TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 2245, 1 December 1881, Page 6

TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

An adjourned ordinary meeting of the Timaru Harbor Board was held on Tueedaj November 16. HBMBBBS PBBSBST. Messrs Fnlbert Archer (Chairman), W. Evans, K. F. Gray, E. Turnbull, E. A. Barker and T. W. Hall. BXTESSIOH OP THE BBBAKTWATEB. The following tenders for the roniract for to extension of the Breakwater 300 feet, with ' an additional 100 if the Board think neces•ary, were openrd : — G. Thornton (Chriitchnrch), £9577 13« 4d, vi3t, concrete blocks at 11» 8d per cubic yard, monolith at lls 6d per cubic yard, and apron blocks at 11s per cubic yard. Thomas B. Jones, £10,605 Bj, Tiz., concrete blocks at 12a 6d per cubic yard, monolith at 14« per cubic yard, and apron block* at 12s 6d per cubic ynrd. Allan and Stumbles, £12,939 12s, viz . concrete blocks at I6i per cubic yard, mor.olith at 12s per cubic yard and apron blocks at 16a per cubic yard. Jones and Peters, £8305, viz., concrete blocks at 10s per cubic yard, monolith at 10> p.<" cubic yard, apron blocks at 10s per cubio ""yard. On th» motion of Mr Brans, seconded by Mr Barker it wns resolved — " That the tender of Messrs Jones and Peters be accepted, at the tender and schedule prices up to 400 feet." * It was incidentally mentioned that the Board had now some '£37,000 m hand, and that if the Breakwater were extended 400 feet they would have over £6000 m hand on the completion of the work. THE LATE CONIEAOT. The following letter from Messrs Janes and Peters was r<-ad : — "To tha Chairman of the Timara Harbor Board. "Bra, — As the subject of enforcing penalties will be brought forward at your meeting to-day, we wi^h to make a few remarks with reference thereto. " In tbe first place, we would like to correct a statement made by His Worship the Mayor at tbe last Board meeting, m which he said we bad allowed three months to elapse before We called for tenders for the new iron eating. Now, we do not wish for one moment to imply any personal mutires, for we think hu certainly must hare got bis infor« ation from tome intereatert party (most probably a clis appointed contractor). At all event*, we c*n prove that we accepted Mr Parson's tender for same on the ninth Hay of March. Then again, m regard to that portion where he stited for dnys we had onlr two or three men *», work. Now we can show by cur lime--1 book there were not at any tioir. lets than tbirtT.tbree men at work, uoleu prerented

through circumstances over which we had no control, «ueb as heavy seas, rough wind*, m sufiloiei t' room to mould blocks, or breakages of the crane, &c. but certainly not thr. ugh any neglrct on our part, for even at holiduy times and often at night we kept the men ut work, as we were anxious to get finished within the contrast time. " We would also like to explain more fully some of thn causeß of delay. Soon after the commencement of the csntraet we found the cement was running short, and not wishing to bring the works to » complete standstill, or loobo any of the men that were uaed to the particular parts of the work, we did not make the same quantity of blocks as previously, and by referring to the report of the Board's meeting, you will see that the Engineer aotually proposed to step the works altoaei her Then again, when the fresh »upplie» of cement arrived, the moulding grouud on the north side was taken from u< for the purpose of tnakiiig the approaoh to the wharf, io you sen we could not possibly get on as fast at we otherwise oh uld have done. " There is another thing we wißh to bring before your notice, and that i», the unfairness of enforcing us to pay the Kngineer or Clerk of Works time, as they would m any case have to superintend our cntraat No. 3 of wharf, which was completed within the contract time, and as wharf ontract No. 2 could not possibly be made use of until the other was finished, there was no actual time lost. " Should you wish for further explanation, we should be giad to have an interview with the Board. (Signed) "Jonbb and Prtbbs." It out resolved to let tho matter stand over till next meeting of tho Board. CLEBK OF WOBKS. It having been stated that the services of the Clerk of Workß (Mr Hamilton) had been I dispensed with hy the Chairman, Mr .Evans said the Board never intended that Mr Hamilton should be dismissed. Their only object m giving him notice m the iirst instance was to prevent the Board from stultifying itself. Mr Hall hoped the Clerk of Works would be put on again, ns they wanted him at once and he waa a trustworthy man. He bad merely received notice m case the Government stopped the Board from going on with the work of extending the Breakwater. After some diecuasion the Chairman instructed th» Engineer to reinstate Mr Hamilton as Clerk of Works so toon as Messrs Jones & Peters resumed operations. The meeting then terminated.