TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14044, 30 October 1909, Page 7

TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. Th- montb.lv murine of the Timaru Harbour Board uas held yesterday. Present-Messrs J. Cra.g.e •"airman!, F. J. Rollcsttai, B. C. lurnbull L. r.. Sticking*, J. E Goodwin. 1. 1 • W. Havmaa, C. N. Orbell, R- Hicu, R. Skimxcr, and G. }\. Arrnitago. An apolog<was received tor absence trom statement The Chairman said the credit balance *t last meeting was £!H24 W* «>d, and xhVrte?£ last meeting totalled £3175 5s od. The accounts to be passed thatday totalled £4431 13s ,d; and fberc were transfers "to »»s..r»m-c funds (dredge 3-50 and Tnniwl }«>. £UOO. a total of £ou»l 15s ..1. Thus after these payouts there woul. lb- :. • redit balaneo of £6B :'s ■< - » i '" IMS loan there were still £23 .00 wort 0 f debentures to sell. The Board bar a sum of £SOOO on fixed deposit, and could draw on this if necessary. He congratulated the town and the <ljstricfcVof South Canterbury on the splendid way in which the wort. h"«l withstood the recent storm. Practical y »b damage had been done: and while in fine natural uorts like Lyttelton vessels were unable to work when tinstorm was at its height, there was no :»t r >agc of work at all at Huiam. It was a splendid testimonial to the value of the Eastern mole. The s«>rr«>tarv had preoared a table of statistics relative to the trade of the tiort j'-r the past nine months, compared with the same period in a nim'ber «t •>r<-vi-ous years, the latest table showing a gratifying increase. Shipping ers had, been consulted in regard t» the beet position for the fog-signal. :•'>'• thW-were almost unanimous "' «•■- «-i>ktna that the end of-the on-jti-d flrcakwater was the best nlae«* f'*r it. 'A-'schednle of duties for the harbonr■mastex and master of the dredge bad "been drawn no by the snecial Committee appointed "for the purpose, and it was now for the Board to ad""t or reject these. It wonld be gratifying to members to know that the lessee of the section let bv the Board for co«l stores l'aii been,able to obtaiu a good simply ot water on the section at a depth of 40ft.' Mr chief engineer N-Z. Railways, had come down to Timaru this/-week, and spent some hours in looking round the "wharves and station yard to enquire into the improvements and alterations asked for. , With re-gaxA-to-tbc Harbours'- Bill. Mr Craisiio said he did not know whether it would ?M?t through this session. The Premier had not placed it on the list of urgent business.', but the Minister of Marine had told him that he intended to try .->nd,get it thromdi. He (Mr Craigie) had asked the. Minister to appoint a special committee. of " members of the" House who belong to Harbour Boards, to go through the Bill and decide upon the amendments "which are deemed desirable by the- different Boards". Mr Miliar had agreed to set up such a Committee, and it would meet next week.- The Executive of the Harbours Conference had met. but in view of the sitting of tho special committee referred to, it had" done no business in connection with the Bill. There was verv little chance of the Board's'gettin" "the desired amendments, on the floor of the House: the work must lie done in committee.. The harbour-v-nster Was not prepared to increase, the limit of 23ft fixed as the maximum deo'th-at wliich vessels can with safety trade at the "Sort. An automatic tidegauee would be vcr.vuseful in ensuring a correct record of the tides, and he thought such a gauge should be obtained. -

■ Messrs.Skinner and Armitaw expressed the "-hope that the Harltours Hill I'nnld not'eome on this fess-'oh as this Board" had nothing to i'a«n by it, and T"iieh to lose if it passed in its present form. CORRESPONDENCE. Mrs Clarkson, widow of the late harbourmaster, wrote conveying her appreciation of the kind message of symmthv passed to herself and fnmilv at the - last Bos>r3 meeting. Mrs Oark«*>n also thanked, the Board heartily for their kind offer of the t>se of the" Harbonrmasfijr's house until April of next year,'but' said that she had made arrangements to leave Tiniaru before that date.' She would give up possession of the_ house on November 6th. —It was decided io ask the Engineer to reivirt en the condition* of the house before the new '". harbourmaster is asked to move into it.

