HARBOUR BOARD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 100, 17 June 1911, Page 5

HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the New Plymouth .Harboifr Board r a; held yesterday. Present; Messrs ,). i>. Connctt (chairman), Newton King, E. Dockrill, C. E. Bellringer, C. 'A. Wilkinson, D. J. Hughes, VV. Swaciling, and E. Maxwell. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. Mr F. Henderson, superintendent of works, supplied his monthly report as follows: Wiiarf Widening.—Pile-driving was commenced at the wharf widening proper on May 19th, and up to tin iOtli inst., 33 piles had been driven, making, with those already in the approach, a total of 5!. Although tlio ground was hard, the pilea were standing well, and were being driven t) a depth of from eight to twelve feet. Thirteen hands wore now employed at this work, and the fitting of walings and beams was also being carried on. The work had been de layed a good deal through wet weather. Dredge Paritutu.—The Paritutu dredged on 25 days, net time 200 hours, and removed 35 loads, equal to 13,800 tons. The most of this had been taken from the 33ft. cun which'had been advanced 170 ft, leaving 120 ft. of this cut yet to ho dre*i..£ ed. This patch, although comparaively free from large Moulders, war the hardest yet met and would require repeated blasting. The inshore cut had been completed, and the 33ft. cut had been extended a considerable distance ahead of the wharf. The buckets; since being strengthened by fivc-eighth-inch plates, wore standing well. Some or them had been u use for seven months without showing any weakness. The Paritutu had been laid up for three days througl rough weatnor, and two days wen decupled in changing buckets an-; coaling. Dreogo Thomas King.—The Thomas King dredged on 21 days, net time 220 hours, and removed 152 loads, equal to 12,100 tons of drift sand, 1440 tons of which were taken from the inshore area over ground which would ho on tbo second cut of the Paritutu. This dredge was laid up for eight days through rough weather. , it was decided to instruct the foreman to continue dredging the basin to the required depth of 2511. when unable to dredge at the berth; and that he dredge out the inner berth as early as possible. HARBOURMASTER’S REPORT. . Captain Newton, harbourmaster, reported that for tbo five weeks end Mg the lOtli inst. there bad been 32 steamer berthings at the port, tne aggregate tonnage being 10,359 tons. The total imports for the same period amounted to 7-185 tons, of which 059 tons Were coal, 210 tons lor the runway and 449 tons for private use. The exports for the same period of produce and general merchandise amounted to 1360 tons. WORKERS AND WAGES. Mr R. C. Bowie, secretary of the New Plymouth Waterside Workers’ Union, forwarded a copy of the rates of pay, hours of labour, and conditions of employment, which the -Union had deride:? to submit to the shipping

.•;>nsp~.-:ilvs concerned as the basis of ,<i agreement to bo- entered into between the shipping companies and the Union. Ho also enclosed copy of a biter which had boon submitted to .lie chipping companies concerned tic asked, in tho event of an agreenent being drawn up, tiiat the Board income a party to tne same, it being understood that the rates of pay, etc., only referred to men engaged in the handling of coal, etc., at tho port. It was decided that before taking uiy stops in tho matter, the Boaru scertain whether tho Union is roistered, and in the event of its being found to lie registered tho Board nonsuit with the shipping companies vith a view to becoming party to any negotiations. PETROLEUM FOR SHITS.

Messrs Watkins and Fox, on behalf if their English principals, asked the permission of the Board to lay a pipeline under or along the wharf for the purpose of piping oil to shiiis. “As :il development takes place in Taranaki,” the letter continued, “wo anicipato that this pipe-line will bo required. Our principals would like 0 have the consent of the Board ininediately, as they wish to include particulars'of this concession in their prospectus.” They said they had heady interviewed tho Minister of .tailways for tho right to lay a pipeiuo under tho railway lino at a place joining the Board’s property, and he dad given his consent. On receipt of 1 favourable reply from the Board, it was their desire io cable this information to London.

There was somo discussion as to tho ultimate situation in regard to a concession granted unconditionally. Members pointed otit that there might ,o half-a-dozen companies wanting ho right to lay pipe-lines under the rharf, and then there was the ,plosion of safeguarding tho Board’s in;crosts in the event of the wharf being abandoned for another one, any njury to the pipe, and so on. Mention was also made of the fact that oil piped along tho wharf in. this way would ho subject to the usual

wharfage dues. Mr Maxwell said that if there were to be anything at all in the oil Imsi'.ossiit was going to Ho a very big diing, and the other ordinary business if tho port would lie small in comonrison.

Members wore agreed that the Board should grant every facility lor ‘.ho development of tho industry, and die concession was granted, subject :o such conditions as the Board thought necessary to impose. TRANSHIPMENT CHARGES.

Mr King reported that, as requested at last meeting, ho had interviewAd Mr Ronayne, General Manager of Railways, in reference to the proposed transhipment shed on the wharf, and io had laid the plans before him. Mr Ronayne had promised to enquire into die charges m.ado at other ports simi■aily situated, and to write to the Hoard on tho matter. Nothing further had boon received so far. Tho .ransliipmcnt charges would probably ae a shilling a ton. THE HARBOURS ACT.

Mr George Allport, Secretary ol Marine, asked if the Board bad any .uggeetions for the amendment of thcEarbours Act.

Mr Maxwell thought the best thing to do was to revert to the old state )f affairs. The Act of last ''session had tremendously added to the cost pf the ’ elections, whereas it had been framed, so the Minister had said, tc ;avo expense. He alluded at length to the conduct of the election of the Whimato West county, where, he said., the election had been conducted on ‘ >vholly illegal lines, but this would be at the expense of the County Council, and not of the Board. After some discussion, the general tenor of which was in condemnation >f the recently enacted legislation, the matter was referred to the chairman and Mr Maxwell to deal with. DIRECT CARGO BOATS. Mr Newton King asked that the Board grant the same facilities as in the case of the “Viganella” for the lischafging of cargo from the “Margit.”—Agreed to, a similar charge to >e made, and a further effort made to lire a steam winch from the Waitara Harbour Board, so that it will not )0 necessary to take the Board’s Team crane off the pile-driving. THE CONSULTING ENGINEER. Mr King said he understood that Mr Merchant, the Board’s consulting mgineer, who was at present in Sydney. intended leaving for London in August, and ho suggested that Mr Merchant should pay the port a visit ind meet the Board before bis departure. On the motion of Mr Maxwell, it ,vas decided that Mr Marchant lx eqnested to advise the Board as to the proposed reclamation, and as it is understood that he is leaving the Dominion shortly, that ho ho asked tc visit New Plymouth at the next Board ■meeting. GENERAL BUSINESS. The Commercial Union Assurance Jo. asked that the Board’s accident insurance policy be placed with that mmpany for the ensuing year.—lt was Jecidcd to ro-insuro with the Phoenix Company. Messrs Weston and Weston wrote, isking the Board to reconsider its deision in reference to the claim by Mr Mansell Jones against the Board foi compensation for injury sustained/ by him.—The Board regretted it could not see its way to grant any further compensation. Mr J. Caddy offered to purchase 100 yards of gravel from the deposits at Vlikotahi.—-Referred to the chairman

•■.nd Mr King. A report will bo obtained from the superintendent as to the policy to be pursued in regard to the gravel cast up at this spot—whether it is to be sold or stored for the future purposes of the Board, such reclamation works, etc. —“Nows.”