Timaru Harbour Board.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2953, 27 November 1900, Page 3

Timaru Harbour Board.

The monthly meeting of the Timaru Har hour Board was held to-day. Present: Messrs W. Evans (chairman), Young Pringle, King, Goodwin, Thew, Skinner, Macintosh, Lyall, Fraser, and Manchester.

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT,

The chairman stated that the wharfage receipts for the eight weeks ended 12t; October ■were £1731 Is 2d; from ships dues for the month, £536 11s; sundry receipts, £157 3s ; from sale of debentures £2600; total, £5024 12s sd. Mr Barclay had taken up his duties as mate of tin dredge, which was now working two shiftrAn interview had been had with Mr HallJones, which would be mentioned later. The 24 trucks had arrived from Addington, and appeared to be strong and serviceable The 20-ton crane would be here in about three weeks, being on board the Waiwera ,which was now on the coast. H( was sorry to say that there had been a good deal of damage done to the curve, and it was evident that they must pul down more concrete blocks or stone to repair the damage, which was getting worse every day. This made it all the more necessary that the contractors should have stone down at once. In fact he thought they should commence these repairs before they went on with the regular contract.

CORRESPONDENCE. Among the correspondence read and dealt with was the following: From Tozer and Co., London, stating that they had placed an order with Lobnitz for spare parts for the dredge; that the quarry crane was then (October 20th 1 alongside, the s.s. Waiwera sailing the following week; but there was a strike on of the lightermen at the docks, and there might be some difficulty in getting cargo on board. Neither the Shaw Savill nor the New Zealand Shipping Company would quote a through rate to Timaru, and they advised that the best thing would be to ship to Lyttelton, and the Board make its own arrangements for delivery at Timaru. Several memoranda were read from Acllington and Wellington re the quarry trucks.

The secretary Oamaru Harbour Bo aw wrote on 22nd inst., inquiring whethe;hey could hire the dredge Timaru foi -,-ovk at the entrance of their harbour, their own ladder dredge not being so efficient when working there as when working inside. It it would facilitate matters, the Oamaru dredge could be sent to I imam to do any work for which it may be af nr better suited than the Timaru.--The committee had considered the proposals, and recommended the Board to deriine them.

' The Stores Manager, N.Z.R., wrote in reply to an inquiry that the Department would take over £2OB worth of surplus railway fastenings. . The Harbourmaster reported the arrival of 18 steam and 4 sailing vessels during October. The weather had been generally fine, except on the 17th to 20th, whet there was a heavy S.E. sea. He asked for a- week’s leave of absence about the middle of next month.—Leave of absence granted. , . Sugg and Co. (England), patentees of high-pressure incandescent lamps, sent full particulars of this lamp as suitable for wharf lighting. They add an apparatus which increases the gas pressure to 9 inches, and this, it is claimed, increases , the light ten-fold, 10 cubic of gas per hour giving 3000 candle power. The cost oplant is about £55. —Referred to the Standing Committee for favourable consideration. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer, Mr A. G. Dobson, reported as follows : “ Reclamation. The levelling up of Hayes and Wharf streets has been continued. The former has been widened out to a width of one chain, but no more will be done until more clay is available. “Rubble Mole Contract .—The bridge over thf/ Otipua creek is complete. The weighbridge is in position, wnd the opening up of the quarry has been going on. Other details are dealt with in a separate report- “ Dredges and Cranes. —The Taniwha was put on the slip and thoroughly cleaned and overhauled inside, and out, the boiler stripped and relagged, the hopper relined with new timber and new cast iron barrels fitted :r, (he hopper door closing gear. Owing to the Inspector condemning the deck, it is necessary to put on a kauri deck on top of the present one. The Timaru is about due for flocking, and the following repairs are necessary: —The discharge pipe dong the top of the hopper requires new bottom and sjde-plates ; the present plates being nearly worn through. The end of the suction pipe needs to he out and a now ring inverted on ; new spring at head of forward derrick, new fore couplings on the pipe-lifting gear, hopper chains to be overhauled, pump opened up, and the cut-off examined. The Priest man crane, slip engine, and “ Ramson ” boilers were seen by the Inspector, and a few minor re-

p;iir<j are being ail ended Id. , “ Dredging.-—On November 18tli am • 19th a rough sen threw a good deal o

shingle over at the’ bend of the breakwater, but did not make much difference at the entrance, as is shown by the harbourmaster’s soundings. On November 12th the Timaru began working double shifts, and has done good work in shifting the last lot of shingle.

