HARBOR BOARD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10727, 26 June 1906, Page 4

HARBOR BOARD.

CORRESPOND ENCE. At the Harbor Board meeting yesterday afternoon the following further correspondence was dealt with : — Air G. Smithies, on behalf of the Alcphan, Ferguson Co., asked the Board for the lease of a piece of land. 2 acres, on the Waikanae, near tlie groyne, for 12 or 15 months. The laud was wanted for the landing of material on tlie groyne for live water 6upply works.— Ah- Harding supported the granting of tho request. Ho thought that if the land were leased there would be a chance of getting tile road from Lowe street footbridge to the beach, opened. — It was decided to grant the lease of two acres with shed, as asked for, at a rental of £1 a week. Air Sharp, Government Inspector, advised that he liad inspected the dredge John Townley. and that the hopper hinges and pins were very much worn, and wanted renewing, also one of the plates under tlie stern required doubling. Air Leslie Reynolds, C.E., wrote, en. closing account for 100 guineas, for reporting on liarbor requirements. — The Chairman said tho Board had paid Air -Grant £39. making £180 altogether that the report had cost. — Mr Alatthewson said the Board' did not think Air Reynolds' adVice worth acting on, and would not take it. — The Chairman replied that per. haps it would have cost a great deal more if they had taken the advice. Anyway, the report was in hand, and had been placed on tlie table, but the Board would not act on it. — Air Harding asked, in view of this, tliat some arrangement as to fee should be made with Air Alarchant. In the speaker's private business, it was his rule to know what the cost would be first. — The Chairman : You might be able to do this in your private business, but you can't get nine members of a Board to agree to anything like that.— Air Sievwright pointed out that it was not known how loner, Air Alarchant was to stay here, or what was required of him till lie arrived. — 'Air Harding remarked that 'Air Reynolds' report was allowed to lie on 'the table, and nothing was done. — Air Alatthewson said* Air Alarchant would only tell them to extend the break, water or knock the end of the groyne off. After reading Air E. G. A. Reynolds' letter, the Chairman) remarked : "This is a namesake of the other engineer, Air Leslie Reynolds. Even Air Alatthewson blusiies at this letter." — Mr Harding : If Air Thomson's plans had been carried out it would have oeen all right. — Tlie Chairman : Parliament stopped that. — Air Alatthewson disagreed with Air Harding as to Mi- Thomson's plans, and there was no furthor discussion on tho letter. The Harbor Boards' Association wrote, asking if there were any further subjects which the Board required bringing up at the Boards' Cbnferenoo next month. — Received. The Auckland 'Chamber of Commerce wrote, asking the Board for a contribution for a provincial exhibit at the forthcoming Christchurch Exhibition, stating that £1000 was required for this purpose. REPORTS. The reports were then read and adopted FINANCIAL. The following cash statement to 20th June, 1906, was presented by the 6ecre. tary : — Ordinary account, credit £5214 3s*lod; harbor improvement account, debit £2233 15s 9d. credit £2980 8s Id. Bank • Current account, as per bank pass book, credit £3042 18s. lOd, less unpresented cheques £62 10s 9d ; credit £2980 8s Id. Outstanding,: Arrears of rates, 1903 (European). £146 lis Bd, Crown, and native £35 16s sd ; arrears of rates, 1904, European £154 4s lid, Crown and native £56 12s 2d ; arrears 1 of rates, 1905, European £567 5s sd, Crown and native £11 13s 7d ; wharfages (current) £19 ss. SOUNDINGS. Discussing the discrepancy in the soundings given in the Overseer's and Harbormaster's reports, the Chairman said he would guarantee that there was the same depth (16ft) at the end of the breakwater a« there wn's before it was put there. Tlie soundings were given at the veiy lowest, but members talked about things they knew 'nothing about, and made people 'think things were worse now than they used to be. Tlie soundings were given by the harbormaster as sft 6in at low water, whereas the launch could go out and in, drawing Bft. Tlie Harbormaster gave the lowest depths possible, too fine, in fact, and lie did not know why the Harbormaster should condemn the thing in such a way. Mr Alatthewson said' that this was a broad' hint. The Harbormaster said he could only say that the soundings were what, he had taken, in the usual way. The Chairman : I will go down to-mor-row and take them myself. Air Sievwright could not understand how the discrepancy occurred. Air Whinray favored the Mayor's sug. gestion that members should see for themselves. He hadi 'been told when ho returned from the railway conference at Auckland that if they had arrived an hour earlier they could not have been tendered. He would like to know the position, as he was informed that it was worse a chain or two beyond the breakwater. Tlie Harbormaster said this was an incorrect report., A bank used to form there, but there was no bank forming there now. Tlie Overseer said there was a clear 15ft of water outside the breakwater, with bare papa all round. Air Sievwright pointed out that the two reports were taken about the same date, and why the discrepancy occurred was difficult to see. Air Matthewson thought thattlie two ports should be adopted as received, unless, they wanted the reports cooked for them. The Chairman held that tho Board should verify reports. Alf Harding mentioned the fact of hearing reports about tlie difficulty in landing at Gisborne while he was in Wellington. It seemed that the Union Company were not willing to risk the Tuatea in going out in rough Avcather, perhaps rightly so, but he thought that the members of the Board should take a live interest in the harbor, and the true state of things. He did not think the harbor was as bad ae it was made out to be, and the Tuatea could have gone out several times when she was lying alongside the -wharf, and thinking it too He had spoken with men with a li&hg experience of the port on tho day the Zealandia went on, and ho was assured that the steamer could have been tendered if she had waited till noon. Air Harding did not think matters were as bad ae they were made out to be. and he was determined to make him. self acquainted with the true position. Air Sievwright said ho had watched vessels going in and out of the river, and had noticed tlie way in which some kept close to tho breakwater, when the channel was in the centre. ■ There was no wish on his part to cast a reflection on anyone, but he was seeking for information. Tho Harbormaster stated that on the 20th inst. he took the steamer Toroa out. The vessel was drawing under 10ft, and from the beacon to the Smirk's landing he liad .to go full steam to drag her over tho bottom. That could be verified by 'the- crew' of the ship. He had no desire to down the port, but he had a big responsibility 'when commanding, vessels. (Hear, hear.) Air Alatthewson said it did not appear that the Union Company were prepared to endanger the safety of lives and property. At the time of the Zealandia going on tho Tuatea could have gone out, but he did not think passengers- and cargo could have beeu transhipped. Mr Sievwright: When the Toroa went out, did she go in the true channel? -The Harbormaster: Yes, she was in the true channel, and it was high tide. It 'would only have gone up two or three inches. Before tho groyne was extended I had several times pointed out the great variation in depth there was in the course of three or four tides, through the shifting of tho sand. This sometimes amounted to over four feet. The Chairman : Do you mean to say that this has taken place since the extension of the groyne. The Harbormaster : No, not since the groyne was extended. * On Air Whinray'6 proposal it was resolved that members of the Board should themselves go out with the Harbormaster and Overseer and take soundings.