TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11665, 25 January 1902, Page 4

TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Timaru Harboar Board was held yesterday. Present — Messrs W. Evans (chairman), Eraser. Young. Manchester, Lyall. Thew. Goodwin, Skinner, Macintosh. An apology was sent by Mr Turnbull. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT.

The chairman stated that the receipts for the past month were smaller than they had been in- the habit of seeing, no doubt- because the produce had been pretty well cleared out of +he district until the new crop came in. The receipts were :—Ships' dues. £448 19s lid : wharfage. £635 4s Id ; total, £IOB4 4s. The chairman gave a brisf summary of the most important items in the correspondence. In reference to the oil-launeh, a name having been asked for by the builders to be painted on the boat, the standing committee had resolved (it was not his suggestion) to give the name of the chairman's wife. "Elsie Evans." Some stanchions had been added ronnd the bows for safety at a small cost, Mr Macintosh (member of the Board), and Mr Peterson approving of this being dor.e. He had visited Invercargill. and while there saw the tip-trucks being built for the Board, and arranged with a first-class engineer to inspect them for the Board. His report was favourable, and he was to examine them again when completed. Members would have seen by the papers that the Health Officers, Drs" Mason and Symes, had reported on the Strathallan street sewer, that it should be diverted- from the harbour basin, into George street sewer. This was in the direction the Board desired. The iie\r leases of the quarry was still in the solicitors' hands. He had seen Mr King with the secretary, and Mr" King agreed to the arrangements desired by the Board. The secretary's guarantee had been completed. Tiie"claim for £l4 against Hadley and Co., of Auckland, for rails non-de-livered, was in. process of settlement. The loan debentures had all been taken up except £SOOO and £IOOO, and these were booked for future dates. CORRESPONDENCE.

Among the correspondence read was the following:— From the District Engineer of Railways, stating that the account for altering subway could not be reduced.—Accepted. From Mr J. Creagh, Brunnerton, accepting price offered for defective sleepers, and offering further supplies.—None required at present. From the general manager, New Zealand Accident Insurance Company. Auckland, telegrams and letter relating to the Board's accident policy, stating that this does cover the first fortnight, as the Board desires; there must have been some misunderstanding behind the intimation that it did not. Ryan and Co., builders of the oil-launch for the Board, wrote on the 14th inst.. reporting that the boat was ready, except for painting, and as they had missed 'the Hawea, and had another fortnight, they would add a new invention of theirs, to do away with the noise of the exhaust, and of smell and heat, increasing the power of the engine and economising ■fuel. They would add this free of cost, their object being to supply a boat in every way, up-to-date. They* would give Mr Petersen instruction in the running of tl? boat, and would also have one of their ei..J)loyees at Tjmaru to further instruct him. * A letter of the 18th said the boat would leave the builder's slip last Monday. Later telegrams described a satisfactory" trial trip.—The boat is to leave Auckland "on the 7th prox. The Sonthland Engineering Company wired on the 15th that the ten tip-trueks they are making would be finished in a day or two, and would be sent to Timaru per steamer Invercargill on the 23rd.—-A certificate was sent by Mr Jas. Johnston, who had examinec> the trucks for the Board, that the material used was first-class, and the work properly carried out. In reply to a request that he would keep a close watch to detect persons depositing offensive rubbish on the beach, Sergeant Warring wrote on the 11th that he had instructed all the consables on the station to keep a sharp -watch, and report the first person they catch. Messrs Jas. Stonier and Co.. and Messrs

Hatton, wrote that they decided not to tender for the Board's work, but were prepared to supply castings at prices as per Xew Zealand Ironmasters' list enclosed.

The harbourmaster reported the arrival

of 18 steam and one sailing vessel, aggregating 19.515 tozs, during December. The weather had been squally, with occasional heavy seas. As it was now six months since the Timaru was last docked, it was time she was docked again. He asked -for two 20ft pieces of chain. The usual soundings had been taken and recorded.— The usual arrangements to be made for docking the Timaru; the chain asked for to be supplied. Mr Young drew attention to the soundings record, as showing the greatest depths yet reached, 24ft 6in near the entrance, and 28ft at one point at the main wharf. THE LATE SECRETARY.