Captain Tait, the newly nnpoLuted harbourmaster, wrote thanking the Board for its appreciation of liis past services, and for the confidence rcnoscd in him by appointing him harbourmaster. The master of the s.s. Jura wrote congratulating thf Board on the many improvements made at Titnaru hsirbour, bnfe sa'id that the Board had been negligent in one respect, namely, in the way the wharves nro lighted at night. Some of the lights on the wharf should be kept burning all night. and-if some iniorovement were not soon made, the Board would probably have to face a claim for compensation,

through injury.—The Chairman said he thought, that at least one light should bo kept burning all night.— Other members did not think so, however ,and nothing was done in the matter. The Hon. Secretary to the Timaru Power and Sailing C.'lnli wrote, stating that shire tin- death vi the late harbourmaster, the ban.-metcr kept by him in his window had been removed. It had been a convenience to the general public for mauy years past, and the Club suggested fiat the" Board should perpetuate the memory of the late Captain Clarkson by providing an upharometer suitably inscribed, in the window of the office he used to occupy.—lt was decid"d to obtain a barometer and fix it in a convenient place for observation bv maritime men. , Mr LVugall and C 0.." Ltd., Duncdin, ' wrote in regard to the advantages to he drrivd fr-m the use of Tasmania!! hard woods.—Received.

Lloyds wrote asking when and where it would be convenient for dredse 350 to go under its survev.— The engineer said Hie drrrW would lv» going to Port Chalmers for its annual overhaul about November 15th. KOG SIGNAL.

The Secretary had written to the Engineer to the Lyttelton Harhour Board, asking for bis opinion as to the best place to locate the fog signal which the Marine Department had promised for the Port of Timaru.—Mr Cyrus Williams replied that he could not speak from pergonal experience, but bad Ircen advised bv the officer who works tiie fog signal at Godley Head, that if the I'iuiaru one were ulaced in either of the places suggested, the noise of the detonation* would lie very unpleasant in t'i.- town oi Timaru. Th.- places suggested were:- The root ot the, Kastern mole, at the entrance to (he harbour, at Patiti Point, ••r at Jack's.Point lighthouse. The l[nioii S.S. Company had been sut a similar letter to the one sent to the Lyttelton Harbour Board engineer, and they replied that it had been referred to their assistant marine superintendent, and after discussing the matter with the shinning masters, he recommended that if the signal could not b.» ore-tod at the ont-r end of the new extension, it should lie erected on the outer one! of the original breakwater, i .

The Chairmnii said they w»nM have to put up with the noise made by the signal.

Mr Itnllr.ston wondered whether it would make any "'more noise than the dredge. Mr Manchester, said the nois" would not'hurt the "people ; it would "wake them mi. Mr Thew said it would not be impossible to deaden the sound in a way which would throw if. further out to sea.' and prevent it from coming inland. ■ ' RECLAMATION. Mr 1). Stuart, as chairman of the _ Harbour Board in 1893. wrote stating that many ex parte statements had aj>peared lately rerarding the site from which the new wharf starts. All these showed a more or less incorrect knowledge *»f the genesis of the Board's reclamation powers, and as it was jxissiblc that maiiv members of the present Boprd had never had an opportunity of knowintr the facts, vbe desired t" draw their attention to the report in th" "Timaru Herald" on .T,.„ c 2?nd. 18P3, under the b«adi''"\ "Th" cli*»irman'« and the disciiFsifn thereon." Tbo same nf«snn' ln r po"* a inpd a»> interesting report on the »br.rf. The Chairr'nn s="d honour to wb'-m honour w:«s d''e. Mr Kti'art bad d'sMrornd when be wn"= chairman of tlie Board tl'*t..thomdi the B«ard had 275 acre"! under it c 'control. it lnd nn power 'o .do. an'v roebinvition "He ■!••-> d been 'es*run>ontal in getting the rer""dierl so as't'> give the now»r to <lo rpolnm.-ition work, and in so d'-ing be lind done vi-t work for the harbour. and. tlm district.—(Hear, hear). —It was decided to do with the report °= Mr St»»rt THE SAMSON CRANE.

The Board spent some time discussing in committee, an offer received for the Samson Tnne, and a price was fixed at'which the would-be buyer may secure it. RETURNS. The secretary submitted a comparative return of trade and revenue for the nine months; to end of September. The revenue was £22,210, or £3.0.">4 more than for the same period last year: total of imports and exports, €136.769 tons, increase 10.041 tons; shipping tonnage, entered 3R4,J&)fi tons increase 46,649 tons. Each total is a record for the period. HARBOUR MASTER.

