HARBOUR BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1887, 23 October 1913, Page 9

HARBOUR BOARD.

CHEESE-STORE CHARGES; TliE MAN-O'-WAR BUOY. The monthly meeting of the Wei lington Harbour B'oard, held Inst even ing, was attended by Messrs. R. Flet clier (in tho chair), M. Cohen, W. T Hildrcth, J. Trevor, C. 15. Daniell, C W. Jones, J. G. Cobbe, J. W. M'Ewan A. M. Farlnne, A. D. Kennedy, A. H Hindmarsh, R. A. Wright, and Captaii Watson, j The bank pass books showed, a credi balance on the current account o £32,402 95., and on tho imprest ac count of £1419 13s. lid. Thero is ■: sum of £80,000 on fixed deposit. Pay ments for the mouth were authorised ai under:—lnterest accounts and wages £18,623 6s. 9d.; progress payments oi contracts, £2251 16s. Od.; salaries -foi October, £844 13s. 7d.; total, 16s. lOd. Tho chairman reported that tho ten der of Messrs. J. H. Meyer and Co. for tho contract for l'ipitoa Wharf stori No. 1 had been accepted. Tho engineer was authorised to obtain prices from selected British firms for two or three high-speed overheat electric cranes for the Pipitea Whari store No. 1, and to empower Messrs Matheson aud Williams, Ltd., consult ing engineers, to act for the board ir England. An amendment by Mr. Hindmarsh to strike out tho word "British" was defeated. The engineer was authorised to complete tho survey and subdivision of tilt board's Worser Bay property, with s vietif t<) submitting sections for leasing under tho Public Bodies' Leasing. Act, Captain D. J. Watson moved: "That a deputy-harbourmaster bo appointed and that tho senior pilot ill the servicc of the board bo appointed to that position." Hie chairman seconded the motion, and said that the board would bo conferring a great honour-on a deserving servant by appointing Captain Shilling to tho position. Tho motioii was carried unanimously. Captain Watsoii movtfd: "That the man-of-war buoy bo lifted and removed, as it is a menace to vessels working the harbour at night, and fills no useful purpose." Tho mover said that 1 the buoy was never used by masters oi war vessels, who preferred to trust to their own anchors and cables. Vessels coming up the harbour at night, with tho glare of the lights right ahead, could not see the buoy, and there was always a liability that it would he struck by a vessel and smile. The harbourmaster (Captain Johnston), who was asked by_ the chairman to make a statement, said that tho buoy had been placed in tho harbour to mark the man-o'-war anchorage, and to prevent these vessels from anchoring too near the wharveii. Ho had never heard of a vessel striking it. Tho motion was defeated. Tho request of the Wellington Hftf« bour Board Permanent Employees' Association for recognition by tho hoard tfas granted. By-law No. 191 was amended to provide for a reduction of lOd. per ton off tho inward wharfage on shipments of fruit condemned by the Agricultural Department. Tho chairman remarked that the amendment would apply only ill tho case of wholesale condemnations. Tho Agricultural Department forwarded a copy of a circular letter which it had sont to clime manufacturers throughout tho Dominion. The Departllient wroto that the much-needed cheeso store at tho port having been provided by the h(jard,-it had been decided that all cheese consigned hero for shipment would be placed in this store 'fdr cxaniiiifctibn;: clieclMveighiiig, and stamping. This would bring the grading of cheese at Wellington into being with the methods adopted at Auckland, New Plymouth, Paten, Waiigamii, Lyttelton, and Dunedin, and thus enable tho work to bo carried out on a much bettor principlo than heretofore. For tho foi/tuto, .checso awaiting, shipment tit stored at tho port would be cared for ill a manlier which in thu past had been impossible owjng to'-tho lack of proper accommodation. Instead of tho produce remaining in tho ' railway trucks for several days, as liad frequently ! been tho case, or being discharged, into one of the ordinary wharf sheds for storage, alongside of 'wool and other miscellaneous produce—to tho detriment of the cheese—it would be conveyed Into tho new cheeso storo immediately oil arrival at the port, 'l'llo charges 'which dairy companies would have to pay the board for the uso of tho storo would be at the rate of 3s. per ton of 10 orates, which included fourteen days' storage, and the cost of labour required'for the opening and closing of crates for check-weighing, etc,, and for stamping. Up till tho present, and ever since grading commenced, tho expense involved for this work had been borne by tho Government. At first sight it might appear that tho rate of 3s. per ton was rather high, but compared with tho charges paid by dairy companies shipping through other ports it was nit so. At Pntea, for example, a charge of 4S. per ton of 12J crates was made; at Now Plymouth, 3s. 3d. per ton'of 12}- orates was paid; and at Auckland, where cool storage was provided, one-sixteenth of a penny per pound on, the net weight. The Department contended that tho better facilities provided for tho protection., and more accurate grading' of cheeso at this port, would more than compensate dairy companies and cheese-factory proprietors shipping through Wellington for. tho additional outlay involved, and it was therefore hoped that all con-cerned-would agree with the decision arrived at in this connection. The Department hoped that the board would agree with it that this would be a forward movo for the cheese industry. General satisfaction was expressed by board members with tho terms of the Department's letter, which was formally received.