191
Harbour Developments.
The certificates passed for payment to the Contractors up to 31st December amounted to $920,652.21 making $792,045.51 for the year under review. Progress was slow during the early months owing to the method of manufacturing the masonry blocks, lack of the requisite plant, and later to the inconvenience caused by the local labour trouble. Fortunately the contractors employed a large number of Shantung coolies, masons and divers, thus averting the closing down of the works. The method of manufacturing the blocks was altered from built masonry to that of cast concrete, and on the contractors installing more plant satisfactory progress was made during the latter half of the year.
The dredging of the trench for the foundation of the wall, which averaged 67 feet wide and 65 feet deep below Ordnance Datum, was completed in June, 224,000 c. yds. of material having been removed by dredging.
100,000 c. yds. of pell-mell rubble were deposited in the dredged trench, and the first foundation block was set in June.
920 blocks were manufactured, aggregating 21,000 c. yds. and 565 were set in the work. 273 c. yds. of superstructure were built to underside of cope and 1,000 c.f. ashlar coping prepared.
STAFF.
At the beginning of the year, the staff of the Department consisted of:-
Port Engineer
Deputy Port Engineer
Senior Assistant Engineer
3 Assistant Engineers
1 1st Class Overseer (Diver)
1 1st Class Overseer
2 2nd Class Overseers
9 Draughtsmen and Clerks,
and was reinforced later by the addition of
1 Assistant Engineer
1 1st Class Overseer
2 2nd Class Overseers
Superintendent of Accounts and Correspondence
4 Draughtsmen and Clerks.
The offices of the Department were established in the new P. & O. Building, 5th Floor.