HARBOUR FERRIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2008, 16 March 1914, Page 7

HARBOUR FERRIES.

A, HALF-YEARLY REPORT,

The Fen-y.Board's. report was present- , ed,. as. under,. to flic jueetnig.' of tho Eriday.'': evening:— . ; , "Fcbi-uao-28. completed the.first half- .] year of the ferry service.;. under ■• muni- '■~ cipal control, and upended-is a-state-ment of.revemio account for that period. Tho., council is asked to treat the • figures as confidential for-tho present. "Tho board has not yet been able.to : get an appointment with the arbitrator .• in reference to tho matters ir. dispute i witli tlio LVrry Company. As to the : payment of interest, shown as a con- : 'tingent charge.against revenue, it , rests ' wtih the. council to decide irhellior pay-, i ment shall be debited to loan or to re- ' venue. The board proposed to pay to -I the Sinking Fund Commissioners tho ' sum of £115 10s., being the amount due ■ to sinking fund account for the seven months ending with tho council's financial year on 31st inst. •'"The. council is asked to authorise such payment. : ■ ■ ....... "Following is a synopsis of the matters that havo re'eoiyed attention during the'past month:— "Advertising Contractors.—Messrs. Chandler and Co. have not so far placed advertisements'on the steamers, though it is understood that they have secured somo contracts for same. The board is not satisfied with tlio position, and has taken steps to expedite matters. "Towage.-—Through his solicitors, Mr. E. G. F. Zohrab; as a ratepayer, took exception to the council's Steamers en- , gagiug in towage- work, and threatened to apply for an injunction restraining the council from continuing such work. The board has decided to continue towage work for the present. "Competition in Passenger Service.— The board has referred the Borough Solicitor's opinion on tho question of Mr. Zohrab's right' to carry passengers to Day's Bay to Mr. Skerrett, K.C.; for lils confirmation. "Petition. re Esrly Boat.—The board recommends that the request for an alteration in the time of departure of the first boat be considered when the winter time-table is being arranged. "Season Tickets. l —.Somo consideration has been given to this- matter, but before being prepared to make any recommendation therooiv, information is being obtained as to the-practice am),experience in other services; Tho board therefore asks the council to deal with the matter at the April meeting. "During the month tho steamers carried somo '29 picnics and' excursions, and on Tuesday aftornoon last tho board ran a trip to Day's.Bay, taking members of the Wellington City Council and Wellingtq'.i Harbour Board and others as tho guests of tlio Eastbourne Borough Council to view Day's Bay bush and grounds. . "The engineers in the ■ service ' have asked for an'improvement in their position in respect of hours of work and have interviewed tho board. The board has yet to consider their representations before a report can be made thereon to ■tho council." . The report was discussed at length. To enable tho financial return'submitted to bo gone into thoroughly it was resolved that a-special'meeting of the council bo hold next Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. A motion by Councillor Harcourt that the half-year's interest on the ferry loan lie paid out of revenue instead of out of loan money was lost. A motion , by Councillor Marsden against issuing further debentures on account qf tho* ferrv loan was also lost after a, lengthy discussion.