HARBOUR BOARD.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18406, 12 June 1925, Page 13

HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Lyftclton Harbour Board was held yesterday, at the conclusion of the annual meeting. The chairman, Mr W. J. Walter, presided, and the same members present at the annua! meeting attended.

The engineer reported that between May Ist and June sth the Canterbury had lifted 46,853 tona from the outer channel: c£ this total 11.2GS tons were pumped into the reclamation area, and 35,490 tens deposited fit sea % The Tewhaka lifted -syX) ton» from .No. 6E, No. ~\V„ dock and slip entrances and the catt'.c jetty. The rep'.rt was adopted.

Salaries and Wages Increased,

The Harbour Improvement Committee recommended increases oi eaiary to the statt as detailed in a schedule attached to its report; and that a grant of £lO 10s be n ::de lo the Workers' Educational Association, and £3 .13 to the Lyttelton branch of the Young Women's Christian Association. Replying to Mr Starry, the secretary eaid that the increases represented about £llOO. .Mr Armstrong- regretted that Jk> had nut been able to attend the meeting of the committee. He desired tha; the report Should be referred back to the committee brcause he considered,, that the increase". were not, fair to aIL concerned. The higher £Bid offioerK .weie riot entitled to the higher rale of increase, seeing that the applications wcro based on the ccat of living: if consideration was to be given to that fuctor, fhon surely those ir. receipt of lower salaries were most in need of relief; instead of that the bulk of the increases were on the higher .-salaries; the increase to the lower paid employees, was, to his mind, too low. He cited the cases of deck hands and firemen, who wore to get an increase ot 83 a weok. While not complaining regarding the increases to the higher paid officers, he said tint the proposal to increase the eaiary of the secretary and engineer ' by ifi per week, as compared with the 3s per week to tho lower paid men, was altogether ridiculous. Ho did- not complain about the amount tho sccretaiy and the engineer received, but firemen -and decjj hands rendered as useful .and as, necessary services. He moved: "That, the report l>e referred back to tho committee to consider a recommendation that salaries under £250 be increased by .£OO per annum." The chairman said that he would second the amendment if the 'amount of increase were deleted. » Mr Armstrong altered his motion to read. ''That tho clause be referred back to the committee to reconsider the proposals in respect of the lower paid workers." Several members spoke to the effect that the matter had been very fully >'discussed by the committee by a majority of the Board, some desiring to increase and others to decrease the juoposed increases, and a t-ompromise having been arrived at. To refer the clause baek would simply mean that the committee's decision, as embodied in the rer.ort, would be upheld. Mr Armstrong was edvised to withdraw his amendment.

Mr Armstrong Eaid that he must insist on the amendment being put, «s he beliorved that the lower paid men were entitled to more.

.The -amendment; was lost and the clause was agreed to. The second clause was also ng:eed to. It was decided that the increases, in salaries and waged should date as from April Ist. Sailors' Home.. The Sailors' Homo Committee's report, which -was adopted, shewed a balance to debit for the month of May of £2 14s 9d; the cash debit balance was £l3 2s 9d; tho 'balance to credit at the bank was £52 5s Id. Old and outstanding accounts for board and lodging for 1922 and 11)23, totalling £SB 10s, were recommended to be written off. During May the average number of boarders was 16, maximum 20, minimum 12. Finance. - The Finance Committee recommended the payment of accounts totalling £6341 12s Id; and that Mr S. P. Taylor bo allowed to pay £IOOO of hja mortgage and that tho mortgago for the remainder be renewed for three years at G rptr cent., instead of Ci pt-r cent. The report was adopted. Tenders Accepted. Tho following \enders were received for n new leakage pump at tho dock:—A. and T. Burt, Ltd., Dun.edin, £325 (accepted); J. J. Niven and Co., Ltd., Napier, £380; W. Toomey and Co., Christchnrch, £397 15s; Booth, Macdonald and Co., Ltd., Christchurch, £507 153; H. Smith, Ltd.,/Lyttelton. £7lO 7s 9d. For tho new funnel for the dredge uanterbury, the following tenders were received*:—E. J. Ruddick, Addington, £733 10i (accepted)'; H. Smith, Ltd., Lyttelton, £750 5s 6d; Anderson, Ltd., Lyttelton, £751. Miscellaneous Matters. The secretary of the Bapaki Football Club fished for permission to use the Dampier's Bay Recreation Ground for training jmrposes; also that the Board should instal lights to enable members io train at night. It was decided to givo the club permission to play on the ground, but the Board could not «*© its way to provide lighting for the ground. ~.„., The British and Foreign Sailors' Society, r-pplied for tho repetition of the Board's grant to he Society. The request was agreed to, £SO being voted.