OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17865, 21 February 1920, Page 6

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

ANNOMJ BEPCETS AND ESTIMATES. A SATISFACTQRY ROOOUD. A special mecrKug of the Otago Harbour Bohrd was held _ last evening for th« purposo of coneidoring tho annual report and the estimates for tho current year. Thoso present wer&i Messrs H. L. Taploy (chairman), N. Galbraith, J. Lou<lon, J. Donald, T. Soollay, J. M. Dickson. M.P., James Douglas, E. Roberta, W. Wilkinson. EL O, Campbell, A. Cable, and D. Laraooh.

* CHATRMAKTS ANNUAL REPORT. The animal report of tho chairman, as printed, was adopted on the motion of Mr Wilkinson, seconded by Mr Cable, practically without discussion. Tho salient features of this report are as follow: —Dealing with the finances of the board, tho report stated that tho receipts for 1919 totalled £99,578 7s sd, and th© expenditure £97,053 19s sd. During tho yew the imports amcunted to 259,20 V tons, and the exports to 137,802 tons, as compared with £223,056 and £127,144 respectively in 1918. For the first time for a number of years tho boird was on tho crodit side, so far as the working of the docks was concerned. This was largely duo to the docking of the 9-s. Westmoreland. They started tho yoar with a dcficit of over £12,000, but the harbour fund had this year permitted tho payment of £5000 allocated in 1916, ami •with further transfers for the year the deficit (profit and loss account) at December 31 Inst stood at £3357. , . In the lay-ouit of block L3LX.V provision was made for three streets, each witlj a doublo.set of sidings to servo tho rear portions of certain sidings. A _ committee was set up to consider the question of abandoning the siding accommodation between llalBev and Bauchop streets, and on their recommendation it was decided to deleto the provision for sidings in the area indicated. This particular area was now being resurveyed, and would bo brought under the Land Transfer Act, after which they would ■be in a position to offer the sections under a 14 years' form of lease. Tho additional area secured through tho cutting out of tho siding accommodation would bo orie aero and a-half, and it was anticipated, that they ■would possibly be saved much friction with tenants consequent on the congestion w'hicn would be sure to ariso in tho working of tho sidings, more particularly if tho sections happened to be leased to a number of lessees As a result of a request by the City Council permission had been granted to discharge tho drainage from various homos and orphanages at Anderson s Buy into tho lagoon under special conditions. On August 20 tho engineer submitted a comprehensive report on the matter of the discharge of towage into tho harbour goner'ally, and it was decided to approach tho Droin-ajo Board in ro tho annual payment uuder tho 1899 agreement for the discharge of sewage, which payment had been in abeyance for several years. A conference between representatives of the two bodies was held, and an. agreement had now been come to with respect to the arrears, and also with respect to the futuredischarge of sewage into the harbour, subject to ratification by tho Drainage Board. By direction of tho board, the engineer submitted, on May 22 and Juno 27, comprehensive reports as to the dredging required to deepen the Lower Harbour and the Victoria Channel to cop© with tho increased size of vessels which is was anticipated would be trading to the port in tho near future. Finally it was decided to proceed with the dredging of tho Lower Harbour to a depth of 30ft with 600 ft width at tho bends and 300 ft in tho straight, tho spoil to be deposited at Lako Logan, in order to complete the reclamation of this area as soon as possible. In view of the engineer's report it was decided to. go on • -with tha reclamation of Lake Logan, and to proceed with tho reclamation of Mussel Bay at tho earliest possible opportunity. Xko work of deepin# the \iotocia Channel to oomply with the resolution to dredge to a depth of 22ft and a width of 200 ft would be proceeded with after the completion of tho Lower Harbour dredging; meantime, this channel was being dredged at ono or two points to improvo the depth. At the request of the Peninsula Ferry Company ,dred&in« was carried out in tho vicinity of Portobello wharf and in the channel between Broad Bay and Ross Point, some £500 being spent on-'these operations. Consequent on the foregoing, tho question ot recoiving increased revenue to provide the interest on the capital cost of these wharves has been again before tho board, and the matter is at present being considered by A Subcommittee. As indicated in last year's report, Mr Writson had given notice of determination Pi his lease of the freezing works. Port Chalmers; consequently, tenders were called for the the leaso of samo. Only one tender, however, was received, and as the consideration was not deem-edi adequate, tlio board considered the question of improving the works and bringing them up to date, and to this end* approached the Department of Agriculture for financial assistance. There were difficulties in the way of this department granting a loan, but as favourable tjrma were secured from the Public Trust Department, Wellington, it was decided to tako advantage ot the offer, and to put the works in thorough up-to-date order to meet tho requirements of the port. Tho division of the Lake Logan reclamation area has beei under the consideration of tho board during the year. A deputation from th© Otago University Council and tho exocutivo of tho Students' Association waited on tho -board on June 23. with a request- that ail area of 20 acres be set aside us a playing area. It waa decided to lease 20 acres when finally reclaimed, for 50 years, at a nominal rental for this purpose. As indicated in last year's report, the board had already agreed to the request to tho Otago Education Board to exchange the present site of the Albany Street School

