CALLIOPE DOCK, AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 12

CALLIOPE DOCK, AUCKLAND.

(From Our Own Coreespokdent.) Auckland, February 16. At a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board, Mr W. J. Napier (chairman) made some com" Kjen's on the wanb of sufficient appliances and machinery a.t Calliope dock. He moved —"That; the Works and Tariff Cimcnitsee consider and report what ;-p;jiia-jces :uul machinery are te:e*savy to m^resse the utility ot Calliope pi cV, and furtmn in estimate of the same." Mr Napier said ba had bfsea informed by the Gii'maa Consul that the capcain of the German warsuip F-.lke had h-id to leave Auckland and go to Sydney to have necessary repairs c irrif-d on*; so his f.hip, iv con«equenC3 ot there oeing a comolete absence of any applifiners or iquipmcut for fche purpose at the Calliope d- ck 'lao captain had intended to spend £20.000 on ihs •'hip, while the ship would in ober ways have left a lot of money in Auckland. It was necessary that ail modern reporca on the subject of niichinery should be obtained. It was not eutirely hopeless, he thought, to look to th'i Admiralty for potne assisrance in the matter, as they had spent millions on the equipment of their ports in the Pacific for the lrepairiog and the refitting of their men-of-war. Jilr Malcolm Niccol thought tha.t the cost of providing suitable equipment at thed 'Ck was far too great for the board to undertake at present. They could not; h -ps to be tq^al with Sydney in this respect for a long tisce to come. Ho thoughts the statement that i.be c-ipfcain of the Falke would be spendiag £20,000 in repairing tho !-h>p should be taken with a considerable pinch of salt. The vessel was one of an obsolete type, and if she belonged to him (Mr Niecol) he would not like to spend £20 000 ou her, as &he was not worth it. However, there could bs no harm in obtaining the information needed. The motion was agreed to.