The Auditor-General wrote that his reply to a question >"put to him, must be that to pay the late secretary of the Board an allowance of half salary for a period after his retirement from the Board's service would appear to be an unlawful expenditure of money belonging to the Board, therefore he could not pass the payment of such an lowanceThe Board's solicitors wrote that they had considered the position with regard to the late secretary, both with regard to the desire of the Board to recognise his long, faithful and excellent service and to the fact that for some considerable time l*, will be necessary to obtain from, him valuable information and assistance generally, which, his long and intimate acquaintance with the Board's business qualifies him to give. They suggested that the best mode of dealing with the matter would be to appoint him consulting assistant-secretary at to be paid by the Board for a period of twelve calendar months from the date when he ceased to perform the duties of secretary. They enclosed the necessary resolutions to give effect to what they advised.

These resolutions -were (1) to suspend the Board's by-law to permit a rescinding resolution to be passed; (2) rescinding the ]>ortion of a resolution of December 27th, '"he be now granted twelve months' leave of absence on half-pay""; (3) a new resolution " that Sir W. J. Tennent be appointed consulting assistant secretary of this Board for the period of twelve calendar months from the first day of January, 1902, at a salary of £162 10s per annum, payable monthly."

A good deal of discussion took place on these resolutions, Mr Manchester opposing them as questionable both as to legality and propriety ; Mr Thew as improper, such gifts should be made by members personally: and Mr Skinner, who objected to the amount, he would have approved of six months. —Each resolution was put and carried bv six votes to three. ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The Resident Engineer, Mr A. E. Austin, reported as follows : " Eastern Mole.—The staging is now out ro a distance of 700 feet. Two spans have been completed, and piles are being driven for the third, since the last meeting of the Board. Stone has been 'tipped to a distance of 675 feet, and shows above water to a distance of 625 feet. The amount, of stone brought down from the quarries up to date is 66,033 tons, the distribution being as follows :—Eastern mole. 60,491 tons; repairs to breakwater. 3522 tons: protection of tramline. 2-550 tons: Hayes street formation. 495 tr.r.s. The arc.ount of stcne brought down since riia last meeting of the Board, a period of 18 working days, is 8873 tons, makinir io over.ige of 493 tons per day. "Quarries. —In the western portion of the jst quarry stone has been stripped to a distance of 6 chains and a width of 40 feet. Two shots have been fired in tills quarry, and a quantity of stone has been well loosened. The three cranes working there have all fair faces of stone tn work at, and are doing' good work.

The new 10-ton crane is working very satisfactorily. This crane started to worK on the 6th inst. The quarry at the eastern side of the back-shunt has been stripped two chains in length and 55 feet in width, and fired. The 15-ton crane is being shifted to this quarry to-day. It is necessary to shift the telephone office and smithy ahead to the new quarry, a distance of about a mile from the present site, in order to be nearer the centre of the works.

"Maintenance of Wharf.—The carpenter employed on this work has been employed during the mouth in ■ repairing the braces of the Moodv wharf.

