OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18872, 26 May 1923, Page 8

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

The regular meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was held last evening, and was attended by Messrs T. H. Russell (chairman), Anderson, Campbell, Cable, Moller, Walker, Dickson, ALP., M'Donald, Wilkinson, Ramsay, Loudon, Larnach, and Captain Sundstrum. FINANCIAL. It was reported that there was a credit balance of £15,980. CORRESPONDENCE. The Union Steam Ship Company forwarded a cheque for £IOOO as a contribu tion towards the dock deficit for the year 1922. —Noted. GENERAL. The chairman’s honorarium was fixed at £2OO a year. In connection with the fishing industry at Port Chalmers (fish handling, appliances) the chairman said that - so far the only thing the board had agreed to was to drive the piles for the Railway Department,—Mr Cable said the only objection was by the harbourmaster as to navigation. Had there been any further information supplied —The Chairman replied in the negative. —The, secretary said - that there was nothing further than had been before the committee. Mr Larnach questioned whether they could interfere.—Mr M'Donald moved that Mr Wilkie proceed with the work as previously directed. —Mr Walker said that would be against the harbourmaster, and he was not prepared to take up that position.—Mr Loudon moved us an. amendment that Captain M'Lean’s scheme be approved of, and that an electric crane bo supplied and recommendations be made to the Railway Department in accordance with the scheme. Captain M'Lean said that he saw no reason to depart from the terms of his report. He wanted to make his position quite clear and relieve himself of any responsibility should an accident occur. —The Chairman ruled the amendment out of order. Fhe motion.was then put and lost by eight votes to four. . On the motion of Mr Campbell, it was decided to write letters' of appreciation to the engineer and his staff for their work on the occasion of the last two floods. It was also decided to make pecuniary gifts to Mr Robertson and bis two juniors to help pay for the damage caused to their clothes while at work. It was further decided to take Messrs T. Lee, S. Gardiner, T. Ellis, S Jarvis, and Parsons from the casual staff and place them on the permanent stair., STANDING COMMITTEE’S REPORT. The following clauses in -the Standing Committee’s report were agreed to: Your committee recommends, with respect, to the communication from the Union Steam Ship Company offering to sell ss, Brcxton for use at dock entrance,; that the engineer be asked to ‘submit alternative estimates as follows;—Estimate of total cost if the s.s. Broxton is utilised; estimate ot cost of constructing a new wharf; estimate of cost by adding to the present system ol dolphins. , . Your committee recommends, with respect to the communications from Messrs H. L. Tapley and Co. re tug. Dunedin colliding with the s.s. Canadian Constructor, that the correspondence bo , received and the secretary’s reply approved; Your committee recommends, with respect to the application from, the Bruce Railway and Coal Company for lease of area in Wharf street, that a yearly lease of the area applied tor bo granted, under the usual yearly form of lease, at a rental of FL6 per annum for the first year, with the proviso ■that buildings are not to be erected within 55ft of the frontage of Wharf street, as shown on plan. , . ' . Your committee recommends with respect to the communication from Messrs S. Holm and Company with respect to overtime charge on ships that the letter be re-ceived,”-and the secretary’s reply thereto bo approved. . ~ Your committee recommends with respect to the communication from the board’s solicitors relative to separate leases for subdivided section No. 11, block LXVI, that the request be granted. ‘ , In connection with a piertnaster s house at Fort Chalmers the tender of J. Knewstubb (in wood) at £1066 had been acYour committee recommends that the fire insurance risk bo divided between all British companies doing business in Dunedin, the South British Insurance Company to be the distributing office for 1923-1924. The committee recommended with respect to the engineer’s report on floods and drainage (Leith Canal) that Mr J. Blair Mason, who designed the Leith works, be given an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the adaptability of the canal,, in view of recent experiences.—:The Chairman remarked that they had not, yet got a report from Mr Mason.wit was resolved that the recommendation' be agreed to. The committee recommended with' respect to the communication from the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board, asking board’s engineer to attend drainage conference, that Mr Wilkie bo authorised to attend the conference. That a special committee;- consisting of the Chairman,' Messrs Cable. Campbell, Loudon, Moller, Ramsay, and Wilkinson, be set'un to confer with the Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board on the question of effective methods for coping with further floods and a drainage scheme over the whole of the board’s endowments.—lt _ was resolved that the clause bo given effect to and that Messrs M'Donald and Walker take tho place of Messrs Cable and Campbell, these two gentlemen expressing their willingness to make way for them. > It was’ also agreed that a ccpv of the solicitor’s opinion (to be treated confidentially) be supplied to members. The Standing Committee recommended with respect to the correspondence with Messrs Spencer and Dunkley and tho Teviot Power Board, in re account for storage on poles ex Gabriella, that, under the exceptional circumstances, the. storage charge bo waived, subject to the approval of the Audit Department.—Captain Sundstrum said that he rpnst object, to the remission. There should not be different treatment to different customers of the board. He would move as an amendment—- “ That the harbour charges be enforced.”— Mr M'Ponald seconded.the amendment pro forma. —Mr Loudon said that they should not put a barrier on industry. They should only enforce such charges where they considered that advantage was being taken of the board.—The amendment was lost by 1m overwhelming majority, and the recommendation adopted. The eommittee recommended • for enproval tho now valuations of the nnlet sections in block LXXV. to he leased for an initial term of 21 years, with renewals of 14 years, the recommendation being approved of. . The committee, recommended for payment general accounts (±<6643) and dock accounts (£_....i. —Agreed to. LAKE LOGAN RECLAMATION. The engineer submitted the following report (May 9): —1 regret that, at this late date, I am forced to alter certain decisions, and the haste with whicn the remarks are written must bo the excuse for the abruptness. 1. From observations taken in the Leith. Canal during the lecont Hood, it is mipossiple to run tho water from Opoho Creek into the Leith Canal, The permanent route must be lound the eastern side of the lake past tho Fever Hospital and Palmer's Quarry, thence by the. shortest route to the sea. This moans that the. portion of the area devoted to water on Mr Anscombe’s plan must bo filled in with spoil. 2. After further consideration of the time required to' till in Lake Logan, although I can find no error in my calculation, experience impels mo to urge for another 12 months m which to reclaim this area, fcio many contingencies may arise to delay the work and tho completion ot the reclamation on the date decided upon is ot so much importance that I consider another year imperative, to the success ot the Exhibition.

