WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 650, 29 October 1909, Page 5

WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.

, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS. The m«stW«ot-i *!»«-,lYfW»«Sfc? Board, hold yesterday 'afternoon, -was attended by Messrs. T. -M. Wilford, M.P. (chairman), M. Cohen, it. Fletcher, F. G. Bolton, J. W. MTSwan, C. W. Jones, - J. G. Harsness, and Dr Newman. : . After a committee discussion, it was agreed, to instruct ,the chairman that, when the'Bill dealing with the constitution of ' the boatd is before, tho committee of the House to wnici it had been referred, .he shall endeavour to enlarge the- membership - of- the board to fourteen,'one additional' member to be allocated to tho-city. The', board were ..not-unanimous' in voting, on this matter.' _ , ! _ -: Regarding" other: points raised, the chairman was authorised to" use his' own discretion when tho Bill'is .before,the committee of the House. SISKIN# FUND SOUND. < " The sinkingifunds, of 'tne board were made the subject, of a report by . the chairman, who said -that they, were 'in a satisfactory- position,- and were still. growing. The average late of interest earned during the 'past six months was lis. 2d. : The amount of,'-the funds in the hands qf the commissioners on March 31 last' was ' J5101,903 Bs.' 6d., and on September 30, ,it- was : -.£1G6,657 65.; 9d. • The fund had thus increased by-.£4753 18s. 3d: in six months.':' This thbroughly satisfactory state of'•things, and the board could be congratulated 'on" the \f act that, although thß rate of .interest which' the' fund was faming was not... high} the' properties on which tho board's monejj-. was' lent < wero ■- satisfactory securities,and the : fund was in a healthy state. :■ r■ ■■ ' - - ■ ■ It was reported''-that, the bank-book- showed .£70,000 to be'on'-fixed,deposit, the current account to be in creditl4s. 3d., and'the imprest: account'toThave a- credit' balance of £W os. 2d..;, il-Tho'board-trfdered payment of the following accounts':—'Wage's,"- interest,.' 'etc., . J!13,452 4s. 3d.; progress "payments.' on contracts; .£2I(SB 19s. 4d.; salaries for October, ,£777.195. 3d.; total, .£16,393 3s. '-Id. -...' , . : COMPENSATION 'COTOT FINDINGS. . Tho Wharves ' and' Accounts Committoo recommended board: (1) To authorise'the engineer to procure an air compressor and set of pneumatic.'tools for.the.mechanic's shop, at an estimated cost: of .£250; (2) To affix tho seal of the board td'tt,'portion opposing the private Bill about to '■be 1 brought before Parliament, haying-for its object' the reviewing of the', decisions of the Compensation Court in connection with-the Grainier' Street Block cases, and to, authorisertlie chairman to-present'the peti-tion;-(3) To approve, and forward to the Marine Department for consent of the Gov-ernor-in-Council, the application of the Wel-lington-City.- Council- for permission to discharge drainage from the municipal abattoir into the existing oiitfall drain at Ngahauranga, t'n^ accordances with plans submitted by the City Engineer; The - recommendations were approved.-, MJEAMAR WHARF The chairman' reported: C) That owing to the carrying'out, of works at, and adjacent, to the Miramar-..Wharf,.-the secretary had, by advertisement, : declared the wharf closed for tralhc from date,-:'(2) - That the lease ,of the board s Featherston Street Endowment, for a period of 21 yeart from" January,.l9lo, had been sold by , public auction on October 27, 1909, by Messrs.' W. H'. "Turnliull and Company, the purchaser, being .the New Zealand -Loan" and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, at the annual upset rental of .£BOO. (3) That'telephone communication'between Mount Victoria and Beacon -Hill Signal Stations had been completed; i ; The board decided Waccept the lowest tender for the extension' of .Miramar Wharf. ' iPermission..was 'grafted to the .Eastbourne Borough Council 'to erect ,a storm-water culvert adjacent to tho. lion a Boy wjiarf.. . '