OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20472, 28 July 1928, Page 24

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was held last night, and was attended by Messrs 11. E. Moller (chanmaii), H. C. Campbell, A. Cable, J. Loudon. C. H. Hayward, I. Anderson, D. F. H. Sharpe. J. W. Munro, H. M. Driver, and Captain Coll M'Donald. A letter was received from the American Trade Commissioner (Wellington), thanking the secretary of the board (Mr Bardsley) for the most complete data which had been forwarded him regarding the Port of Otago. It was the most complete and comprehensive reply that he had ever secured from any official in his travels in overseas countries. The information forward had been despatched to his department, and would be embodied in the book to which he had previously referred. Mr Bardsley said that Captain Mac Lean and Messrs J. Renton, J. Walsh and J. Duncan (of Messrs H. L. lapley and Co.), had assisted him in the compilation of the data. It was decided to purchase one ton or cotton waste at a cost of £SO. FINANCIAL. The bank balances showed a net credit balance of £8563 13s lid. Accounts amounting to £10,024 8s del were passed for payment. THE MAUI POMARE. The Standing Committee recommended with respect to the communication from the Wellington Harbour Board that the board supports the principal that as the N.Z.M.V. Maui Pomare was carrying freight-earning cargoes, the payment of dues and charges on the vessel itself, all of which are of the nature of actual services rendered and facilities afforded, should be paid for by the Government. The recommendation was adopted. WORK AT THE MOLE. The board adopted a recommendation from the Standing Committee for the purchase from Sir W. G. Armstrong-Whit-worth and Co. of one steam locomotive crane and one Ruston steam navvy, at a cost of ,£2331 f.0.r., Arapuni. WHARFAGE AND ACCOMMODATION. The Standing Committee recommended that with respect to the report by the engineer, the harbour master, and Mr Loudon as to the most efficient nad convenient lay-out of wharfage, shed, and other accommodation and its Ir cation, to provide for overseas shipping and shipping generally .the report be received and held in abeyance. The recommendation was adopted. DONATIONS. The Standing Committee recommended the following donations: —£3 3s, to the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society. £lO 10s, to the British Sailors’ Society; two half-ton lots of coal to the commercial travellers’ charity appeal.—The recommendation was adopted. LOWER PORTOBELLO SEA WALL. The Standing Committee recommended that the board subsidise the cost of the construction of a sea wall at Lower Portobello to the extent of £B7 6s, being half cost of the wall alone. The chairman explained that the cost was to be divided between the board and the Peninsula County Council on a 50-50 basis. The recommendation was approved. CABLE FOR CARGO LIGHTS. It was decided, consequent on the nonuniformity of the tenders received, that new tenders be called in accordance with a new specification, which describes a cable which is of sufficient quality to meet Government requirements. TENDERS. The Standing Committee recommended for acceptance the following tenders: — Ironbark timber, William Smith and Co. (Invercargill). £Bl5 6s 4d; hewn ironbark timber, William Smith and Co. (Invercargill), £1564 16s 2d; sawn bluegum, A. J. Allen, Ltd., £199 Is 7d. The recommendation was approved. For the supply of 2000 tons of steaming coal Messrs John Mill and Co. were'the successful tenderers, quoting 38s 6d per ton, including harbour dues, for West-port-Stockton unscreened. The unsuccessful tenderers were the Westport Coal Company, who quoted 40s per ton, including harbour dues, for Coalbrookdale unscreened, and the New Zealand State Coal Depot, whose quote was 40s 3d for equal quantities of Liverpool small and unscreened and 39s 6d for one-third Liverpool unscreened and two-thirds small, each price being exclusive of harbour dues. SHIPPING RETURNS. The harbour master (Captain J. MacLean) submitted details of the arrivals and departures for the mouth of June as follows: — Arrivals. —Dunedin: Coastal, 26 vessels, 14,918 tons; intercolonial, 5 vessels, 11,271 tons: overseas, 3 vessels, 12,197 tons; — totals, 34 vessels, 38,386 tons. Arrivals. —Port Chalmers t Coastal, 3 vessels, 1983 tons; intercolonial, 2 vessels, 5584 tons; overseas, 6 vessels, 37,699 tons; —total, 11 vessels, 45,266 tons. Departures.