WOOL-DUNPING PLANT MR DUINEDIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15986, 31 January 1914, Page 13

WOOL-DUNPING PLANT MR DUINEDIN.

ACTION BY HAIIBOUR BOARD MR, MASON'S REPORT. In pursuance of a suggestion thrown out by Mr E. (J. llazlett at the last meeting of tile Harbour Board that the question of providing a wool-dumping plant for this City should be considered, the following report wiw laid before the board lust evening by its engineer (Mr J. Blair Miuson): — '' The space available for additional storage accommodation on tile Birch street wnaj-f, such as would bo required for wooldumping lies bctwen the W and K sheds. A sioro 110 ft by 05tt could be built 011 tnis area, alter allowing for cartway access to the wharf. This space is now frequently used for tue storage of coal and other cargo, when, as often happens, several coal boats are discharging at Dunedin at the same time. '1 lie installation of a wool-dumping piant at tnis whart would render necessary Uie widening of the wharf so as to give greater railway facilities, and allow of the deepening of i lie berthage for the reception of large vessels. The cost of an iron and timber store of one floor, 110 ft by 65ft, of sufficient height to allow for stacking the wool, is estimated at £18C/J; and the estimated co6t of widening Birch street wharf 14ft is £7700. Additional storage accommodation is need at the Victoria wharf, sheds T and U being too small to cope with the growing oversea trade. A store 100 ft by lOvJf't, in timber and iron (estimated cost, ±>2600), could be built north of U shed, and enlarged when required by the removal of U shed. Such a store might be utilised temporarily as a site for wool-dump-ing, although in the wool season, when the sheds are full of wool, it might be found difficult to cope with the ordinary trade of the port. 1 am of opinion that the permanent site for a wool-dumping piant should bo situated opposite the proposed extension of the Kitchener street wliarf. The plan shows that railway communication can be made alter a portion of the southern endowment has been reclaimed and allowed to consolidate. A commodious two-storey building in wood and iron, 100 ft by 120 ft, could be erectcd (estimated cost, £4800), or a single storey, in wood and iron, IflOft bv 250 ft (estimated ccot £5750). Stores .-J these sizes are equal to the storage capacity of the wool-dumping sheds at Port Chalmers, The installation of a two-press wool-dumping plant operated by electricity is estimated to cost £1000 The following are the existing charges for the transport and dumping of wool: —Railway carnage from Dulled. n to the private siding at Port Chalmers, Is per bale; if the Railway Department does the loading at Dunedin, the charge for the above is 3d per bale extra; railway charges at Port Chalmers for haulage of bales from the private siding to the ship axe Is per ton (five bales reckoned to the ton); if the Railway Department provides the labour to load the ship, the charge is 6d per ton extra. Charges at Port Chalmers for dumping are Is 6d per undumped bale; also a charge for receiving into store, 3d per bale; no storage is charged. The railway charges at Duticdin are : Haulage from the stores t'o the wharf, Is per ton. In comparing the charges at Dunedin and Port Chalmers, it will bo seen that, as the ship at Dunedin would be moored alongside the dumping shed, the Is per ton for haulage at Port' Chalmers after the bales had been dumped would he saved, which would compensate for the Is per ton payable for haulage from the 6toro to the wharf at Dnnedn, so that the total saving to the exporter would be Is per bale (freight

to Port Chalmers). The cartage rates for wool in Dunedin amount to 4d pi r bale each way to a.nd from the stores, «o (hat I tlie total saving on wool out oi stores not connected with tho ripiway would bo Is per bull-' (freight to Port Chuhiioiii), plus Is per ton for haulage at Port Chalmers from tho slorc l:o the ship. Tin. l dumping ami shipment of wool at Dunodin in lieu of Port Chalmers from the above ligures shows a saving to tho exporter of la per bale on wooi delivered to the board s store ix truck from storo connot-tixf with rail way, arid Is 2.4 d on wool carted from stores not connected by railway. " The number of bales of wool exported from tho port of Otago in 1913 was 43,971. The greater portion of tho woo! is first hiken into the Dunodin etore.s connected with the railway, so that, as before stated, the saving to the exporter, if this wool is dumped and shipped at Dunedin, will bo Is per bale, or a total saving of £2200. To accomplish this saving to the exporter, the board would require to expend tho folio-wing sums (excluding that, required for railway communication).:—Store at Dunedin, say, £6000; flumping plant., say, £1000; or a total of £7000. Tho annual charges would bo as follow: —Interest, on £7000 at. 5 per cent'.. £350; depreciation at 3 per cent., £210; or a total of £560. To this should be added the sum of £280, being the rentals received from the stores now used for wool-dumping at Port Chalmers, making- a total of £840 to be provided for out of revenue. Taking the profit on the dumping and receiving of wool at 6d per bile, and assuming that 44.000 are treated at. Dunedin, there would be available the sum of £1100. Deducting the annual charge of £840. the net profit on the above figures would be £260. It must be noted that the board's revenue would benefit by the extra berthage and the receiving and delivery charges, which arc estimated to bring in £146, making the total extra revenue that the board would derive £4-06. It should be remembered that the above figures are based on the assumption that all the wool exported is dumped and dealt with by the board at Dunedin."

Mr Bullock moved that tho report bo received, and _ discussion of it stand over till next meeting. Members, he stated, had just received the report that evening, and had not had time to consider it'. Mr Walker seconded the motion, and concurred with Mr Bullock's remarks. It was moved as an amendment by Mr Loudon, and seconded bv Mr Bridgcr, that the report be read.

Iho motion was carricd by a largo majority.