Captain Tait reported the arrival of 21 steamers and one sailing vessel during September, while 22 steamers and three sailers left. The weather liad been altogether unsettled. During the first part of the month some strong N.W. gales wr re experienced. On the2lst jnst. the wind sprang up from the N.K.. causing considerable sea about the entrance. So severe was the sea that he was unable to leave the s.s. Fifeshire when taking her out, and was compelled t<> go on to Lyttelton, and return the following dav by the second express On the 22nd inst. a strong

southerly gale, with a very heavy sea continued until 24th, tho shipping was not iu tho least interfered with, there being thrco vessels in port. Soundings were taken on tho 25th inst. After tho heavy sea it was found thcro was littlo or no alteration in the depth of water in tho channel.

Tho casual labour employed during October totalled 70V hours. * In response to an iiiquirv from last Board meeting, he considered that it is not advisable in the meantime to increase the standard limit of 23 feet already laid down.

ENGINEER

Mr. F. W. Clarke, reported a s follows :

New "Wharf Contract.—The contractor is making fair progress with his work. The pile-driving is completed up to pile 20, a. distance of 210 feet from the shore, and good headway is now being made with other portions ofthc structure. A good supply of timber is now on the ground, so that the contractors should he able to make better progress with this work in future. The average number of men employed during the month was 18. Eastern Mole.—On Friday night and all day on Saturday 23rd instant, there was a heavy S.E. sea running against the mole, generally admitted to be the heaviest for some years, and it is very satisfactory to find that after a close examination the stone-work sufFered very little damage. At bays 100, 108, and 115 a little stone had been misplaced, but not. sufficient to necessitate any immediate repairs. The staging did not escape so well, hut even there, the damage is by no means extensive. Between piers 80 and 00 five of the 18in x 13in stringers have been torn away from the fastenings and lifted bodily out of place, and about 250 feet of the rails and sleepers thrown against the north road. I estimate that the whole of the damage done by the recent storm can be made good for an expenditure of £2OO. Stripping at Quarry.—This work is nearly completed. About 5,500 cubic yards of material lias been tipped in the spoil tank in connection with this work up to the present. Dredging.—The returns this month are not quite up to the average, and the dredgemnster attributes this principally to delay by bad weather, and tho rougher nature, of tho ground, as the dredging gels closer inshore between the Moody and new wharf. There was also one towage during the month. From the outside channel 15.00 tons have been lifted, and the lirst cut near the entrance to the inner is completed. Fresh moorings have been laid for another cut close to the eastward. From the inside 10,000 tons have been dredged, and fresh moorings have also been laid further north of the Moody Wharf, so as to keep clear of the shipping for the present. Dredge N. 350 is duo for the annual overhaul next month, and I am arranging for the dock at Port Chalmers for the middle of November. At this overhaul it will be advisable to put in the new top and bottom tumblers with new shafts, and also the new crown wheel and centre. It is estimated that the dredge will be at Port Chalmers for about three weeks effecting the necessary renewals and repairs. The Taniwha has been working at the wharf berths and deepening at tho buoys between tho Main and Moody wharves. Tin's dredge is duo for the annual overhaul at the end of this month, and will he on the slip' about the 3rd or 4th proximo. Having been instructed by the Board to report on the working speed of the "Taniwha," I desire to say that I have looked into tho matter, and find that every endeavour is made by the craneman to get the best results. Tho driver is a good man, and the grab and crane is kept going at the best speed that he can get, with due regard to the safo working of the crane.

Slipway for Launches.—Tin's work is nearly completed, and will be available for use very shortly. Electric Beacon, Eastern Mole. — Messrs Scotfc Bros. 3 the contractors, now havo this work in hand. The tripod we are erecting by day labour, and Messrs Parr and Co. having submitted the lowest price are making the necessary ironwork.

General.—The slip boiler required a new foundation ring, and this was carried out by Parr and Co. The boiler has since been inspected by the inspector of Machinery and passed, and also the Samson crane boiler. A large portion of the necessary timber for the repairs to the Main and Moody Wharves has come to hand.

Tide-gauge.—I liave a quotationlfrom Mr. J. W. Broomhead, contractor for the supply of sclf-Tecording tide gauge to the N.S.W. Government, and lie offers to supply a similar one to this Board for the sum of £25, f.o.h. ,Sydm:y. The Marino Department gives the cost, of those obtained from London at £46 7s 6d, to which has to be added packing and freight to New Zealand. Bv obtaining the one under offer from" Sydney, the total estimated cost installed in place, in working order, is £55. As the Board have already approved of the cstablislunent of an automatic gauge. T beg to recommend that Mr. Broomhcad's offer to supply one for the sum of £25, bo approved. —The recommendation was adopted.

.ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £4382 14s 7d were passed for payment, and the Board rose.