for a fivc-aare site on the reclaimed area. Tho Education Board had now made applica- , tion for the purchase or lease of a further thrfle acres for a sit© far a training college. Tho boaxd did not favour tho purchasing proposal, bat had offered to leaso the Education Board an area for a term of 50 years. In order to allow of a portion of the valuable property at present occupied by the railway goods yard being available for building sites, and also to improve the existing meagre and totally inadequate .access to the wharves and the landl adjoining, it was decided to approach tho Railway Department with a view to attaining this objective. A committee was set up to confer with tho City Council, Chamber of Commerce, and other local bodies, so that concerted action might be taken, and this committeo is now dealing with tho matter. Tho timo has now arrived when, in the interests of the board, a harbour rating area should bo obtained. Apart from other considerations, there are loans expiring in January, 1921, amounting to £2C0,2iC0, and in arranging for a renewal on a bed-rock basis, a rating area ia of paramount importance. As it was folt that North Island ports had an unfair advantage ovor the southern ports Si) regard to tho rato of freight in the mail contracts for Vancouver and San Frineisco, too board communicated with the Postmas-ter-general with _ a view to ascertaining when the prosent mail contracts expire, in order that opportunity might be given the importers and merchants of this city to take notion to get a flat Tato for tho four main centres both inward and outward, in tho new mail contracts which will lie made. Tho Poslmaster-general had advised that tho matter had boon noted for consideration whoa tho terms of tho now contract are being drafted ENGINEER'S REPORT.

Tho engineer's annual report on the works fcxocutcd during tho year ended Dpcomber 31, ICI9, was adopted. It stated, inter alia: Consequent upon Ihc decision of the board to doc-pen tho Lower Harbour channel from Port Chalmers to the Heads to a minimum douth of 30ft at low water, tho dredge was put into commission again on August <V. Prom that dato until tho end of tho yrar dredging operations were carried on partly at Deborah Bav and partly m th's Victoria Channel. A total of 102 J- loads, or 85.2€6 cubic yards, of material wero dredged from tho following localities: —Vulcan's pit, nine loads, or 7497 cubic yards- Deborah Bay, 48 loads, or 30,984 cubic yards; between piles 21 and 23, 4 loads, or 37,885 cubic yards. Of this material, 16_ loads, or 13,323 cubic yaidn, were deposited at theKaik; 33 loads, or 27.489 cubia yards, outside the Heads; and 53i loads, or 44,549 cubic yards, at the Vulcan. Tbo dredgo consumed 670 tons of em! and steamed 1310 mile-s. Tho cost per yard of material drodged works out at 9.2 d for the 12 months. Dredge Vulcan: From .January 1 to Ootobor 26 tho dredgo vr;is out oC commission. On October 27, a jct ("rtmtsivo overhaul and repairs, tho dredge commcnccd pumping, and for the remainder of the year received from dredgo 222 43,716 cubic yards of spoil, the whole of which wag deposited in I/ike Logan. At tho end of tho year the length of pipeline through which tho material is pumped measured 3541 ft. Including all charges for overhaul and for laying the new pipeline, the average cost per yard works ont at 9.7 d. From Axipust to December the JYicstman dredge was employed in deepening tho berths at Portobcllo and Jloss Point and tho approach to the latter iertty. Tho total quantity of material dredged .was 'S~-Vi cubio vards, from the following locality ; :■ —Portobello wharf, 1848 cubic yards; u.-nl Eoaa. Point wharf,.. ; MBB, ouhio .yards.

