HARBOUR BOARD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11526, 16 May 1899, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD.

The Harbour Board met at 11.30 o'clock to-day. (Tuesday). Present: Messrs E. -Maxwell (Chairman), Connett, Cliff, Hignett, Sarten, Davies, Ralfe, McLean, and Bellringer.

The Treasury Deparimenfc notified that £2105 12s sd, 25 per cent of nee land revenue for the quarter ended 31st March, bad been placed to the Board's credit.

The Foreman reported that the dredge Thomas King made 454 trips, dumping 26,040 yards of sand, while 2400 yards were removed by the land dredge. The average depth of water at- low water spring tide was Ilftßin.— ln reply to Mr Sarten, Mr Lindsay stated that the work of decking the wharf was being pushed ahead as fast as possib'e.— Mr Ralfe wanted, to know what the Board proposed to do wkh (he sound timber taken out of the old decking. — 7he Chairman thought there would be sufficient to repair the whole of the bad planks at the approach of the wharf, and make a good job for the time btiog. Tho Harbourmaster reported that during the month ended April 30th, 35 steamers were berthed at the wharf. The imports were 1476 tons of general cargo, and 804 tons of coal; and the exports totalled 920 tens- On April 21st the s.s. Moa was beithed on the we3t side of the wharf, and on the2B:h the s.s. OreM, both ships being afloat at dead low water. The water was good in both channels, -very good work being done by the dredge. In a subsequent report he stated that the berth on the western side of the wharf is 240 feet in length and 75 feet wide, with an average depth of 10 ieet in low water Bpring tides. The dredge was engaged in removing the shouldsr off the western sand bank, and if the weather is fine iv June he proposed to try and remove the eastern bank. — The Chairman said itb« dredging was being carried on so satisfactorily that it seemed to him probable that the Board would shortly have a large dredging plant for sale. — Mr Sarten : Don't you make any mistake. — The Chairman : I am quite serious about it — Mr Sarten said from careful observations he bad made be hai come to the conclusion that half the sand tipped by the lacd dredge was being washed ashore. If the opening had been made in the structure there would not have been any need for this expense. — Mr McLean mentioned that when he was away he became acquainted vith one of the best known engineers in Australia, and bad laid a plan of the new Plymouth Harbour before him. In reply to a question he said a hole, such as proposed by Mr Sarten, would be of no use unless it was made in deep water. — Mr Sarten : I don'i care what all the engineeis say ; I maintain that I'm right — Mr McLean: I was only trying to help you in your hole scheme. — Mr Sartta was understood to say he did not want any favours. He kcew what he said was right, as he had very carefully studied thb position. He had offered to 3bow the Waitara people, and also residents of Wanganui, how to take the Takapuna up the river?, and he was satisfied he would bo successful. It was no laughing matter; it could be done. — Mr Connett failed to see why members of the Board should not laugh; the sand was rapidly disappearing. The report of the Committee, accepting tenders for Eupply of timber to carry out repairs to wharf, and appointing Mr Saaderson architect, wss adopted. — The Chairman explained that from enquiries made he thought that instead of 50,000 or 75.000 feet of timber being required, a reduction of 8 per cent, could be made and he had written a letter to the secretary accordingly. He bad also instructed the Foreman to lay the planks an inch apart, but he had stated that Mr Cliff had told him not to allow that distance.— Mr Cliff: No; it was the Committee. — The Chairman : Mr Lindsay said yen told him. — Mr Hignett said as a member of the Committee he knew noihing about the matter. — The Chairman Eaid he did not desire the Board to drift back to a state of affairs which at one time exi-ted, of members interfering with inEli uctions given for the carrying oat of woiks'at tne wharf. The planks are being laid with a space of threequarters o( an inch, under instructions from Mr Cliff, and against his opinion aLd that of the Railway Engineers. —Mr C.iff : AIL I can say i 3 that if Mr Lindsay tuya that I &aye Liru definite instructions he is speaking false. Continuing, be explained that he was of opinion that the inch space was too wide, and that Koine of the committee also concurred. ° He also claimed he had a<> much right to give instructions as the Chairman had in telling the secretary to deviate from a resolution pafsed by the Board reducing the quantity of timber to 47,000 feet.- -Mr Hignett reiterated that he kntw nothing of the matter mentioned by Mr Cliff.— Mr Cliff : You were th r* when ;he matter was discussed. — Mr Hignett : I do not remember anything about it. — Mr Connett said he must object to the Chairman altering the qumtity of timber. Mr Cliff was a practical man, and he was inclined to pay more deference to his opinions on matteis of the kind in ques tion. — Mr BellriDger said the Chairman had no right to alter a resolution of the Board. The Chaiiman and Mr Hignett, two members who voted against the motion, together with the Foreman, virtually altered the resolution which had been passed. It. was a dangerous precedent to make. — The Chairman stated that Mr Lindeay was laying, under instructions, the planks at three quarters an inch. As regards tho other matter, he did not recognise he had interfered with arrangements mado by the Board. Ho explained his reasons for a reduction in the letter written, which Jetter he read to tho Board. At the time he did net know the calculation originally ftated had been made by Mr Hellriugei ; ho thought the figures wtro his — Alos&rs Davits aud McLean also spoke, and tho discussion dropped. {Left HMmg.) His was an expressive faco, a faco of tho vegetable marrow typo; a mouth, w. 1), i. might have beiu cut with a hay sp.vJu, and cuch a voice, something oetwi en a leaky cistern and a fog hon,, but he had Bcnt.o arid eighteenpencc. He sajs to tho chemist now: -'.Have jou goo a bottle of Woods' Great Peppermint Cure for coughs aud colds '{ Nothing else will do f ormo. Id boats hospitals.' • 10