HARBOUR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXIII, Issue 80, 25 April 1901, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD.

VOTE OK CONFIDENOB IN THE SAM) PUMP.

EMPLOYEES ISLAMED.

At the Harbour Hoard meeting on Friday last, Mr. Hollo reported on the working of tbe sand pump. lie suggested a shorter hood, »k the present long hood had a tendency to bury itself in the sand. He reported that on March 30th the auction pipe, when being lowered, was struck by a heavy sea and damaged. He advised that [guide ropes should be used when raisI iiig or lowering the pipe.

The Chairman moved : " That froo inquiries and investigation the Boar* was fully satisfied that tbe frequen break down of the pump was cot dm to any inherent weakness or failure ii the design of the sand pump, and al trials having proved the efficiency o the plant, the employees be notifiei that any injury thereto caused by care lessncss #r negligence will be met witl i 'Stent dismissal." His reason fo moving the resolution was, he said, tba from experience in the past with thi floating plant (the dredge) when it w& first in use minor accidents were con stantly occurring, and it was not unti the system of working that plant wa altered, and control placed in the hand of the harbourmaster, that satisfactory result s ; were obtained. The new plan wa- u signed by the same person, au( thi whole of the difficulties whicl bad arisen had bean caused b; bad management, neglect, or incom potency. Same months delay bai tali' n place ou the pretence tha tbere was not sufficient boiler powei but the Board's engineer had prove! that the power was ample, and thi machinery had worked satisfactorily under bis supervision. No sooner however, bad Mr Marcbant turned hi back than a mcst extraordinary acc-i dent happened to the engine. It hat nothing to do with the sand pump, anc was ono of those mishaps which oc curred bus once in a thousand cases Mr Marchant had given particular in structions how the sand pump was t< be handled. The suotion pipe had however, been allowed, contrary to explicit orders, to swing, aud was struck by a sea and damaged, a previous crack heing converted into a break. Thtn, when lifting up the suction pipe the crane broke. He was satisfied there was nothing the matter with the plant, which would do an enormous quantity of useful work at less cost than tbe floating plant. The samo trouble over machinery had occurred years back and had been met by discharging incompetent men. It was evident there was a *et against the pump, with the result that it was sot allowed to work, He reminded the Board that a loog time 9go when a Committee was set up he held that the floating plant was amply sufficient for keeping the harbour clear of sand, but the public a,nd the Pieps dilated on the of the Board in allowing the harbour to get into a disgraceful state, and the Board was practically forced into additional expenditure for. plant which he was thoroughly convinced was not necessary, At the same time he considered the pump would make an excellent stand by and be ready for use on the dredge being hid up. Mr. Hignett* i,o seconding thf motion, he wns averse to the ex aeuditure on the pant, b'.t no-a- that it was made, he strongly objected to the amount spent being wasted by carelessness or negligence, Mr. Sarten said he was induced byMr. Davies to vote for the pump on 'he understanding that the cost would be small, and that tbe ho'e-in-the-wall ivould come afterwards. After two pears wasted in getting the pu>rp ixed, and being unable to work it f it noro than half an hour at a time, ti.e jlame of the delay ar;d breakdown was ihrown on the employees, a courte vhich was not only very unfair, but ati nsult to them. Mr. Ward observed that the ovilence brought forward was all on one lide. The Chairman, who had initi ited the plant, had gathered all the 111 ormation as to its failure in a one ided way, and it was not fair to the nen to haye all the blame to bear. There was something wrong somevhere, but it did not at all follow that he men were to blame, it. seemed ike a deliberate attempt to exonerate he Chairman and engineer at the exienss of the stiff, and this was a ourse against which he strongly pioested.

Mr. Kalfe had do doubt that many of the accidents had been due to endlessness such as tbat instanced in the case of having no guide ropts. Mr. Cliff oppised the motion. He thought it hard that the should be blamed, A speo-iai i&eohanic had beni appointed to. van the euginp, and if anyone was responsible that person was and not the men ucder him. Ht advised giving the pump anotbei month's tml, and if that did not answer he would move that a barge be; obtained. The motion was quite uncalled for, and was practically a vote of censure on the men.

| In leply to Mi\ McLean, the EngiI neer stated the nature of the inttruci firms given to the men. He was no cn >ain he had givon instructions as to using guy ropes, but it was an obvious courte to adopt tbat a child would have thought o£ it. Mr McLaan: Are you sure of the efficiency of the pump.

Mr Marchmt:. Yes. The work of the was condemned, surveys woye made and no visible improvement was made on the accumulation of sind, public meetings were held and thf harbour decried by men who, were not acquainted with the facta and who ought to have known better. Ho hnd been studying the harbour for year o , yet instead of asking his advice the Board's hands were forced. He advised and strongly advocated n. largar dredging plant as the Thomas King \V;'S I so small and was worked eo hard that it was liable to break down at any time. If the Board could not provide the larger plant, he had recommended a floating barge and failing that the sand pump was the next b?st thing. He laid str-si however, on the fie that the pump was only recommonded as an auxiliary. After consideration 'the Board decided on obtaining thf B<ind pump. He hal nothing to do with the policy, his only duty «<a« to tu ke it work. As a row pirre of machinery with which the men wore

uruequsiated, it wok milium) that it; would ttvv.iy without a hitch. When said that the ritoam power suflioii lit, he iiirpectrd ilie boih rs •at < Bfo found that by taking out the fire biiis and merely having 'he acc*m'jla'ed diit cleaned •fl'tkete was no difficulty as to obtaining plenty of sto im. Then camo theßCoidont oausad

by Klingiug the suctioa pipe contrary to his instructions. At the publio trial, the pump H;>nt a tremendous streim of rand r>ut of the pii« and was working most satisfactorily; but no sootier hml ho gone to Waitara than an accident happenud that could only occur it) one out of thousinds ef engines and was almost uuheard of. An experienced man had been sent to look after the machinery and considered that the Foreman was in charge, but tbe Foreman said the man dispossessed him, so there was appnreatly no one in authority. The accident was due te downright crass stupidity. Mr. Cliff : If Lindsay was net in charge why did he give instructieni, Mr. Marchant: I cannot say at »U, The floating plant was decried in a | similar way at first and was subject to " constant stoppages. He maintained I that if the present attitude of the publie of Taianaki and certain members ef the Board had been adopted by others in early times people weuld now be , going about in skins.

The Chairman expressed bis pleasnre at Mr. Marchant's observations, and ssid he hoped th*y would clear up many misunderstandings, Mr. Sarten proposed to move an amendment to the effect that one of tbe pipes be taken out above the gridiron and tried for a month, but tha Chairman declined to accept it. Mr. Cliff inquired if ha could tnov* to give the pump another month's ItrM.

The Chairman replied ia the negative and said he had made up his mind not to allow irregular diseussteD.

On a division tbe motion wasoarried by 4 to 3, Messrs Cliff, Ward awl Sarten voting with the Noes,