■' Dredging!— The s.s. Timaru during the month ending on the 18th inst., has dredged from the inside of the harbour 3700 tons of silt and sand, and 800 tons of shingle and sand, and frcm the outside of harbour 2800 tons of sand and shingle, making a total of 7300 tons dredged. The Taniwha has lifted 720 tons of silt along the side of the Main wharf, and 800 tons of silt in the centie of the harbour, and 290 tons of silt and sand on the south side of the Moody wharf, making a total of 1810 tons dredged." Mr Manchester asked that the Engineer be sent for. and when he came asked him some questions regarding the eastern mole, —whether it was being carried out in accordance with the specifications as to size of stone approved by the Royal Commission, and on which the sanction of the ratepayers and of Parliament had been given to the loan. Mr Austin said he had no,t read the specifications carefully; they were doing the best they could,"and better than the specifications", as they were building the mole higher. He hoped to get bigger stone further up the quarry, and in the meantime the small stone was being put in at the bottom and covered with big blocks. Mr Manchester contended that the sizes specified bv the Roval Commission should be adhered to, as 'a .guarantee that the work would stand. The chairman said Mr Maxwell had seen the work, and said he was very well satisfied with the wav it was being carried out. .Mr Manchester said that did not touch his point, which was the demands of the Roval Commission. The Engineer said the work was superior to that specified, which was a mole 4ft above low water, whereas they were making it Bft above high water, and topping it with heavy stone. Mr Young said this made,, all the difference ; the higher the work thp more secure. Mr Skinner asked the Engineer for an explanation of a complaint that a married man belonging to Timaru had been refused work at the quany, while single men and strangers had been employed.—The Engineer said the complainant was not a quarryman, and was not a good workman. The Board accepted this explanation as quite sufficient, and Mr Young said it snowed the in judiciousness of members interfering in the engagement of workmen. ENGINEERING SHOP. Mr P. Sinclair wrote_on December .slst, offering his shop and tools (list of fittings and tools, with prices, enclosed; total £338). He added that he had allowed all other business to go from him m order to serve the Board to the best of his ability, and in view of this fact he asked to be appointed foreman of the Board's shop at a wage named. A quantity of traders' correspondence, quotations o'f prices for engineering tools, etc.. was presented in this connection. The Engineer reported that the preparation of pfans and specifications, etc., for the work, shops had been allowed to stand over in order to consider Mr Sinclair's offer to sell to the Boar 3 his shop, tools and machinerv. He considered some of his prices were rather high for second-hand machinerv. In addition to the machinery offered bV Mr Sinclair it would be necessary to purchase a lathe, gas engine and drill, prices for which had been obtained from different firms. If the Board decided to buv Mr Sinclair's shop it would be necessary to move it to the proposed site near the engine shed, at a cost of £2O or £3O. It would also be necessary to lengthen the shop 20ft, The Board decided that an outside expert should be employed to value the contents of the shop, and it was resolved — •'That the Standing Committee be authorised to arrange relative to the purchase of Mr Sinclair's shop and plant if deemed advisable, to engage blacksmiths, and purchase anv further plant that may be requited." " '(The Standing Committee will m»et on Mondav next for this purpose.) I STONE-CtfTTERS IN QUARRY. The Engineer reported adversely on the ' application of Mr S. H. Kirby to quarry ! stone on the Board's property, and as the matter had been left in his hands to deal with, he had written to Mr Kirby ordering him to discontinue quarrying on the Board's property, and to remove his plant. He was of opinion that the Board will require all the available stone on the land leased from Mr King for the harbour works, and the quarry where Mr Kirby has been quarrying is the best the Board possesses, and he believed the only one in which a good percentage of large blocks of stone can be obtained. For these reasons it would be unwise- to let this quarry. —The report was adopted. ! STANDING COMMITTEE.

The Standing Committee reported as follows :

"R-ib-way.—Ther recommend that the amount deducted for commission (£l7 13s 8d) be pair', n repV having been received from the District Engineer, Christchurch, that the amount cannot be allowed.

"Damaged sleepsr?.—Mr Jas. Creagh. Brunnerton, has agreed to the Board's price, viz.. 9d each. "Accident insurance.—The N.Z. Accident Co. have agreed that the current policy shall cover the first fortnight. " Oil launch.—ln consequence of the holidays, etc., the contractors have been delayed, but they hope to deliver her early next month. The trial trip has been very satisfactory. The committee have given authoritv to have stanchions and rails put round the deck at the' bow, at a cost of £8 3s 6d. and in honour of Mrs Evans, wife of the chairman, they had instructed the contractors to christen the launch the ' Elsie Evans.'

" Engineer's shop.—Tenders had not been I called for there having been an offer from I Mr P. Sinclair, which they deemed advisI able to place before the full Board. • ; "Strathallan Street Sewer.—A vigorous protest had been sent to the Health Officer, and Dr Mason had reported in the Board's favour. " New quarry lease.—This is being drawn up by the Board's solicitors. " Secretary's guarantee.—This has been taken out in the Standard. Insurance Co. for £IOOO. " The late secretary.—The matter had been referred to the Board's solicitors, and notices would be submitted to this meeting dealing with the same. They recommend that a letter of recommendation be forwarded to Mr Tennent in full terms of the minute. '" Deposit of rubbish on beach.—They had communicated with the police, and a reply had been received that a strict watch would be kept for offenders. " Tenders for lamp standards.—Six tenders had been received, the prices rans-' ing from £92 4s 6d to £2OO. and they recommend Mr W. J. Palmer's tender at the lower figure mentioned be accepted. " Coaling dredges.—They recommend that Mr J. Mcintosh's tender at 2s per ton be accepted. " Foundry work.—There were no tenders received. They recommend that fresh tenders be called locally and In Dunedin and Christchurch." The report was adopted. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £2481 15s 6d were passed for payment and the Board