HARBOUR BOARD.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13422, 8 July 1911, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD.

The' regular monthly meeting of the Harbour Board was held last evening. Present — : Messrs J. B. Murray (chairman), N. Meuli, J. .Tones, A. G. Bigncll, C. E. Mr okay, W. G. Bassett, J. C. Paterson, J. T. Hogan, M.P, FINANCE.—The cash statement showed balances as follow:—General account, cr., -£5297 9s 8d (after payment of half-year’s interest on loan, .£2500); loan account, or., fixed deposits, .£SOOO. ACCOUNTS.—Accounts totalling £640 3s Id were passed for payment. General Business. ASHTON'S LEASE.—Be Mr Ashton's lease at Castlecliff, Mr A. Atkins, Wellington, wrote that he had been engaged pegging boundaries at Castlecliff in 1906, but bad no record of what they were. The litho plan of Catlecliff, which bears his (Mr Atkins’) name was not prepared by him, though he may have supplied some . of the information contained in it. He suggested that the Board inquire from the printers who compiled the plan, and he would also like to know how his name came to be on it, as none of his accounts showed any charge for such a plan.—As Air Atkins will be visiting Wanganui shortly, it was resolved to hold the matter over for the present, and that the chairman and Mr Aleuli confer with him on his arrival, •SAND DRIFT.—Mr J. W. Jackson wrote that he would be experimenting near Waverley on a piece of ground, for the stoppage of drift sand, and would notify the Board when finished. He was unable to send a plan.—Beccived: -MITCHELL’S LEASE.—Thos. Mitchell, Ltd., applied for a Gasgow lease of the land held by them on the Board’s block, with certain alterations and extensions.— Beferred to the Works Committee. SPECIAL RESOLUTION.—A special resolution was passed formally confirming extended leases granted by the Board under the Public Bodies’ Leasing Act. 1908. BY-LAW.—The Alarine Department wrote that a new by-law would have to be made before the remission of dues on spiral pipes could be regarded as legal.— Resolved to reply that .the Board will shortly be revising the by-laws, and that the Department’s suggestion will then be given effect to. ' HARBOURS CONFERENCE—EesoIved to reply to the Harbour Boards’ Association that the Board has no recommendation to make regarding the holding of a conference this year. EROSION.—The Beautifying Society wrote drawing attention to the fact that the river was washing away a portion of the bank on the Wanganui East side.— Referred to the Works Committee. TRANSFER.—Mr J. D. Anderson ap ] lied lor transfer of his Castlecliff lease, on sale, to Mrs E. Mattock.—Eesolved that Mr Anderson be requested to submit, the ■’necessary documents to the Board’s solicitors. HARBOURS ACT.—The Alarine Department wrote that certain defects had been found in the Harbours Act, and asked whether the Board would propose any a 1 te rations—Received. PELOTAS.—The Board’s solicitors notified the finding of the nautical inquiry into the stranding of the Pelotas, they having watched the proceedings on behalf of the Board—Eesolved that the Chief Postmaster be asked to arrange for telegrams to be sent from Pipiriki when anv rise in the river takes place. DRAINAGE.—L. D-. Nathan and Co. • rote that they were required by the Health Department to effect extensive alterations to the drainage of the old Commercial Club (near the bridge), which was on the Board's land, and they asked that the Board lay a drain along the river frontage, with which they could connect. —Referred to the Works Committee. LIFE-SAVlNG.—Captain Cozens, late master of the Pelotas, wrote drawing attention to the need of establishing a lifesaving rocket apparatus at Castlecliff, and enrolling a rocket brigade. He understood the members of the Castlecliff Surf Club were willing to enrol under tbo leadership of the harbourmaster.—Resolved that the harbourmaster report on tlie whole question of establishing salvaging and life-saving gear at Castlecliff— U, was alo resolved to thank Captain Cozens for his suggestion. BOATSHED.—Mr A. Blank applied for permission to erect a boat-building shed on the foreshore above the bridge—Referred to the Works Committee. COAIPLAINT.—Mr H. McArtney, tide surveyor, complained (per Collector of Customs) that the assistant harbourmaster (Captain Pope) had obstructed him in his duties on 6th June, and used insulting language to him.—Captain Pope forwarded an explanation, in which he denied the charge—lt was resolved to refer the matter to the Works Committee, Mr AlcArtuey and Captain Pope, to be asked to attend the meeting. ~ CORONATION DAY. -Tie Board’s Castlecliff employees applied for wages ost through Coronation Day being a holiday—Granted.