Darius' the year 15 vessels woro docked in tile Otago dook ami 29 vessels in tho Port Chalmers dock, making' a total of 44 vessels for tho year. Tlk> Ofcagxi Dock was pumped out 27 times and tho Port 01 ml mora dock 35 times, milking- a total of 62 pumps for tho year. Tho dock pumps ran for a total of 226£ hours, nnd the drainage pumps dealt with 7992 hours' drainage. The work of renewing; tho 4ft nnd the 6ft altars of the Otago dock, which was commenced in the jiciw 1918, was finished in March. 1919. In all. tho 4ft altar was renewed over a length of 408 ft, and tho 6ft altar over a lengili of 360 ft. Up to the present no cracks havo been noticed in tho new concrete, and it is fully anticipated that tho work will stand intact for many years. Tho electrio plaint ran for a total of 37 hours during tho year, generating power for tho 15-ton eleetrio crane, which was engaged at various lifts for that time. The tuir Dunedin was out of commission for the whole year. In July tho vessel win docked for cleaning nnd painting nnd class Lficait ion. Tenders had been invited during tho previous year for a wator-tulje boiler or boilers, but owing to the high

prices suhmitted no tender was accepted. To a/Ford local nmnufiicturers an opportunity of quoting, tenders closing on January 13 1920, wero again invited for a suitable* marine boiler of any type. It- is to bo hoped tnat ns a result of tho new

tenders tho tug will bo again in commission beforo tho end of 1920. During tho year tho quarry at tho Maori Kaik was reopened, and a start was mado upon tho extensions of tho Spit wall and the raising of tlio groynes at Harrington Point bend. Stone was transported from tho quarry in hopper punts towed by tho tug Plucky. It was soon found that the attendance tho Plucky was r-ble to bestow upon this work was very intermittent, and tho time lost mado the work too costly. Consequently the quarry was closed down, and the s.s. • Pilot (renamed Otakou) was purchased towards tho end of the year. After being overhauled, this vessel was put into commission, and is proving a most suitablo boat for tho work she has to perform. The locomotive on loan from tho Dunedin City Corporation was overhauled and returned to the Gasworks on June 6, 1919. During the year tho, wall from Anderson's Bay to Dunedin has not sunk to any appreciable extent, and has required very littlo maintenance. Some trouble has been experienced in stopping small leaks, and until the wall is finally backed up with drodgings more or less .maintenance work will be necessary. It is thought that, wero the Kitchener street berth now deepened and increased in width, little dredging would be required to maintain a 24ft berth at this wharf. This work was stopped in February, 1918, and sinco then no progress has been made. The completion of at least the walling is necessary before the reclamation of tho proposed new railway route can bo commenced, but owing to the scarcity of cement it is questionable whether much progress can be mado during 1920. The reclamation of Lake Logan was again commenced on October 27, and from that dato until tho end of the year 43,716 cubic yards of filling were added. ESTIMATES. Tho statement of tho estimated receipts and expenditure for the year was adopted. Tlio receipts 'were given as £99,010 and tho expenditure at £96,934. _ The estimated revenue for the year ending December 31 next js made up a$ follow: —Dues on goodsimports £33,000, exports £20,000; cranage, £150; electric light, £400; harbour department —pilotage and harbourmaster's fees, £9000; port charges, £5750; berthage, £4500; towage, £1100; pilotage exemptions, £40; licenses, £150; life insurance, refunds, £350; pier master, Port Chalmers, £70; receiving and delivery, £3500; rents, £15,500; storage, £500; miscellaneous, £5000; —total, £99,010. The estimated expenditure (out of revenue) is mado up as follow: —Contingencies (Public Revenues Act), £150; cranes, £362; dredge 222, £9596; dredge Vulcan, £4097; endowments, £587; engineer's department, £1817; harbour lighting, £1168; harbourmaster's department, £4477; interest on loans, £46,437; s.s. Otakou, £885; receiving and delivery, £2710; secretary's department and general, £4162; storage, £420; tugs, £2809; various works, £12,257 ; contribution to dock; £1009; plant renewal and depreciation fund, £2020; marine insurance fund, £2000;— total, £96,924.

Estimated loan expenditure for year ending December 31, 1920: —Hayward Point light, £475; leading line mole lights, £150; mole light, buoy,_ £600; North Spit training wall, £500; raising and maintaining halftide wall, Victoria Channel, £1200; Victoria wharf breastwork, £100; —total, £3025. The estimated revenue, dock departmnt, for the year ending 31st December. 1920:— Due 6 and charges—dock £3350, slip £70; sheerlegs and electric crane, £600; wharfage, £60; electric light, £50; rents, £1360; Otago Harbour Board contribution, £1000; Union S.S. Co.'s contribution, £1900; Port Chalmers Borough Council's contribution, £500; -total, £7990.

Tho estimated expenditure, including coal, stores, wages, repairs, insurances, general expenses, etc., £10,290.