The engineer also reported (May 21). — At the meeting of the X-'rovisional Committee held on Wednesday last I was asked to report on the time required to complete Lake Logan reclamation. As reported to the board and to the Sites Committee 1 still think the area can bo filled to level by January, 1925; but I am • extremely doubtful whether the reclamation will be suthciently consolidated to permit of buildings being erected on that date. The rate of consolidation depends entirely upon the class of material pumped in, and‘ this again depends on the locality to be dredged.’ My view—that another year was imperative for the success of the Exhibition—was expressed in writing to the Sites Committee and I am disinclined to give any guarantee that the whole of the Lake Logan area will be fit for the purposes of an Exhibition before January, 1926. The Sites Committee gave very careful consideration to the question of sites and were unanimous in their decision that the ’Lake Logan area was the only one which in anyway fulfilled the requirements of a modern Exhibition. In view of this decision, it would seem that every effort should be made to have this area ready in time for January* 1925; but I do not feel justified in altering my written decision to the Sites Committee. Wculd the board bo willing to work two shifts on Dredge “222” from now to the end of the year, by which time a de-

cision could b© arrived at which would preclude any possibility of doubt? The Standing Committee recommended with respect to' the engineer’s report: (a) The Exhibition Sites Committee be written to, pointing out that, in view ot the reports, the undertaking, as contained in our communication of tne sth hist., must be considered as a tentative one. Further, that if the Exhibition Committee t desirc, the board will work the dredge two shifts during the balance ot this year, with a view to judging if it will bo possible to have the lake ready earlier than January, 1926. (b) That the ‘engineer bo to render any assistance necessary to the Exhibition Committee, until fresh instructions adopted. . . , Mr Campbell said that he did not thinx the recommendation quite conveyed the proposed intention. Fie thought tnat the engineer meant that he would like the board to decide on the question of a double shitt so as to enable him to see how far he would be on with the work in six months’ time. Mr Dickson said that the Exhibition, Committee might not be prepared to wait. If the board did not give them a definite answer then the committee might go somewhere else. Mr Walker moved—“ That the recommendation bo approved and the engineer be instructed to proceed with the two shifts.” Mr M’Donald said that the board should bo unanimous and give a definite opinion on the matter. He thought that they might work three shifts it possible. He understood that the City Council could provide the necessary electric power. TJieriS was another alternative. Was there no other dredge that they could get? Mr Campbell: Yes; at the Bluff. !Mr M'Donald, continuing, said that they should be in earnest about the matter and take the responsibility of going ahead at once. Mr Walker'said that if the work could not bo completed with the two shifts, then they could consider the question of getting another dredge. That, ot course, would bo a liability on the Sites Committee. It was not so much the question of dredging as getting suitable material for filling in. With the two shifts they would get the deviation work through earlier, and this would give them an opportunity of seeing where they were. Mr Campbell said that the Southland people were desirous of assisting in the Exhibition project, and they would no doubt be willing, if necessary, to help to get tile Bluff Harbour Board’s dredge. Mr Ramsay: Supposing Cake