OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19033, 1 December 1923, Page 16

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

The monthly meeting of the Otago Harbour Board, held last evening, was attended by Messrs T. H. Russell (chairman), Sundstrum, Cable, Campbell, Moller, Anderson, Dickson, M.P., Loudon, Wilkinson, M'Donaid, Walker, Ramsay, and Larnach. FINANCIAL. The bank books showed a credit balance of £17,012. STANDING COMMITTEE’S REPORT. The following clauses in the Standing Committee’s report were agreed to: New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. —(a) With respect to the communication from the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition Company relative to dues on exhibits, that the secretary’s minute thereon, recommending that all goods being bona fide exhibits be allowed to cross the wharves free of import and export (b) With respect to the communication from the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition Company asking the board to construct brushwood walls in connection with the proposed aquatic areas on Lake Logan, that the request be agreed to, the work to done at the expense of the Exhibition Copipany. Shed Accommodation. —With respect to the proposal to erect a concrete shed 150 ft x 70ft at Kitchener street wharf, that the engineer submit a report on the question of railway access to this wharf, and also on the question of the installation of a dumping plant at Dnuedin. With respect to the operation of the fog signal and light that the Marine Department bo advised that the board is not prepared to carry on any longer under the present monetary conditions, but that it is prepared to operate the fog signal, and when urgently necessary to attend to the Tuiaroa -Hght. subject to a payment of £BS per annum, the department to supply cartridges and detonators, at the magazine, Taiaroa Hoad, and pay for all repairs, renewals, and incidental expenses. It is further recommended that Mr J. hi. Dickson, M.P., be asked to personally discuss the matter with the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Marine, in the event of there being any objection to the proposal by the department. ~ _ Leases Expiring 1924. —That Mr Geo. Simpson be appointed the board s valuer for the year 1924. HARBOUR MASTER’S REPORT. The Harbour Master reported as follows: Low water depth at various parts of the harbour: —Entrance north channel, 40ft, 100 ft wide; bend, 33ft, 350 ft wide; Deborah Bay, 30ft, 300 ft wide; Victora channel—from Kilgour’s Point, to pile 37, 20ft, 140tt wide, except a portion between pile 36 and the entrance to the basin of \ ictoria wharf, where the bottom width is £oft. The shippint? leturns showed that there had been 48 vessels, representing 71,460 tons, arrive, and 43 vessels, representing 76,508 tons, depart. The following had passed examinations for pilotage certificates during the month: —Archibald Russell, chief officer, a.s. Waitomo, 10C0 tons; Oathel MacLeod, chief officer, s.s. Maori, 1000 tons; Archibald Cook Kennedy, chief officer ,s.s. Kawatin. 1000 tons. . , . ... Mr Camnbell said, with reference to the report in the papers about the lonic leaving Lyttelton on a draught of 30ft he would ' like to say that last year the I ort Caroline left Port Chalmers drawing 29ft. Dunedin and Port Chalmers, he added, were regarded by shipping interests as two of the safest ports in New Zealand m the matter of scind and surging.—Mr Louden also spoke of the satisfactory position of the entrance to the harbour and of the channel. The report was adopted. RECEIVING AND DELIVERING CARGO. The Importers and Shippers’ Association wrote regretting that its request with regard to receiving and delivering cargo had not commended itself to the board, and that the association was antagonistic. Such was far from being the case. The association only desired to urge what would be beneficial to the interests of Dunedin trade. It was obvious that any alteration of method which would make it possible to secure a larger amount of co-aitwise trade than could now be got would be, in the long run, advantageous to the board and to the merchant. The association hoped to be allowed an opportunity of conferring with the board. The'association feared that the present suggestion that the association should take over the duty of receiving and delivering was not practicable. The Importers and Shippers’ Association, not being incorporated, could; not enter into a bindingl contMCt. ,■V The Chafuber cf Commerce wrote pointing out, that the chamber was debarred by its constitution from undertaking contracts, or work such as that of receiving and delivering cargo. The chamber regretted that the shipping representatives had been brought into conference at the present stage, as the executive felt that it would have been to the advantage of the board, as well as to the payers of dues on cargo, if an arrangement could have been made for the ships to handle overseas cargo in the same manner as was done in Auckland. It was hoped that at a later date representatives of the chamber and the hoard, would be able to confer regarding the matter. The letters were received. The recommendation of the Special Committee that alternative tenders be called for three and five-year contracts for receiving and delivery of .overseas cargo was agreed to. TENDERS. . Tenders for the annual supplies were received and referred to a committee to act.-