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MARn-IE BOAilD.
Thursday, June 15.
Present— Captain E. H. Ferguson, S.M. (President);
Captains J. W; Smith, J.P., and A. McCoy, J. P.,
and Messrs. John Formby andS. D. Glyde, J.P.;
and Mr. T. N. Stephens, Secretary.
- Shipment.— The Agent-General advised shipment
of four barometers and quantity of angle-irons and
plates. :
Port Pirie.— The Treasurer approved of the erec
tion of beacons atPort I? jie to li.-jht up the channel ;
the cost to come out of the Deepening Fund. ,-
Eetiring Compensation.— The Treasurer intimated
that the dochyard workman, Butler, who had been
?paid partly ont of loans and paitlyontof contin'-
tingencics, was not entitled to retiring compensa
tion. Brceived.
Corney Point lighthouse.— J. Barclay, nhaer
standing that land would be required for the light
keepers, offered Section 121, Carrabie, in exchange
for 100 acres. Section 144, iiicIudinR a piece of land
on the boundary of Section 142. Exchange recom
mended.
Port Adelaide Wharfs.— The South Australian
Coal Company, lessees of a Government wharf at
Port Adelaide, promised consideration to the notice
respecting insufficient depth of water alongside.
Received. .
Port MacDonnell. — The local District Council
wanted to make a road which would .take away an
acre of the Lighthouse Reserve. Approved ;? the
Council paying five shillings a year lent for the Jsnd
and bearing the expense 01 altering the lighthouse,
fence. ?-...,
Eedaiming landafc theNorth Arm.— With respect
to the embankment at the North Arm-road, the
Engineer-in-Chief stated that the cost of construe,
tion, exclusive of branch embankment leading to
the Coal Shed Creek, was £2,554. If the South
Australian Company made, as he was informed they
intended making, a certain embankment, the cost
would be reduced to '£2,865. The Treasurer added
that the cost could be provided out of the Port Ade
laide Improvement Loan, 1876, of which there were
£7,000 available. The 'Secretary stated that the
owners of the land were sharing the' expense, and
work was being done. Beceived.
Hawker's Creek.— The President of the Central
Board of Health recommended that some steps
should be tskea to remedy the nuisance at Hawkers
Creek, and suggested that the top of the bed shouli
be removed. Eesolved to ask Mr. Hack, the lessee
of a portion of the creek, to share the expense of
the deepening. ?
Deepening Operations.— The Engineer (Mr. W. E.
Slade) reported on dredging operations daring May :
—No, 2 dredger tad completed the deepening above
Jervois Bridge, and began clearing up the channel
on the north side of it No. S dreiger has been ex
tending the cutting at the south end of the inner'
bar. She would shortly reach a depth of 17 feet at
low 'water, and , he recommended that the channel
should be continned:nntil a wtdthttf 150 feet and a
depth of 18 feet had' been obtained.' It wonld take
Nos. S Md :5 dredgers', font months to complete the
first catting through, the inner bar. No. fi dredger
had made good progress at the. bar. At Port Pirie
No. i dredger had Seen deepening.and straightening
up the narrows, working to IS ft. 6 in. at low water.
At Point Sturt No. 7 dredger-was making & channel
100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at ordinary summer
level. The Seceetart laid on the table returns show
ing the cost of deepening operations during May.
At Port Adelaide No. 2 dredger raised. 3,052 cubic
yards ; cost, Is. S}d. a yard for.raismg, or £196.' Thd
discharge was done by the Port Corporation.. No.
3 dredgerraised 14,890 cflbic' yards; cost, lOd. for rais
ing and 5}d. for discharging ; total, £935. No.Sraised
14,465 cubieyardsr cost, 10d. per cubic yard, anJi3r
C}d. for discharging ; total, £1,348. The quantity of
silt landed at Hawker's Creek was 1,800 cnbic yafds;
expenses; £114 Is. 6d., or Is/ SJd, bar cnblcyard.
The supply had been in excess of the 'demand,
though less bad been landed. The gabs of Nos. 2
and 3 cranes had been replaced by new ones- at a
cost of £190 (which would make tne month's dis
eharcing come to 3s. Id. per yard, instead of
Is. 3ld., as shown), but only £26 of that expendi
ture was included under the item of ' repairs,' the
balance not having yet been debited to the loan
wonld be included in a future return. The follow
ing silt had been disposed of :— In the boat channel,
6365 cubic yards; at sea, 20,910 cable yards; at
Marine Board reef, 250 cubic yards'; landed at
Hawker's Creek and other places, 4,802 cnbic yards.
At Port Pirie, No. * dredge, raised 8,4*4 cnbic yards,
cost, 7Jd. for raising and Is. 6|d. for discharging;
on the reserves near railway Jetty ; total, £913.