“ New Store.—The contractor for this work is making good progress, now that the timber is to hand. The removal of the old cement sheds is complete, and the materials stacked ready for re-erection. Wharf Repairs.— New fenders have been got ready, and other work seen to as required. z“ Hayes street Sidings. —These sidings are nearly complete. The platelaying is finished, and tlie lines have only to be lifted and ballasted, but wool and other produce can be brought to the new stores now if required. The line will, be continued on to the wharf as soon as the crane road can be levelled up. The bulk of the timber and spare gear lying about has been stacked in the new yard or shifted further down the wharf. The whole of Hayes street has been shingled ready for cart traffic.

“Breakwater Repairs.—The broken places in the monolith have been repaired, and the crane rails laid ready for use. The heavy sea on Sunday last cut away the green concrete, but not to such an extent as to endanger the cranei road. “ Rangebreaker.—The .piles and timber for this work are all ready. The Taniwha is dredging a place on which to put the frame to carry the pile machine, as the last sea made a steep bank of shingle over the place previously dredged. “ Repairs to North Mole. —Staging has been erected for this work, and the idles are being got ready for driving. “Trucks.—The trucks for the extension contract are on the ground, brake gear having been fitted as required, and they have the appearance of being strong and serviceable.”

It was agreed to leave the redecking of the Taniwha to the engineer, timber being on hand for cutting up. Also that inquiries be made whether the Timaru can be docked at Port Chalmers before Christmas—Mr Fraser said it would be a pity to lose the present good weather for dredging.—The secretary said the docking would not take long. STANDING COMMITTEE.

