THAMES NEWS.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 14517, 7 May 1913, Page 4

THAMES NEWS.

4 • THAMES HARBOUR BOARD. —t —

LAiST NIGHT'S WWFtXG.

Last night's meeting of the. Thames 'Harbour Board was attended bj Messrs W. H. Potts (chairman), W. Scott, S. Laughlin, A. Court, Law and T. Gdlmour. The secretary (Mr, A l, (Bruce) was also in attendance.

MINTJTES, HPC.

The minutes of the last meeting; were read and adopted and the outward correspondence read and confirmed.

An apology was received from the Harbourmaster (Captain T .C. Bayldon), who was engaged at the wharf.

NEW MEMBERS,

It was notified that Mr Alfred Court {nominated by Messrs J. Ren(shaw and J. T. Inglis) had been elected ac representative of the owners of ships and payers of dues, llie election of Messrs T. Gilmour (representative of Waihi Borough), William Scott, and George Warne -{Borough of Thames), 'and Henry_ Jackson (Borough of Te Oroha).

GENT3KAL.

The Public Trustee wrote acknowledging) receipt of £60, being instalment of sinking fund paid to credit of Thames Harbour Hoard £10.000 loan.

The Marine Department wrote acknowledging; the receipt of three copies of the Board's accounts for the year ended December SI. It waa notified that the buoy which marked the rock in the entrance to the Tamaki river had been removed and a- beacon to replace the buoy had been erected.

The clerk' of the Thames Drainage Bioard wrote acknowledging' that the Hkrbour Board had withdrawn any rclaim made against the Board for wharfage on coal The Minister of Marine wrote acknowledging 1, receipt of a sealed copy of additional .by-laws regarding wharfage rates. It was decided to ■■■■grant the use of the small pile driver to Mr A. Thomson (contractor, Karaka Creek), provided the driver was returned in the same condition as it was at present.

The .Board decided to pay their proportion (£& Us Id )of the expenses incurred in connection" with the visit of His Excellency the Governor to Thame*. .... An application from Mr Jason Harvey for lease of the toat slip at Shortland wharf for £10* per year, also that he place the slip -in good order and maintain same, was declined, the ©oard holding that the slip should Ibe under its control, and not under that of any individual.

WHAiWAGEi" -ON! MOTOR CiAHS

A complaint from Mr Gage-Brown re demand for wharfage for motor car was received. Mr Oage Brown stated that the .owner of another private car had not been charged, the excuse being that his firm paid wharfage in general, which covered his passage.to and from wharf. It was stated by Mr Court that he also had paid under protest. !He paid wharfage dues and if one were exempt all should ibe treated alike. It was decided to draw attention to the by-law which made. a charge on all cars and vehicles. HARBOUR! MASTER'S. REPORT. The Harbour Master (Capt. T. 0. B&yldon) forwarded his monthly report, which was adopted as read, as follows:

I "During; the first part of the month we.were engaged tarring, and landing the wharf road) fdtotpath, aftev that repairing* the barricade, and since that clearing the growth away round the magazine and at various necessary jobs about the wharf, particularly cleaning up after the contractor, after he had done carting slurry and sand away from the gutter alongside the wharf. With reference to this latter work I would strongly recommend removing a further quantity of this stuff as t£e quantity specified in the contract is removed and.it has only cleared the gutter about one third of the distance which" should be done, and I have with Mi' Adams seen it and I think he wilt also recommend it being; carried a further distance inwards. The scheme as far as I can judge at present of using the waste water is effecting' its purpose, and the ti-trec deflector under the wharf and outwards is acting well. We have visited the works frequently during the month and consider the work so far as it goes will effect its purpose, and thus far''the work, is _ well done. I also should like to have the sod wall ! which now retains the waste water carried along some distance further towards the Moanataiari tip, and a culvert or other approved contrlunce placed in such a position as to save let-ting; the tailings run into the gutter as at times they do now; This morning; I have had to send the Contractor's men ovser to the baths to bury a dead cow which is creating a nuisance and bad smell. Ub Shortland: I have had quite a large numlbcr of roots and snags blown to pieces and removed out of the channel, and deposited out of the way. There has been considerable wear and tear on the fender piles down the wharf where the steamer lies, and three or four of them are split i and broken, and I shotild like permission to use some of the square j piles now at 'Shortland to place : alongside those needing strengthening. This means bringing the pile driver and gear down this end again. Kie conserving the waste water for j scouring, JE would recommend your board to approach the Cbunty Cfoun- : cil asking that body to kindly allow as much of their waste-water and.