At Port Augusta, No. 8 dredger, raised 9,49$ cubic
yards ; cost, BJd. per cubic yard for raisin* and
Is. Ofd. for discharging in false channel and by Cor
poration; total, £878. At Point Start. No. 7
dredger, raised 4,834 cubic yards; cost, lid. per
yard for raising, and Bid. for discharging close to
bank and under Point Start ; total cost, £390. The
Engineer recommended the transfer of a barge
frost Port Augusta to Port Pirie, and of some
pontoons thence to Port Augusta— approved. The
balances of deepening loans stood thus on May. 31
last :— Port Adelaide, £79,941 ; Port Pirie, £16,249 ;
Port Augusta, £22,451 ; other outporta, £9,512. Re
ceived.
The Silt Question.— Mr. Glvdb said there was
something in connection with the Government '
discharging silt 1 that : he was not satisfied
with. Mr. Lovely, Chairman of the Lefevre
Peninsula District Council, had shown him the
specifications of a contract they made for
the discharge of silt at Hawker's Creek. The
specification provided for taking the silt from the
dredger,' warping the pontoons into the wharf
landing the material, and warping the pontoon
back, all of which was done for 5}d, per yard. Then
the Board's expense since the commencement of
landing at Hawker's Creek had been lid. a yard, or
100 per cent. more. The difference was more extra
ordinary since the towage was not reckoned. The
President said the Boardhad to find the pontoons
and repair them for the District Council contractor
Mr. Formby taid the work coDld not be done with
pontoons, for tho dre Jgen would be kept idle half
the time. Mr. Glide reiterated that with modern
appliances and Prlestmaa's cranes it cost the Eoard
1C0 per cent, more than the public could do it for.
Was the difference on account of repairs to the
machinery? The Preside.ni— Yes, and stowage
Mr. Glyde would let the- work by contract,
allowing the contractor the use of the
plant. .It certainly seemed the more appliances
they got tho greater tiir cost was. Mr.
Formby said the District Council contractors
simply shovelled the silt, but the Board had to find
and repair the plant, and incur extra expense to
discharge the large barges. The Secretary said
Mr. Glyde did not take into account the cost the
Board had been put to of £500 in removing the
unpurchased silt, removed to moke room for the
next barge load. DT thesilt was not bought at once
they had to get horse3t wagons, and inen to take it
way. Mr. Glyde did not see the necessity for
keeping on landing silt when it was not wanted
Surely the dockyard people could guage the demand
beforehand. The President said then there would
be a barge and crew lying idle, Mr. Glyde thought
that thebarge if it was not fit for other work might
remain idle, but the hands could be found other
enii-li.yment The President said Mr. Lovely's
specification and the Board's work could not ba
fairly compared, when on the one hand there were
repairs-and six miles haniage notrincluded fartha
otter. Mr. Glyde repeated that the tonnage was
not included in the lid. per yard: Several Wardens
said it was, but the Secretary said it was not and
bad not been for the past few months. Mr. Hick
son had charged it, but the Board agreed not to do'
so because there must be towage in any event. Mr.
Formby thought that the complainants should
suggest a scheme. ? Mr. Glyde did not see
that. As a member of the Board he was very
dissatisfied to see the public doing the work for 100
per cent, less than the Board. He said that there
was a difference in the case, but he wanted to Bee
how much difference that difference made. It would
be worth the cost of tendering to establish the fact,
but they most .not call for- tenders and put in ob
structive clauses. The Secretary, replying to a ?
question.tsaid there had not been within the lasfcsix
months any item for wheeling back. It was resolved
to call for tenders for a contract to land the silt for
six mouths, contract terminable on fortnight's notice
on either side. Contractor to have use of barge and
one crane ; to specify whether he would provide
towage or not ; and to keep the public supplied
with sufficient silt. The silt to be the property of
the Marine Board on landing.
Orient Steamers.— With respect to a statement in
the newspapers that the 'Board had delayed the
Orient steamers on Sundays and charged excessive
pilotage rates, the Signalman at the Semaphore, in
reply to a telegram, stated that the Orient steamers
had never been detained on Sundays, and the
amount of pilotage received on their account had
been £33. The SECRETARY said the Board's
officers h-4 been instructed not to work
on Sundays, with one exception. Cap
tains Smith and McCoy objected to any excep
tion in the matter. The President said the action
of the Board had prevented Sunday working on
other ships, for which the crews were glad. Cap
tain Smith suggested that that was rather a one
sided view. Tne President jocularly retorted that
Captain Smith f.ot hi3 day's rest, and did not care
about aDy one else. Mr. Glyde hoped that it would
be a long time before they should be dictated to by
steamship Companies as to working on the Sabbath
in their waters.
Ocean Dock Bi'l.— The Secretary referred to
this Bill, but consideration was deferred until a copy
of the same had been procured.
Indenting.— -The Board approved of eight indents
being sent to the Agent-General for the following
lines :— Colza oil, £68 ; rockets, £90 ; diving dress,
£50 ; coil hawser, £90 ; Mclnes's paint, £80 ; flags,
£115 ; 8,000 gallons kerosine oil, £080.
The Board then adjourned at 1 p.m. till the next
day to finish the programme.
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