The Standing Committee reported having had an interview with the Hon. W. HallJoncs, Minister, of Public Works, on 31st October, when matters of interest to the Board were discussed. The committee urged that if the Railway Department turned the traffic at present going from the station yard to Hayes street, it was only reasonable that the Department should bear a proportion of the cost of forming, metalling, and maintaining Hayes street. Mr Hall-Jones stated, that the Department were prepared to erect a brick parapet wall between the carpenters’ and blacksmiths’ shops placed against Lot 3, Hayes street, and the Board’s boundary, and were also prepared to meet the Board in the matter of payment for the right-of-way to the goods sheds, which the Board had been asked to give up. The questions of making Timaru a Port of Registry for shipping and the appointment of a Health Officer for the port were also considered. The committee had invited tenders for 1000 cubic yards of shingle for Hayes street, and havet accepted the lowest, that of R. Cartwright, at 8d per yard. Fresh tenders had been called for the Board’s engineering and fitting work. Two had been received, and the lowest, that of W. Parr, had been accepted. The committee had given instructions for the dredge Timaru to work double shifts until further notice. They recommended that should the funds at credit of the general account at the end of the year be sufficient to warrant it, the dredge Timaru Insurance and Renewal Funds be augmented by a further deposit up to £1000; and that the offer of the Railway Department to take over some bedplates 'and gang bolts imported for the tramline be accepted, and that a refuno’ of Customs duty paid be applied for; that die offer of the Oamaru Board for an exchange of dredges be mft entertained, on die ground that the Oamaru dredge cannot work to the depth required; that the salary paid to Captain Tait, dredgemaster, be increased at the rate of £26 per annum ; that as the next ordinary meeting of the Board falls on Christmas Day, the meeting be held on Monday, 24th December. The chairman said that he had also seen the General Manager of Railways, and urged that the Department should pay for the right-of-way to the goods shed. In respect to the Timaru Insurance and Renewal Fund, the secretary said this fund now amounts to £I6OO. —Mr Fraser said die cost £17,500; she was seven years old, and one-fourth of her natural life was passed; the £I6OO was quite inadequate provision. In reply to Mr Skinner, the secretary dated that Chalmers has charge of the engines of the Timaru in the second shift. On the paragraph relating to Captain Halt’s salary, Mr Fraser eulogisedJiim as a careful and successful officer. He had oeon here four years, and had never had the least mishap.—The chairman said he aad made no application for an increase.i'he item was passed unanimously. It was decided to hold the next meeting i week earlier than usual, instead of one lay as suggested. The secretary stated that the engineer •ad, as instructed, written to the various vauineers in the colony, asking for quota- , pins for a. spare wrought-iron mooring juoy. J. Anderson aad Co. said they o-ai'd not quote, being too busy; Sparrow ~-id Co. quoted £230; Morgan and Cable. •3115.—1 t was decided to order the buoy from the latter. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £1555 4s were 'asset! for payment. _ THE EXTENSION CONTRACT. The following is the report of the special committee appointed to enquire into the arogress made by the contractors foi the eastern extension contract: " The committee have to report that they have held three meetings; that they have received a special report from their engineer, and have taken the evidence of the contractors, The contractors’ attention was called to the fact that insufficient progress had been made with the contract, more especially in the matter of securing the plant, which, in the opinion of the ■ommittee, was necessary to carry on the work efficiently. The committee understand from the contractors that this has to some extent been remedied by the pui'■b ise of two locomotives, and they are led to believe that steps are being taken to secure the further plant, namely, cranes, additional trucks, rails, etc., which are required. The committee have no recommendation to make at this stage. Reports mid correspondence dealing with the matter •ire attached hereto.” A report by the engineer on the present condition of the preparations for the contract was read, enumerating various matters that ought to have been provided before now. He concluded that there was very little probability of the contract being finished within the stipulated time. The contractors had not made such progress as would ensure this result. The contractors wrote under date 27tli inst., that they had received letters from the Board, and a copy of the Engineers report expressing Hie opinion that they were backward with their preliminary work. They respectfully submitted that the progress made with the North Mole contract furnished a- fair precedent, and though that contract did not require such heavy cuttings or such heavy bridges, the first stout} was not clpliyei'Qcl till months after signing tjje coplract. 'They were not able to commence work until June 18th, the first date the bridge under the railway was available, and their navvies were unable to work for 39 days by bad weather.

They assured (lie Board that the contract' would he carried on with all practicable speed, ami with plant that experience had taught them was tlie best for attaining speed, They gave details "of the position

of the various branches of the contract. They had arranged for two locomotives (one to be here to-day), all timber for the staging had been ordered, sleepers for their tramline had arrived, and they had accepted the Board’s offer of rail=. The chairman said it was a very serious matter, and the north mole contract had nothing to do with this one. As representatives of the public the Board must see the contract carried out promptly. Mr Fraser suggested, and t; . Board agreed, that the matter should o„ considered in committee.

Other correspondence was read and the Engineer was consulted first as to the urgency of getting s.o ,e for strengthening the breakwater at the curve. He did not think the work was in danger of being broken through for lack of such repairs. After a long discussion in committee, it was resolved on the motion of Messrs Macintosh and Fraser “That the Engineer give the contractors for the eastern extension mole contract the necessary notice under Clause 11 of the general conditions that in his opinion they have failed to make sufficient progress with the works, and requiring them to rectify such cause of complaint.” INFORMATION WANTED.

It was resolved on the motion of Messrs Thew and Skinner —“ That a return be prepared and embodied in the annual statement, showing the area of land reclaimed and available for building sites; Til so the area already let; the terms of lease and revenue derived therefrom; also the area intended to be reserved for harbour purposes.” THE DAMAGED KANT.

The meeting closed at 12.45 p.m., and two or three of the members then accepted the chairman’s invitation to have a look at the damaged condition of the breakwater beyond the curve, which in several places is very bad indeed.