OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3833, 30 August 1927, Page 71

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Gtago Harbour Board was held on Friday evening, and was attended by Messrs If. E. Moller (deputy chairman’). A. Cable. J. Loudon, W. Gow, H. C. Campbell, T. Anderson. D. F. 11. Sharpe, C. H. Hayward, J. W. Munro, W. Wilkinson. H. jl. Driver, D. Larnach, and Captain Coll M’Donald. STANDING COMMITTEE. Die Standing Committee recommended, with respect to a communication from the Institute of Civil Engineers, London, requesting a renewal, for a further term of five years, of the board's previous five years’ donation, towards research work on the deterioration of structures exposed to sea-action, that the previous grant of £5 ss, for a period of five years, be renewed. — The recommendation was adopted.

GENERAL. A sub-committee consisting of the chairman, deputy chairman, and Messrs Anderson, Driver, Hayward, Sharpe and Captain M’Donald was set up, to consider generally the scheme of construction for “ P ” shed. ARBITRATION COURT. A letter was received from the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand requesting an expression of opinion on the subject of the functions of the Arbitration Court and the effects of its decisions on the economic position of this Dominion. The Chairman said that he thought that all tliey could do was to adopt the principle in favour of arbitration. They could .et it stand at that. They could argue till further orders and get no further ahead. Mr Gow said that they could not argue the matter in open board. The question could come up at the next meeting of the Standing Committee.

It was decided to refer the matter to tho Standing Committee. Mr Wilkinson, in moving that the monthly accounts be passed for payment, said he would like to draw -attention to the largo number of telephones in use by tho board. If they were to go on as they were doing every member of the board would have a telephone. He thought it was time they had a report, as to the number of telephones, and who had got them, and see if there was some way of reducing the number. The board was paying a. he ivy sum annually for its telephones. and he thought sonic of them were unnecessary. The Chairman said ho would promise them that their secretary (Mr Bardsley' would bring up a report on the matter at the next Standing Committee meeting. THE MOANA AND THE MOLE.

Mr Robertson (acting engineer) and Captain MacLcan (harbour master) submitted a repor; on a visit of inspection to the Moaiia, at Port Chalmers. They had found all the bulkheads and the built-in hatch trunkwavs were intact, and also the docks. It was reckoned that the vessel could be handed over ir. three weeks’ time. Mr Cable said at the last meeting they had heard reports from the engineer and the narbour master from which it appeared that the Moana was to be placed immediately ahead of the two vessels already sunk at the Alolc. Ho now understood that there was to be a gap between the Moana and tho other two vessels. What effect would that have? He thought such a procedure would be unwise. Mr Sharpe: The two vessels are not now there they say Captain MacLcan, in answer to a question, said that they were going on with soundings, and they would have a plan and show the exact position where the Moana was to be sunk. Mr Anderson said he intended to give notice to move: “’lhat the purchase of inc Moana be reconsidered and that the engineer and superintending engineer meantime bring down a report as to her usefulness for the purpose for which she was purchased, and if the deposit of the steainei at the place stated will give the necessary improvement, as has been stated, and if so 1 will it maintain a continuance of the expected conditions until the Mole is con-

