OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21601, 23 March 1932, Page 4

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING - - - ) The monthly meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was held last night, and was attended by Messrs J. Doudon (“airman), W. Begg, J. B. Waters, F. E. Tyson, D. F. H. Sharpe, J. M'C. Dickson, H. C. Campbell, H. M. Driver, and Captain Coll M'Donald. FINANCE.

The bank balances showed a net debit balance of £13,856 16s sd. Accounts amounting to £14,457 were passed for payment. CORRESPONDENCE.

A letter was received from the town clerk advising that at the present juncture the City Council was unable to allocate funds for expenditure on the erection of a convenience in the vicinity of the Sailors’ Rest. —The chairman said that when one convenience was removed it was on the undertaking that a better structure would be erected.—Received. Messrs Mondy and Stephens wrote forwarding correspondence with the Marino Department concerning the postponement of the board’s Bill in respect of the Leith canal works to the ordinary session of Parliament. —The chairman explained that the work was going on, and was not affected by any postponement, Mr Tyson, therefore, moved that the suggestion of the board’s lawyers be approved.—The motion was carried. The Dominion Fertiliser Company wrote drawing attention to the danger of flooding at its premises at Ravensbourne. — The communication was received and noted, and it was resolved that the board’s solicitors should be consulted in respect of the board’s liability and the necessity for the provision of adequate drainage. Messrs Waters, Ritchie, and Co., Ltd., wrote asking for the provision of road access to the rear of their premises in Anderson’s Bay road.—The board agreed to level the ground by unemployed labour, the company to provide and spread the metal. CHAIRMAN’S HONORARIUM.

The chairman wrote stating that he desired that an adjustment should be made in his honorarium in accordance with the board’s previous resolution reducing salaries and wages. The letter was approved. LEITH RELIEF WORKS. A letter was received from the Otago Labour Representation Committee protesting against the employment of relief workers in cleaning out the bed of the Leith at relief rates of pay. A deputation from tlie Unemployed Workers' Movement waited on the board. It was stated that the pay which the men received on Leith work was not sufficient to enable the men to obtain sufficient food to fit themselves for the work and that the work was standard work, which should be done at standard rates of pay. Men who had to wear gum boots should, according to the usual practice, be paid Is a day extra. Under the present conditions the men averaged £1 4s 5d a week. The engineer said that he did not think that the men received sufficient, but the board could do nothing as the work was carried out under the regulations of the Unemployment Board. He could only suggest that representations should be mjde to the Government that it should increase the number of days per week on which the men were given work. It was decided that the chairman and engineer should draft a letter to the Government. HARRINGTON POINT WHARF.

It was decided to take no action with respect to providing access to a wharf at Harrington Point leased by the Marine Department to Mr Miller, of Port Chalmers. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr J. M‘G. Wilkie) reported as follows: Dredging.—During the month of February the dredge Otakou dredged 32 loads or 47,366 cubic yards, which was deposited at the dredge Vulcan. During the month the dredge steamed 432 miles and consumed 94 tons of fuel oil. During the month of February, 1932, the dredge Vulcan pumped 47,360 cubic yards of material received from the dredge Otakou into the south endowment reclamation area.

Docks.—During the month of February three vessels were docked. The drainage pumps were in operation for 329 hours 40 minutes. The electric crane was in operation for 2 hours 25 minutes. Mole Reconstruction. —During the period of five weeks ended March 5, 4990 cubic yards of stone were deposited on the Mole and 300 cubic yards of debris dumped on the swampy ground near the quarry. Heavy seas were experienced on the week-end February 20-22, which flattened out the stone work very considerably. On Monday, February 22, the seas were breaking over the superstructure, but the loss of a few footway planks was the only damage which occurred to the timber work. As the stone had been piled in a narrow ridge to high-water mark, this flattening was to be expected, and the result of the storm has been a closely-packed stable base to low-water mark, upon which the remaining stone can be quickly built up. Victoria Wharf Reconstruction. —The sleepers on the open portion are being prepared for the final laying of the decking when the question of the remaining crossovers has been decided. South Endowment Wall.—To date, a length of 4356 feet of the seaward face of this wall has been hand pitched with stone.

Slip.—The repairs to the steam pile driver punt were completed and repairs executed to one Vulcan small punt. Tug Dunedin. —The tug was docked for cleaning, painting, and annual Government survey, when the propeller shafts were drawn for inspection and test holes drilled in the hull plating to ascertain their thickness.

Leading Beacons, Harbour Entrance.— Two leading beacons, one situated at the foot of the cliff at Harrington Point and one erected on a four-pile structure off Hewlett Point, were completed ready for lighting, the date of the change-over to be notified by the Marine Department. George Street Pier, Port Chalmers.—A new fender beam was fitted to replace one damaged by shipping, and minor repairs carried out to the decking. Channel Piles. —No. 20 red pile, off Ravensbourne wharf, was drawn and redriven to mark the increased width of channel required and now being dredged in this locality. Birch Street Wharf—A decayed pile is being drawn and replaced with a new one. Leith Canal. —Approximately 1000 cubic yards of detritus brought down by the last flood was removed from the canal below Forth street. Relief Works. —Relief workers under scheme No. 5 have been employed in excavation work at the Leith canal and also building retaining walls for reclamation purposes at the Leith estuary and south endowment areas.

Storage Sheds. —The usual maintenance repairs were effected to the various cargo sheds. HARBOUR MASTER’S REPORT, The harbour master (Captain J. Mac Lean) reported that 47 vessels had arrived at the port of Otago during February. The tug Dunedin had piloted 25 vessels. The new lending beacons for the north channel were now in position, and awaiting for Gazette notice to be issued. When this was received they would be put into operation. The least water on the new line of leads was low water, ordinary spring tide. The south channel was gradually scouring out ana was showing a depth of 26 teet, and the width of this patch was approximately 800 feet. The Lower Harbour was maintaining a depth of 30 feet at low water, with a’ least width in Deborah Bay of 300 feet. The Victoria channel was maintaining a low water depth of 20 feet 6 inches.