TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2089, 23 August 1890, Page 3

TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Timaru Harbor Board was held on Wednesday. Present Messrs E. Acton (ohairman), I. L. Morris, J. Talbot, D. M. Boss, J. Wilson, K. A. Barker, and Captains Sutter and Woolleombe. It was agreed to send a part of the Priestman dredge Home to be repaired. .', Letters were received from Messrs Steward and Rhodes stating that the board's Bating Bill was in charge of the Hon. J. B. A. Acland in the Upper; House, after having passed the Lower House. The tender of Mr Anderson for two screw moorings, £63 18s, was accepted.

A letter was received from the Wharf Laborers Union enclosing copy of their rules.—Captain Sutter said under these rules the night watchman would iave to get Is 6d. per hour, or 8s per night. A letter from the New Zealand Shipping Company complained of the ship Ardmore being charged £l3B and the ship Abercarne £156 harbor dues.—The subject was discussed at seme length, and it was decided that no reduction could be made. The harbor master reported that 38 steamers and 6 sailing vessels arrived, and 33 steamers and 10 sailing vessels departed, during !}he month. The engineer reported that he had made a survey of the roadstead for half a mile beyond the end of the breakwater. He explained the general result of the soundings outside on the chart. Compared with the depths at the time of the Lyttelton wreck survey, the depths in the entrance were practically the same —here deeper and there shallower by six inches only, Pxom the angle of the north mole westward, the water had deepened. The only considerable shoaliag was over a small oval area of about 25 chains east of the angle in the breakwater—out of the track of vessels—where some soundings were 3ft- less than fo*ryears ago.—Captain Sutter said he was confident at the time that there was nothing in the statements made by Mr Teschemaker at the previous meeting to make a see-.e. He explained that in fine weather a current flows round Caroline Bay southwards, and, meeting one from the south off the harbor entrance, both were cheeked, and some of the silt they were carrying would be dropped. A heavy running sea, however, would disturb and shift the whole of such deposits. If we had another 14th of May; storm he was sure there would be an enormous' sweeping away of light soil.—Members expressed satisfactionwith the result of" the survey, and hoped it would be made as widely knownl as the previous unfeunded report had been. —The chairman said that it was satisfactory, but it did not tosch'l:the abingle question. Could M.the engineer indicate a spot on the eoast to the north whence if shingle were carried there by truck or barge it would travel north and not south ? —Mr Merchant thought the south end ■ Waimataitai Split would be the T point.. This led to a conversation about the rival schemes for dealing with the shingle-shifting and extending the breakwater. The engineer asserted that the quantity eoming could be shifted for £IOOO a year. It was all a matter of £ e. d., and while £20,000 would go no way at all in extending the breakwater the interest on that sum, £IOOO a year, would deal with the shingle for all time. Mr Barker closed the discussion by expressing the belief that the question might be left to posterity, as the present Btato of things would last the lifetime of the youngest man amongst them —an opinion received with laughter. The return of net wharfage receipts for four weeks to the 19th July was £724. 2s 7d. The secretary stated that he had received £2750 of the harbor rate. Accounts amounting to £562 8s 2d were -passed for payment. The board then rose.