HARBOUR BOARD.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6087, 2 December 1886, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD.

Ordinary monthly meeting — Wednesday December 1, present— Messrs Cornfoot (chair), Spurdle, Blythe, Borlase, Murray, Hundley, Davey, and Poison, Minutes.— lhe minutes of the previous meeting were-read and confirmed. Finance — The credit balance at the bunk was reported aa £477 15s 26. Stjbvesing the Endowmsnt — A letter from Mr Bray, of Fellding, was read, in which he slated that he would accept the terms of the Board for surveying the Endowment Block, his report to be in not later than the 106h of December, Mr Axup applied for the post of valuer to the Board, but the position having been already filled, the letter was ordered to lie on the table. Harbourmaster's Report. — Mr Low reported that the channel through the flats continued to have about the same depth of water as there bad been for several months past. The sand bank referred to in pievious reports a short distanoe below the oittle wharf had almost been scoured awsy, and the buoy had been removed. Some repairs had bean effeotcd to the Fuliki wharf, and Eomo fenocg raised on the South Spit. A considerable portion of the reef in front of the Heads wharf had been re* moved (about one half Mr Low estimates). It feels quite Boft for some distauca under the suifaee of the reef, and it is now more difficult to remove by the present ptoceaa than if it were harder! He had no doubt the action of tho tide would scour away the portion of the surface softened by the dynamite, when more oould be used,— Report adopted, The Soutji Spit. — The chairman reported having visited the South Spit with Mr Spurdle. They could come to no decision as to the suggestion of putting oat scrub groins to catch the sand, without, at any rate, having professional advice, They thought the waves would waah away tho scrub, and that the expenditure would bB thrown away. Mr Spurdlo said they were also of opinion that the necessity for a south wal} was more apparent than before. If a rubble wall, as provided id the original plan, were now out, there would not be the present blind channel between the bank and tho Spit. If some stono were placed iv tho channel, though not neossaarily a wall, some gopd might bo done. — The chairman thought this would not benefit them unless the wall was connected with the chore. They thought that with funds they might have experimented, but at present they could do nothing— ln acswer to Mr Blythf, tho Harbourmaster reported that there was a bank noar the cattle wharf on which steamers sometimes grounded, but there was plenty of water outside if they liked to go thero. Pilot's Rbpost.— Tho pilot reported tliat tho channel over tho bar continued S.W. JW. The channel is getting wider and in consequencs there is less water, tee depths being 12ft 6in at high water spring tides, and 9ft Gin at hiph wnter neap tidos, A small channel had formed through tho' Spit, just outside the entrance to the river, but it is not large enough to do muoh harm to the channel aa yet. This he attributed to the prevailing strong westoily winds, and tho faot of tho north besch making out past the breakwater which tended to forco tho water south. . Oampbelltown SrA'rioK.— Mr Jonkms wrote stating that ho thought that tho Board was doalmg very harshly with him in giving him n month's notioo after IS yeais 1 service Ho was willing to oontinuo tho work, and would tako his ohnnoo of getting aomothinfi for it. Ho did not see his way to loavo tho homo at any rate by tho ond of tho year.— Tho olioirman said that us tlio original resolution was that the Board nhonld p»y h*lf of tho mninteuanca if tho boiough paid hnlf, ho would move that tlio Boavd pay Mr Jonkinn ono-halJ of tho provioua salary, Mt Jenkins ti look lo tlio pubho for tho remainder of his snlnvy. Civrrlod unnnt« moiKly, — Tho Uoaid thon wont inlo coni« mitteo to consider matters of fiiiauuo.