HARBOUR BOARD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7995, 13 October 1887, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD.

The Harbour Board met on Wednesdaj'. Present: Messrs. T. King (oluirman), Shuttleworth, Carrington, Corkill, Bayly, and Connett. Pile Driving. — Tho Chairman said I hat it had been reported that the piles were not being driven full depth, but that the heads were being cut off. — The Engineer said that ifc was not correct, as the piles were being put in properly. A Further Claim. — William Hawker wrote stating he had received £25 out or! the fund which was made up of deductions from the wages of men employed by the Board. The men signed, he stated, tho consent to grant the money on the understanding that tho Board would give £ for £, and he begged, therefore, to request the further sum of £25 might be paid to him. — Mr. Corkill moved to the effect that the claim could not be recognised. — Another letter, signed by a great number of the Harbour Board employees and exemployees, was read, asking that £25 uight be grtmted out of ths accident fund to Patrick Ryan, who was injured the same time as Hawker was. — The Board would not admit the claim. Works Committee. — The Works Committee report was read, but there was nothing in it worth chronicling. Telegram. — A telegram from the Treasury, Wellington, was road, intimitinsj that the Bank of New Zealand, Wellington, had requested their manager at New Plymouth to credit the Board with £1200 103 41. Rates. — Mrs. M. Wood, a resideut nour Oakura, wrote asking the Board to remit tho harbour rates on her property on account of her circumstances. — The Secretary was instructed to write pointing out that the Board had no power to remit rates. Engineer's Report. — Tho Engineer's report was read as follows : — I have received 60 casks of Gillinghajn cement in good order, and will commence to repair the partly damaged section as soon as the weather takes a change for the better. Mr. Philp, the contractor, is pushing on with the pile-driving and framing of the main wharf. He is now entitled to a seventh progress payment of £206 11s 7d for finished work, and £58(3 2s 6.1 for materials on the ground, making a total of £792 143 Id ; I also forwarded Penwarden and Madseu's account, for fencing, for £13 11s Bd. I have received the dredging bucket crane from England, but as it is not of tho description ordered I have stored it away until yoa hear what the makers intend doing with it. — Mr. Carrington wanted to know what Mr. Philps had received altogether. — The Secretary said it was £6441 8s 3.1, including the one just passed. Leave. — Mr. G. A. Marchant, on application, was granted three months' leave o£ absence from tho Board's meetings in order to allow him to attend to his Parliamentary duties.

The New Crane. — Correspondence from McEwan & Go., the Board's agents, relative to the new crane, and a report from an engineer employed by the makers, Stoddurt, Pitt, & Co., of Bath England, on the same, was read. — The OIIAinMAN stated that the Works Committee went out to the breakwater on Friday, and hoard what the Engineer had to Bay about the crane, and also inspected the machine. The result was that the cnue, which weighed 15 tons in working order, was to bo stored at the works pending a reply from the makers as to ita unauitableness, aud to hear what they intended to do. The correspondence from the Board's engineer in regard to tho recommendation to get the crane, etc., was read by (he Chairman.- - Mr. Coukill onquhed if tho crane hud been paid for, when he was told that it was, tho custom being cash on delivery in London. The mukere had drawn on tho Board for the amount. — Mr. Bayly considered tho diedgor had been failure.— Mr. Uhind :It has been no failuro at all, ay it lias be<n to sea two or threo hundred limes. — Mr. Bayly said that a bullock could tike out as much sani as tho crana could n a week according to results.— Mr. Ruind : I don't know what a bullock can do, but 1 know what a crane is capable of dojng, — Mr, Corkill considered the best thing to do was to allow the matter to be in abeyance, as he believed dredging at present was nst urgent, tho soundings inside being the same as they were threo yoara ago. — The Engineer Baid that was so. — The matter, after further discussion, dropped. Wharf Contract. — Mr. Corkill, on enquiring, was informed that the contractor's time for building the wharf would be up on December 4. lie said as there waß ho possibility q£ tho contract being finished, it was certain that the contractor

would ask for an extension of time, as the wharf waa not anything near completion. He thought that the penalty should bo enforced as the contractor had promised to have the wharf finished according to timp, aud th>it consequen;ly tenders for longer time ha-l bof-n rejected. — A discuHrfion took place in which s^ver-il members expressed it as their opinion th a moderation with tho contractor should be used. — On Mr. Corkill's motion it was Bnally decided " That the attention o£ tho contiactor be drawa to the fact that his contract expires on December 4 next, and that ho bo requosted to meet the Works Committee on Monda/ next for the purpose of discussing the situation with a view to making some arrangements which may facilitate tho business of tho work." Accounts. — Accounts (mado up of cost of crane, progress payment for the whnrf contractor, and tho ordinary expenses) amounting to £1586 8s 8J were passed for payment. The Board adjourned.