement it was. The Luginoer said the channel was niueli better than it had been. It was deepening every day, and the central bank was scouring away. Ho had never anticipated that the new cut would remain open for any length of time, and ho had informed the board to that effect.Mr Bullock: What was your idea in dredging that out? The Engineer said that was an engineerii'2 question that could not bo entered into, Did; be might say that the shoals, particularly in the dredged eut, were never found in tho same places twice owing to tho swirl of the tide. One reason for dredging: in that position was that to have placed tho (Jrcdgo in Iho navigable channel at Harrington Point would have blocked tho only entrance to the harbour., The water on tho banks was improving every day. 16ft lining obtained where there was formerly 9ft. and -it was intended, n« soon as the dredge was finished in the Victoria Channel, to remove the small impediments to the east of the dredged eut. Mr Bullock repeated his request. As it was, he said, he did not know how things were going. All he knew was that the new uiit as shown had shoaled, and wan not much good now at all. T.his had licen brought forcibly to his mind, as a fortnight previously, on Ins wav to Lvttelt-on in the Tolnne. the steamer had taken that channel and touched bottom. Tho matter then drooped.