Logan is not decided on, then are we not going to bo put to unnecessary expense? Aoices: No; the board is going to save money with a double shift. Mr Loudon said that he thought the recommendation was on proper lines. Mr Wilkie. (engineer) said that the overhaul of dredge vulcan was due ju about three or four weeks’ time, and it might bo best to start the overhaul right a wav. Mr "Wilkie was given permission to go on with the overhaul at once. On the chairman's suggestion the words “if the Exhibition Comm.ttee desire” and the word “will” (after “board”) were deleted, ar.d the recommendation was then adopted. The working of two shifts was therefore approved. ENGINEER’S REPORT. Speaking to the engineer’s report, Mr M'Donald said that something should be done in the direction of raising the Harbour Board’s property at Lake Logan. No pun lie body should refrain from spending funds on taking steps to prevent the recent catastrophe. Some said that a committee should be set Up and that the board’s tenants on low levels should be assisted to get their residences raised above flood level. He would be prepared to stretch a point to fix these properties up permanently, and be was positive that the expense would more than double the present value of the places.—Mr Loudon moved the adoption of the report. —Mr Walker asked if the committee had done anything about the two solutions rhentioned by Mr Wilkie. —The Chairman said nothing had been done and would not be done until the conference came off.—The motion was carried.

POSITION OF DEPUTW CHAIRMAN. Mr moved, in accordance with notice—" That the resolution of the board of May ; 5, 1922, abolishing the office of deputy Chairman, be rescinded. That, in view of the experience appertaining to the recent flood, and consequent on the fact that the chairman’s distance from town prevented the board’s engineer from having the advantage of a personal conference, tho late chairman (Mr H. C. Campbell) be api pointed deputy chairman for the current term.” (Note. —It is to bo distinctly understood that such appointment will not entitle Mr Campbell to bo elected to. the position of. chairman for the term 1924-25). - uat in the future the retiring chairman become, automatically, the deputy chairman for the ensuing term.” Air Walker asked whether the motion was in order. Ho pointed out that a motoin having been lost could not again be brought up .until after the expiry of six months and that period had not been reached. The Chairman agreed that the motion was out of order and ruled accordingly. HARBOUR DEPTHS. The harbour master (Captain Mao Lean) submitted the following report on the harbour depths:— North channel, 40ft deep, 100 f- wide; bend, 33ft deep, 350 ft wide; Deborah Bay, 30ft deep, 300 ft wide; Victoria channel—centre, 19ft deep: sides—lßl,-ft deep, 160 ft wide. Soundings were taken after the last heavy rain at the upper end of Victoria channel, but no marked difference was noticeable, although in tho swinging basin off the Victoria wharf, where the storm water enters fhe harbours, vessels when swinging worked sluggishly. Also there were numerous complaints from ship masters about the condensers getting choked. Captain AlacLean reported that he was convinced that the foregoing was caused through the amount of dirt coming through the sewer at Victoria wharf. SHIPPING RETURNS. Arrivals: Coastal, 32 vessels. 20,237 tons; intercolonial, 3 vessels, 6176 tons; foreign, 14 vessels, 68,750 tons; warships, 1 vessel] 5400 tons;—totals, 50 vessels, 100,563 tons. “'Departures: Coastal, 34 vessels, 24;738 tons; intercolonial, 1 vessel, 2379 tons; foreign, 12 vessels, 57,474 tons; warships, 1 vessel, 5400 tons;—totals, 48 vessels, 89,991 tons.

There were 28 vessels of 139,674 tons handled by pilots during the month of April.