structed to the particular point. The Chairman said this notice of motion would have to come up at the next meeting of the board. In the meantime they would have a meeting of the Standing Committee, and thev would see where they were. There was the point whether they could go on with the purchase of the Moana. Ho took it that they would have to let the matter stand over in the meantime , , , . , Mr Gow: Is not the purchase completed already? . The Chairman: No; the Union Company has not been notified yet. It will have to stand over now. Mr Gow : Is it possible to stop the business of the board by a notice of motion? The Chairman said it had always been understood on the board that a notice or motion stopped the business for the time being. He had. however, had an experience when Mr Dickson had been chairman where a notice of motion had been brought up hv himself, and the board s solicitor had said a notice of motion .did not stop the business. Hie board had simply adopted the course of holding up the business for a notice of motion as a matter of courtesy. , , Mr Gow said it might be courteous t there was anvthing reasonable in it, but if it was a matter of urgency, as this ap peared to be, it seemed an extraordinary thing that anyone should hold up business against the wish of the other 13 members of the board. He would move that the purchase of the. Moana be completed, ami that, the engineer be instructed to report to the Standing Committee as to the best place to put the vessel. Captain M'Donald seconded the motion. The Chairman said he thought they could get over the difficulty which had arisen by suspending the standing orders. Mr Anderson could then move his motion right away, and they could come tc a. decision. Mr Gow agreed that this would be a good wav out of the difficulty. Mr Campbell moved ind Mr Hayward seconded that the standing orders be suspended, and the necessary unanimous vote in favour of such a procedure was carried. Mr Anderson then moved his motion. He said the point to be considered was that one report said that the Monoa was to be placed ahead of the present sunken steamers and that another report stated that it was to be placed by the present steamers. Three years ago he had told

the board that the bank at the Heads wag shoaling, and after the lapse of three years they could, he thought, wait till the Mole was completed. The two sunken steamers had gone, and the south-east wind would have no n ore mercy on the Moana, although she lit d bulkheads, than on the other vessels. He thought they might have got the Moana for nothing, and they could take the 859 sovereigns to be paid for the vessel, put them in a sugar bag, and throw it in the sea. They could get just as far. He had no bias against the Union Steam Ship Company, but he had been put on the board by the public, and he intended to do his best in what he considered the interests of the board. He would like to have the engineer’s opinion whether the placing of the Moana at the Mole was going to have a useful effect.

Mr Larnach seconded the motion. Captain M’Donald said he knew something about their harbour. It was not the part of the entrance which Mr Anderson had referred to that was concerning the board, but the sand which was forming inside the Mole. Die Moana would be placed ahead of the Bateena, as close as she could be put. The Bateena and the Gertie was still there, but they were covered with the sand. He maintained that the sea had not broken them up. At the same time, they were getting the benefit of these ships, otherwise they would be worse off than they were now. There was not enough sea to have broken up the two vessels, as had been stated by Mr Anderson. He Mould say as a practical man that they should make every effort to place something at the Mole.

Ih Chairman read a report from Mr Wilkie in which he advocated the placing of the vessel at the Mole. Mr Anderson said he would like their superintending engineer (Mr Robertson) to give his opinion on the matter. Mr Robertson said that Mr Wilkie had given his report, and he had nothing to add..

The motion was then put. and lost, only Messi Anderson and Larnach voting for it. Captain M’Donald said he would like to urge the board to complete the purchase of the Moana as early as possible, and put her at the Mole right away. TENDERS. Th,, tender of Messrs Stevenson and Cook for a propeller for dredge 222 was accepted, the price being £4B 15s. Five other tenders were referred to a subcommittee consisting of the chairman and Messrs Gow, Wilkinson, Cable, and Sharpe. ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES. The Harbour Master (Captain MacLe. reported as follows on the arrivals and departures from th" port during the month of July:— Arrivals.—Coastal, 34 vessels. 19,078 tons; intercolonial. 5 vessels, 14.093 tons; overseas, 12 vessels, 51,961 tons; —totals, 51 vessels. 85,132 tons.

Departures.—Coastal, 29 vessels. 15,017 t ns; intercolonial, 6 vessels, 16,386 tons; overseas. 9 vessels, 39,154 tons;- —totals, 44 vessels, 70.557 tons.

Pilotage.—lnwards, 12 vessels. 51.9C1 tons; outwards, 9 vessels. 39.155 tons; removals, 3 vessels, 12,408 tons; —totals, 24 vessels. 103,524 tons.

VICTORIA CHANNEL. Captain MacLcan also reported as follows: — O August 16 the centre of the Victoria Channel was sounded One patch «vith 18ft was found at pile 36. and sb. ling is taking place between pile 6 and Kilgour Point on the red side of tiia channel. The report was received.