—Dunedin: Coastal, 27 vessels, 16,439 tons; intercolonial, 5 vessels, 9625 tons; overseas, 4 vessels, 15,401 tons; —totals, 36 vessels, 41,465 tons. Departures.. —Port Chalmers: Coastal, 1 vessel, 72 tone, intercolonial, 3 vessels, 8299 tons; overseas. 5 vessels, 32,665 tons; —totals, 9 vessels, 41,036 tons. PILOTAGE. Inwards, 11 vesels, 54,188 tons; outwards, 11 vessels, 32,183 tons; removals, 1 vessel, 2865 tons;—totals, 23 vessels, 89,236 tons. CHANNEL SOUNDINGS. During the latter end of June and the beginning of July soundings were taken in north channel and south channel. The least water at low water in north channel is 34jft, where it showed 34ft the previous month. This sounding was obtained 3480 ft approximately from the Mole end on the line of leads. A plan of the Heads with soundings plotted shows the position clearly. On July 11 and 12 the Victoria channel was sounded, and the least water from Port Chalmers to Dunedin is 20ft at low water, in the centre of the channel. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr M‘G. Wilkie) reported as follows for the period ended July 12;— _ . • , Dredge 222. —During the month of June, 1928, dredge 222 carried out operations at the Victoria wharf extension, Victoria wharf V. W, and X sheds, piles 3 and 4, Sawyers’ Bay, piles 21 and -2. Of the material dredged 41 loads were deposited at the Vulcan sand plunp, five loads at the Kaik and one load at sea. During the month, the dredge steamed 345 miles and consumed 166 tons of coal. Owing to heavy weather outside the Heads, the dredge was only able to deposit one load at sea. Five loads were deposited well inshore near the Kaik Dredge Vulcan. —During the month of June, the dredge Vulcan pumped 34,153 cubic yards of material received from dredge 222 into the Logan Park reclamation area. Works, Various. —Victoria wharf extension (second 160 feet): Rings and shoes were fitted to 39 piles and 96 beams were dressed ready for scarfing. The concrete slabs supporting the filling at the back of the breastwork have on occasions suffered damage from floating craft during north-east weather. The damaged slabs were removed and new slabs constructed. Slip: Considerable repairs were necessary to the pile-driver punt. Extra keelsons were installed and the hull straightened up. The fitting up of the winches and pile-driving plant is in hand at the board’s workshop. The slip winch, which was removed from Carey’s Bay, is being fitted up in place of steam driven winch, the boiler of which was recently conclumned. In order to maintain Birch street wharf to meet the requirements of railway traffic, repairs were put in hand to some of the beams and piles. A damaged mooring pile has been replaced by a new one. The usual maintenance work was carried out to wharves and sheds. Tug Dunedin.—The Dunedin was docked and was re-commissioned on the 7th inst. Leith Canal.—The detritus in the Leith canal was removed. Tug Plucky.—The tug Plucky was docked for annual overhaul and survey. Before the inspection was completed it was necessary to remove the Plucky from the dock as another vessel required accommodation. The overhaul to the engines is proceeding and the tug will be re-docked when a suitable opportunity occurs. Mole Reconstruction.—The superstructure was completed up to and including bay 113, a total of five bays for the period of four weeks ended July 7, 1928. Heavy seas delayed work on the superstructure on two or three days. Quarry.—The following output is reported: 1800 cubic yards of stone de-

posited on the Mole: 350 cubic yards of debris deposited on the root of the Mole; and 216 cubic yards debris deposited on the Spit road. On Saturday, June 30, the charge in No. 2 tunnel was fired. The shot was successful, a large quantity of clean stone being secured. Sounding.—Little alteration has taken place during the last two months in the soundings at the Heads except at the outer end of the bank, where the area of shoal water is increasing, although the least water on the lino of leads is still 34 feet.