OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20448, 30 June 1928, Page 21

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was held last night; present— Messrs H. E. Moller (chairman), A. Cable, H. C. Campbell, H. M. Driver, W. Gow, C. H. Hayward, D. Larnach, J. Loudon, J. W. Munro, D. F. H. Sharpe, and Captain M'Donald. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. It was decided to grant Mr J. M. Dickson leave of absence for the parliamentary session. FINANCES. The bank book showed a credit balance of £26,119. —The secretary intimated that £20,000 of interest was due on July 1. HARBOUR MASTER’S REPORT. The harbour master (Captain J. MaoLean) reported that during May 40 vessels arrived at Dunedin (total tonnage 69,364), and 38 departed (total tonnage 60,675). Nine vessels arrived at Port Chalmers (28,698 tons) and nine departed (44,551 tons). During the month of May the tug steamed 619 miles in 102 hours 15 minutes, and consumed 68i tons of coal. The north channel was sounded, and the least water in line of leads was 34ft at low water. The south channel showed a tendency to deepen, and the Hewlett Point bank was receding. The swinging area off Victoria wharf would require cleaning out as soon as the dredge was free. QUARRY WORKERS. The secretary of the Otago Employers Association wrote stating that a meeting of employers was to be held on September 28 with respect to the quarry workers’ award. It was stated by the secretary (Mr Bardsley) that a reply had been sent asking that application be made for the exemption of the board from the award. LOWER PORTOBELLO WHARF. The county engineer, Peninsula County Council, wrote requesting the board to subsidise the cost of a sea-wall at Lower Portobello wharf. The Standing Committee, reporting on the matter, recommended that a reply be sent advising that the board regretted that it could not undertake the erection of a wharf. The recommendation was agreed to. THE BOARD’S POLICY. A letter was received from the Dunedin City Ratepayers’- Association requesting to be advised if the board, in consequence of the purchase of the Port Chalmers wharfs, had any definite policy in regard to whether Port Chalmers or Dunedin was to be the main port in the future, or whether both ports were to be kept open The letter was received, and it was decided to inform the association that the board contemplated no change of policy. The Standing Committee,recommended that, with respect to the communications from the Roslyn and Kaikarai Rate payers and Householders’ Association and the Caversham Ratepayers and Householders’ Association, forwarding copies of resolutions adopted with respect to Dunedin being the importing and exporting centre of Otago, the respective associations be advised that the policy of the board is not being altered in any way consequent on the purchase of the Port Chalmers wharves The recommendation was agreed to. DONATIONS. The Standing Committee recommended the donation of the following sums:— Otago Expansion League, £100; Workers’ Educational Association, £3 3s. The recommendation was agreed to. Captain M'Donald said that until such time as the port had all the facilities required. not only in the harbour, but at the wharves, he would not vote money which the board ought to conserve for its works. GENERAL LABOURERS’ AWARD, * The Standing Committee recommended: Your committee recommends for adoption sub-clause (c), section 2, which has been added by the Otago General Labourers’ Union to the draft counter proposals submitted to them by the board, with respect to a new industrial agreement between the union and the board, in connection with our employees, and further recommends that the proposed commencing date (June 14) of the new agreement be approved, and that the seal of the board be attached to the agreement. The recommendation was agreed to. HANOVER STREET OVERBRIDGE. The agreement with the New Zealand Railways Department with respect to the Hanover street overbridge was laid on the table, together with plan. The chairman: Everything has been fixed up, and everything is in order. Mr Loudon drew attention to a sharp corner leading out of Ward street into Wickliffe street, and suggested that it should be rounded. The chairman: I understand the engineer is giving attention to the matter. Mr Loudon; The sharp point will be reserved. The secretary: Yes, it will be thrown into the road. The agreement was adopted, TUG DUNEDIN. The harbour master reported that, while attending the steamer Norfolk, the key of the tailshaft of the tug Dunedin had worked loose owing to the propeller fouling a piece of floating timber. It was decided to place the vessel in dock in due course for repairs. THE ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer reported that during May dredge 222 lifted 50,831 cubic yards, making 61 loads. The whole of the material was deposited at the Vulcan sand pump. The dredge steamed 507 miles and consumed 214 tons of coal. In order to enable the construction of a further 160 feet of the Victoria wharf extension .to be proceeded with, the dredge was, at the time of writing, laying moorings to dredge out this area. As the spoil from the Victoria wharf extension must be taken to sea, it was proposed to lift one load of stone from this berth, and on the return journey to lift a load of sand from the Victoria channel and deposit same at Vulcan. During the month of May, 1928, the dredge Vulcan pumped 50,831 cubic yards of material received from dredge 222 into the Logan Park reclamation area. Considerable difficulty had een experienced in reclaiming the area in the vicinity of the Rhododendron- Creek discharge pipe line, as the pipes were pushed out of alignment as the reclamation proceeded. The Port Chalmers dock was occupied by three vessels (including the Priestman dredge), and was pumped out four times, making a total for both docks of four vessels and seven pumps. The drainage pumas were in operation for 600 hours. The electric crane was employed for 20 hours on various lifts. In order to remove accumulations of debris from the Leith Canal, the Bear Cat grab was_ hired from the Dunedin City Corporation. This work was proceeding. The reclamation of Logan Park was progressing. Clay walla had been strengthened and heightened -where necessary to retain the dredgings. Before work could be started on raising the walls of the canal in Reigo street, the electric light and power poles had to be transferred to the other side of the canal. This work had now been completed by the Electric Light and Power Department, and the work of driving piles would be commenced as soon as the pile driver crew had finished the south endowment flood gates. During a period of four weeks ended June 9, 1928, four bays were constructed on the mole superstructure, thus completing 108 bays: 2190 cubic yards of stone were deposited on the breakwater, 197 cubic yards of ballast on the railway track, 355 cubic yards of debris on the root of the Mole, and 57 cubic yards of metal on the Spit road. Operations on the breakwater were delayed on two or three occasions owing to heavy seas. WHARFAGE ACCOMMODATION. A report was presented by the engineer and harbourmaster as to the most efficient and convenient lay-out of wharfage, shed and other accommodation (and the location thereof) to provide for overseas shipping and shipping generally. The chairman suggested that the report be discussed at the - next meeting of the Standing Committee. Mr Gow moved, and Mr Haywood seconded, that the report be referred to the Standing Committee. Mr Loudon said he had not had time to consider the report, and it would be well to defer consideration. The chairman suggested that members of the board should visit the locality referred to before the discussion was taken on the report. Captain M'Donald hoped the question of the half-tide wall would also be taken into consideration. The chairman said the uusstiou of

moving the half-tide wall was a separate thing. The engineer was preparing a report on it, and wished to ask the opinion of another engineer on the matter. He had been informed that he was at liberty to consult with another engineer. The motion was agreed to. TENDERS. Tenders for timber for the mole works were referred to the engineer for a report, and tenders for cable for cargo lights were referred to a special committee. DOCK EXTENSION. The engineer reported on the extension of the Otago dock. The report was held over to allow the engineer to submit a further report. MEETING ADJOURNED. The meeting was adjourned to a date to be fixed subsequently.