Thames Harbour Board.

Thames Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 10566, 12 June 1907, Page 2

Thames Harbour Board.

LAST NIGHT'S SHEETING; -c- i Aiti last nigfofftjmeetingl of. the Thames Haribour Board there were present, (MtessjmWWnh Scot* {Chair- ' ma^rW. H.Potts, W. Peebles A, Burns, E. J, Milties. and^Angu* .Gib--bbns. Captain T. JC. B^Uiti^ittrbor--: master, and Mr Albert Bruce ~(secre- ' tary) were also inTatSiffiSSr—r--| in- n. SV Somers. telegraphed: — \ "Kindly apologise ; for-my absence ;tbis evening." •.•"..'■ —Minitftefe.^-.?^.: The miniutes of the_ Fast .meeting wer^e read and adopted a.tid "the outward correspondence approved of. —A Useful Society. The Secretary of the Shipwrecked Sailors' Sooiety wrote" as follows :— "B ami in receipt of your letter of the 18th May, addressed to Mr Chaniberlain, who is out of town. lam directed by the Ekeoutive Comniatte to thank youl very ( sipoerfely'/fQr your generous donation of £& 5s end also for your eympathy-in.the: aims and objects of the Society.-^-E" IX- Grace."

—The Thames Foreshore.—

■ The Hon. J. A. Millar wrote:-* "Adverting! to the request made by your Boai-d fqr a grant ojjhe Thames foreshore, I have the honor to % «tate that the question having been raised whether, as a portion of the foreshore has already been granted to the Board under section 3 of "The Thames Harbour Board Actj 1878," there is power to make a further grant, the matter has foeeni referred to the Crown Lalw Officers, who have advised that there is nothing in, the Act. which contemplates or authorises more than onTe grant, and £hat the Governor-mr Council having made a grant, there is no power to make a further grant." . It .was decided to allow the matter to remain in abeya,nioe, the Secretary stating! that negotiatiqtfs were proceeding! for the taking! of the steps in the direction indicated^

| —-Snag ml Piaiko River.^ Mr Harry Brownie© wrote as under: "I wish to draw your attention to a daingeroUs snag situated about laO yards this side of Mr McsWilliains' on the Piako river. Coming down on Sunday afternoon we ..had thie pleasure of striking it, with the result that I was nearly thrown overboard. Hoping, I gentlemen, you will give this your serious consideration before an accident occurs."

Referred to Marine Department. —The Turua Wharves.—

Messrs Bagnall Bros, wrote as follows:—"In further reply to your' communication of the 22nd inst. we now make you the following' offer, viz., we will accept the sum, of. two hundred and savem pounds eight shillings and "three pence for our wharves at this place, payment) to be made as follows: Half cash, balance by an allowance of 50 per cent on wharfage, all balances owing from month to month, to /bear six per cent, interest per annumT^we to commence paying wharfage aa soon, as the airrangements are completed for the purchase of the wharves. We may say that we appointed a thoroughly ■competent valuer to value the wharves and the above is has valuation full particulars of which we have before us as we write." It was stated -that the arbitrator was at present engaged om the work, also the Board's Valuer.

The Marine Department wrote: "I have the honor, by direction of the Minister of (Marine, to acknowledge the reoeint. of your letter of the 13th ult., ■witht refemm f-■.'.;, valuation of tihe Turuiai wharves; and in, reply I am t*> stiate that it has been decided fo appoint Mr Wright.. District Road iUngmeer at Auoklaind, to be the Arbitrator to fix the'value o| the wharves, an 4 .^ hart been.requested to do so as soon as .possible."

/To l 1"" iM"r Bruce had replied: Your letter sth June intimating Mir Wright's ,aippoiinitoM»at as arbitrajtor to fix values of Turua wharf meets -with entire approval of Board. Board's valuer is ,Mr E. F. Adorns, M.E., of Thames, who will furnish any details required." ' ■ —The Waiotahi Tailings.— "I have the honor by direction of the Thames Borough .Council to draw your Board's attention to the manner in which the foreshore is being filled up by tailings from, the Waiotahi Co's operations, especially at the point whei-e the tailings are discharged from the ground uutoie. The drainage of that part of the town is very seriously effected, and if something is not done soon there is every probability of serious damage ©©curing! during: a time of flood. The Council trust! that the 'Bpard will 'take Htoitive steps to prevent! the cjotn.pa.ny from depositing any. more tailings o.t, the. particular point indicated unless provision i<3 made '- keep a drain, open and the tailings staioked outi of the road,— Alberti Bruce, town clerk." It was decided to draw the attention of thei WaiotoM Oonipmy to the matter oompiained of. —Harbour Master's 1 Report.— The Harbour-Master (Capt. T. C: Bayldon) reported as follows at last night's meeting of the Thames Harbor Boardi-1-"Nothing! other.than .ordinary repairs been done during last niontihi. There was a small hole in the solid .at Shortlandwharf that had to be filled up and the/landing steps a,t the Goods WJikrf' '-vrei!? secured, where one of .the bolts was broken. To this report I attach a. picture taken, from the Auckland Weekly, W Mi- A. J. I Watson, of Kopu, showing the wharf j and the steamer Inga laying there. I j attach this with! the object of demonstrating how unsafe it is to moor a long steamer at' that wharf. There is' only 40ft of. a T and the dolphins to make her fast to and consequently only one hatch dan be worked, and the greater lenigth of the vessel is laying: unsupported above the wharf. If a heavy S.iW. wind suddenly- struck! the vessel broad side on. the: chances are thMi she would with such an amoutoti of Spressuire upon, the upper corner of the T very likely pull the whole ~ structure down and carry iti down stream with her, and block the navigation and,.ssop a H work at the mill, \ hear ; thai the Totara TimiWCompany aite-not

likely to go on with the wharf, the right of which has been granted, I think, it would be well to consider the advisability of lengthening the T of Kopu wharf and strengthenings the tramway portion so as to carry more weight. The outer V wants lengthening at Je-,'-+, 150 ft and. even.-then it .would hs a pinch to w"ork both hatches of a vessel such as the "Inga, and X&& sure tihaitin the near future that that, is the type of vessel which will.'be coming for tiniiber. The coat tfif tlifs class of wo r v 20- v^ averaged at £10

per running foot in lengtih of T oon-'i Rtirudted of the sUnie material as the ] las* additioujtbi-the Good's- wharf,- I ; also attach a list, of wharfage uncollectible aiid rent in the same state, i ißevenue collected in May: Wharfage 19s lOd; jan* charge Mis 7d; rent £S4b; vrnter £2 l€s 6d; cab toll £1 10s,; misoellaiieous ,£2 16s 6d; pilotage £21 Os 7d: totlal, £181 2-«." .■•■;■ The. report, was adopted, except, thiat having: reference to fthe proposed new wharf at Kopu.