HARBOUR WORKS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12941, 4 December 1909, Page 7

HARBOUR WORKS.

SHOULD DREDGING CONTINUE?

Statement by the Chairman.

He Justifies the Board's Aotion.

At the Harbour Board meeting last evening the Chairman (Mr J. B. Musray) drew attention to a letter whicn recently appeared in our contempoi dry's columns, condemning the stoppage of dredging, and urging that tne work should be continued. He pointed out that the Board had more than completed the dredging which was originally intended. Both Messrs Napier Bell and Reynolds had recommended a cut 200rt wide and Mr Reynolds had recommended a depth of 13ft. The Board had dredged 200 ft wide. In one place there was a depth of 14ft 6in, but everywhere else the depth was 16tt or over. The Board had thus done more even than the engineers thought necessary. If they got a greater depth on the bar then more dredging would be necessary. No doubt the people would want it in that case, and they should have it. But first it would be best to get the depth on the bar by running out the moles. If they got 20ft on the bar larger steamers could discharge part of their cargo at Castlecliff, and come up to town with the remainder. Meantime dredging could resume and go on till the steamers could come up to town fully laden. The Chair-, man continued that he had had a statement of the financial position prepared, and, according to the engineer's estimate, the following amounts would be needed to finish the works now going £ Internal wall .• 2,400 South mole to point 6. (further than originally intended) 9,000 North mole to D 6,100 Repairs, training walls 500 Town wharf 3,129 Castlecliff wharf 200 Total to finish works £21,329 The Chairman, continuing, said the Board was carrying the moles 300 ft further out than was originally intended when the £60,000 loan was carried. The secretary had prepared the following estimate for the year: — Receipts for year 13,750 Expenditure (including interest on loans) 9,927 Balance for continuing river improvements £3,775 The money the Board would have in hand for works was therefore as follows :—: — £ Loan money in bank 32,500 Current account I>£34 Surplus on year 3,775 Total 37,909 Amount needed to complete works 21,329 Surplus £16,580 It would therefore be seen, concluded the Chairman, that there would be an ample surplus. He pointed out that it would cost a considerable sum to maintain the moles, as the stone was always sinking in the sand, and till it reached hard bottom the Board must be careful to keep the moles in repair. He thought it would be a mistake to dredge any more just now in anticipation of getting 22ft on the bar. It would be better to | see what the moles would do first, and there would then be ample time to do dredging. Mr BASSETT asked if the Chairman had not pledged the Board to 22ft on I the bar.

The CHAIRMAN said he had quoted the engineer's opinion that they could reasonably expect it. He thought they would have it.

In answer to a question, the engineer said he was satisfied there was a clear 200 ft width of deep water for vessels to pass each other in the river channel. The shallowest water was near the Heads, and there had been an increase in depth of six inches in that part during the last month. Other members endorsed the Chairman's opinion that it would be wiser to deepen the bar before deepening the inner channel to take vessels which could not cross the bar.

Town w.

. . £21,329

£3,775

£ 32,500 1,634 3,775

£16,580