THE HARBOUR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20098, 3 May 1935, Page 5

THE HARBOUR

KEEPING ABREAST OF THE TIMES MR W. H. ORBELL’S POLICY In the Kerry town School last evening, Mr W. H. Orbell, who is contesting a seat on the Timaru Harbour Board as the representative of the Northern District of the Levels County, opened his election campaign. Mr M. Driscoll presided. The speaker said that when his father came to the time of retiring from local body work he, being the eldest son, naturally wanted to carry on the work. He had wanted to go on the Levels County Council, but his father had said that he would be of more value on the Harbour Board. He had pointed out the great value of the harbour to South Canterbury. He had said that the harbour had been built to accommodate ships of from 1000 to 3000 tonnage, but at that time, 1924, ships of 10,000 tonnage being accommodated. There had been alterations in the method of shipbuilding in the years between the speaker’s father’s arrival in New Zealand and his father had forecast further great changes in the years to come. How well he had spoken had been demonstrated in more recent times, and would be as the years went on. The speaker had gone on to the Harbour Board and had now been a member for some years. During his association with the Board he had looked on it as a company with the ratepayers of South Canterbury as shareholders. To that end he had always worked to keep expenses down £.nd keep the harbour as well up-to-clLte at possible. He pointed out, by means of tables, that the ratepayers’ d’. idends were the difference between putting their produce over the wharf in Timaru and having to send it to Lyttelton. Dredging The speaker showed, by use of a map, the varying depths in the channel and outside the eastern extension. The last sounding had shown that the channel had silted up to 26 feet in one or two places. The need of getting the dredge back from Oamaru at once was urgent. It had been said thatdredging could not be done out in the open sea toward the end of the eastern extension. That was not correct, and he proceeded to prove on the map where the dredge had been working before it went to Oamaru. Every member of the Board had agreed that the need of deep water was urgent, yet at the recent meeting when several had urged the return of the dredge they had been opposed and defeated—that in the face of all having agreed on the urgency for deep water. The dredge was still at Oamaru, yet the charter had particularly stated that if the dredge were urgently required at Timaru the Board had the right to recall it. The speaker read several extracts from reports of the dredge-master, affirming that the wear and tear on the dredge at Oamaru was much greater than when at use in Timaru. It had been sent south as a paying scheme by the Board, but would probably cost a great deal in the long run. The usual average cost of overhaul had been about £4700 and what would it be after use at Oamaru? Improvement Scheme. The Board had asked for a scheme for improvement and the harbourmaster (Captain H. C. White) had presented the scheme at present being advocated. The harbour had originally consisted of the breakwater and the northern mole, the latter inside the lee of the breakwater so that the seas sweeping past the end of the breakwater would be diverted past the harbour mouth. Later the eastern extension had been added and with the strong current the shingle and sand were now sweeping round into the bay and out toward the inside of the extension where it met dead water and dropped right in the harbour mouth. He therefore advocated the extension of the northern mole by 100 feet and then bending it to finish outside the end of the southern mole. If that was carried out ships of the largest class could be safely brought into the harbour. He had been assured of that by the harbour-master. On Anzac Day he had gone out on to the Port Fairy, which was standing out waiting to enter the harbour. He had climbed over the ship’s rail at 6.30 a.m. and she had not been berthed until 7.10 a.m. He had stood on the bridge and wondered several times if she were going to crash into the mole. The swinging room was far too small. To show how the ratepayers contributed to the upkeep of the harbour Mr Orbell said that on a farm, the capital value of which was £SOOO, the rates last year would have been £ls/12/6, and out of this £l/6/- would have gone to the harbour. This year, the harbour rate would be £l/19/-, a slight increase. If the improvements cost £IOO,OOO, all that the man would have to pay extra would be £2/12/- for eight years, and the whole thing would be paid for. If the Board decided to go on with the improvements, he suggested it would take a considerable time before the work could be started —possible some years. The financial position of the Board, under the guidance of Mr G. T. Dawson, had been rendered sound. In conclusion Mr Orbell emphasised the fact that he was one of two present members of the Board who were of the second generation, Mr Flatman being the other. His audience were the second generation of landholders of that district. The pioneers had used pluck and initiative in setting down the first works for the harbour. He realised that the harbour was the heritage and birthright of the people of South Canterbury and as long as he could he intended to fight for it to be retained and improved. It was the sheet-anchor of the people of South Canterbury. Questions. Mr W. Day asked if the unemployed could be used for the work of extending the mole, and the speaker explained that the work would require skilled labour. He referred to improvements at Lyttelton. Twelve years ago Lyttelton had had no cranes. Now it had a number and at the last Board meeting 10 more had been ordered. It was evident that Lyttelton realised that if the improvements were brought about it would have a close rival. The improvements would mean a great deal of benefit to the unemployed through the increased trade, and if skilled men were employed there would be vacancies for men who were out of work now.

On the motion of Messrs T. W. Brosnahan and W. C. Cargill a vote of thanks was passed to the speaker.