Pilot’s Report, Reporting for the month of June, th< j }l soundings on the Ist gave, equa' to 19tt at high springs and 16ft at higl utaps. This was the only occasion or waich soundings were possible, owing B heavy southerly and westerly weather winch however, did not affect iho bar. the channel bore by compass S.W. -V S fiom the flagstaff. The river channel was unaltered. 156 vessels, total tonnage 17,371, cross the bar during the month, I 8 1,1 the u’ght, and two largo steamers loaded in the roadstead. Tlie pilot also reported detailing the circumstances of the stranding of the Relotus, in the course of which he said that die tide gauge showed no indication at > time of any rise in the river. The opinion was expressed by members hat the time had arrived for the Board to obtain a more powerful tug for the use )1 sailing vessels trading to the port, it icing agreed that the hnatter should be ■onsidered when the extended harbour scheme is being considered. Engineer’s Report. Tire Engineer's report for the month was is follows: Quarry.—This has been another catismetory month, the output being 2185 tens North Mole.—The staging was advanced I.ooft, making the total length to date 100 ft, and leaving only 100 ft to complete cue work. Progress was interrupter' through the lighter Shamrock collidine with the derrick at the end of the staging md carrying it away. The cost of a new ernok and repairing broken piles amounts to .£BO. Owing to.the locomotive boiler requiring extensive repairs after the Government inspection, only 435 tons of rubble were deposited on the mole. chuth Mole.—This work is now pracll '.ally completed to the point recommended 1,1 my report to the Board dated September 10th, 1910. If the mole'is to be raised to high water level throughout, as recommended by Mr Reynolds and the Marine Department, ■ a further expenditure of 61500 will be necessary. There is no question as to the necessity of the work, reasons for which have already been given, file rubble deposited during the month amounted to 1740 tons.

Dredging.—The ■ dredgetaaster reports laving removed the dredge and moorings irom the Castlecliff wharf and commenced dredging between the internal training and

protective wall and Landguard Bluff on the 6th inst. During the month 271 punt loads of spoil were removed from the navigable cluinel. Tins quantity, amounting to 5400 cubic yards, was removed at a cost of (id per cubic, yard. The material raised has been chiefly sand, in which' were embedded a number of logs and .small timber. On the s ' 28th the dredge came upon a heap of shell rocK, probably capsized there years ago. This rock was lilted and placed on the internal wall. Bubble for Taylorville Bank.— t have gone into the question of the cost of delivering rubble on punts for this work, and have to recommend that 6s per ton be charged. This price includes all charges, including royalty and supervision and use of plant. The Heads works will probably be completed by the end of the year, when a start could bo made with the delivery of the rubble. it was resolved to adopt the recommendations contained in the report, and to supply the Wanganui Borough Council with the stone necessary to carry out the protective work at Taylorville, at the price mentioned by the engineer. NEW BBIDOE.—It was resolved to dedicate the land inquired for the Wanganui East approach of the new traffic bridge. VESTING BILL.—The Solicitors advised that the Vesting Bill could not be incorporated with Loan Bill.-—The secretary stated that a separate Bill had been prepared, WHARF—It was resolved thjit the Works Committee confer with the Solicitors re the taking over of control of the wharf from the Railway Department. TOWN WHABF.—The Engineer was instructed to ascertain if had taken place at the town wharf, and, if so. to set the dredge to work there.