HARBOUR BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1840, 28 August 1913, Page 8

HARBOUR BOARD.

STEEPLE ROCK BEACON. THIRTY-FIVE CAPTAINS WANT IT. Unusual brevity marked tlie monthly meeting of the Wellington Harbour -Board last night, tho business being transacted in less than all hour. Mr. It. Fletcher presided, and tho members present were: Messrs.. C. W, Jones, W. T. Hildroth, A. M'Farlane, J. Cobbe; H. A. Wright, J. Trevor, A. H. Hindmarsh, J. W. M'Ewan, A. H. Nation, C. 13. Darnell, and Captain AVatson. Tho bank pass-books showed a credit balance of £30,195 4s. 6tl. on tho current account, of £1431 2s. 7d. on tlio imprest account, and £80,000 ou fixed deposit, whilst tho payments amounted to £12,720 2s. 7d. for accounts and wages, £741 9s. Id. for progress payments on contracts, and £967 16s. lid. for salaries for August.

Harbour Conference. The chairman reported that the sixth Harbours Conference was held in Wel-lington-on July 30, and that the wholo of the Wellington Board's remits were carried. A letter had been received from tho Harbours Association thanking the Wellington Harbour Board for hospitality accorded to the visiting delegates ; that tho board's representatives (Messrs. Fletcher, Hildreth. Jones, and Watson) duly took part in the joint deputation representing Wellington and Wairarapa interests which waited on tho Hon. tho Minister for Public Works on July 31 to urge the importance of making the Rimutaka deviation and prosecuting -Ihe construction of ea-s!>j coast railway. A letter had been received from tho chairman of the Wairarapa deputation thanking the board for its assistance in the- matter; and that the secretary had forwarded to tho Wellington Patent Slip Company, Limited, tho resolution of tho board of July 23 calling upon the company to proceed with tho erection of the second slip, and that a reply bad been received to the effect that the board's resolutibn would bo Ghid before tiho directors of the company at tho earliest opportunity. A further reply was to the effect that inquiries were being made in London as to tho cost of tho slip.

Steeple Rock Baecon Asked For. A letter was received from the Merchant Servico Guild of Australasia, petitioning tho board to ercct a pile beacon at the position of, or near to the position of,"the black buoy, off Steeple Rock, near Seatoun. Tho petition contained tho signatures of 35 masters of vessels trading to Wellington, and pointed out that in thick or hazy weather the light on Somes Island was invisible and useless as a leading light into the port, and tho erection of the suggested beacon would be practically bringing the light oil Somes Island four miles nearer the entrance, and at the same time be marking ,the danger near which it would be erected. The suggested light would be of the greatest assistance, to ship masters working the port at night, as when Somes Island was obscured there was absolutely nothing to mark the entrance and guide vessels through between Pencarrow Head and Barret's Reef. . Tho chairman moved that the matter be referred to tho harbourmaster to report to a special meeting, and this was agreed to. Flotsam and Jetsam. , Mr. Wright mentioned that all sorts of rubbish was continually-being washed up' at Oriental Bay, which apparently came from tho harbour, and asked if tho ,-Harbour Board was-rcsponsiblo. k < Tho chairman replied that'there were stringent by-laws in regard to rubbish being thrown overboard, but tho board's trouble was to find the culprits. All the wash went to Oriental Bay, rtether it was thrown in at Potone or in tho harbour. Tho Toll.

Mr. Wright asked if tho board charged toll to visitors who went to see friends off by boat at all hours of the night-. The Chairman: No, only on the arrival of departure of a steamer. Mr. Wright: If a steamer is going away at night ? The Chairman: Yes.

Mr. Wright: Does it pay, supposing a Ship leaves at midnight? The Chairman: There never is a ship leaving at midnight. The latest time the barrier, is up ia at 11 o'clock on Saturday nights. The toll was instituted a few years ago, when tho;Rotorua was in' port. Some disgraceful scenes took place, and it was absolutely necessary to do something in the way of regulations, tho money collected barely pays the expenses, but tho board thought it their duty to protect tho passengers and tho peoplo who had business on the wharf. Mr. Jones thought the crowd was just as big a nuisance now as before the toll . was charged.

Mi\ M'Farlane: There are such a number of unemployed people at Wellington, and they all crowd down, there. Tho Chairman added that there had been a number of accidents; and the ordinary person did not appreciate the dangers. Passengers had expressed tho opinion that tho toll was one of the best things Wellington had ever done. On tho occasion of the Rotorua incident there were thousands of people on the wharf, and their hooliganism brought the matter to a head.

The board then went into committee, and omresuming it was intimated that there was nothing of interest to report.