HARBOUR BOARD MEETING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 102, 24 January 1919, Page 8

HARBOUR BOARD MEETING

■ . . THANKS FOB "WAR SERVICES. Mr. C. E. Daniel presided at' tho statutory meeting of tho Wellington Harbour Board held last evening. The roll of electors being payers of harbour dues on ships and payers of, harbour dues other than dues on, ships for tho year 1919 was approved. This was in compliance with regulations gazetted by Governor-in-C'ouncil for the .election of members of harbour boards.

At the ordinary meeting! which followed the accounts presented for payment were for interest, sinking fund, accounts and wages, £46,466 os. 10d.; salaries for January, £1024. ls. sd. The bank pass books showed current account credit balance £52,266 7s. 2d._, imprest account credit balanco £4343 2s. od., on fixed deposit £60,000. A letter was received from the Minister of Defence, addressed to the chairman, conveying the thanks of the Dofence and Naval Departments to the board and its n.tecutiye officers for assistance rendered during the period of the war, in the following terms: — "January 9, 1919. • ' "Dear Sir,—Captain P. H. HallThompson, Naval Adviser, has asked ma to convey to you the appreciation, and thanks of the Naval Department for the assistance which has been rendered by your board and its officers during the war, and this I. have very much pleasure in doing. In asking that I should do this Captain Hnll-Tliomp-son writes, inter alia, as follows: — " 'The willing and assiduous, cooperation of tho Harbour Board secretary, Mr. H. E. Nicholls, and his officers in arrangements connected with guarded wharves, maintenance of Torch and Philomel, storage arrangements of. naval stores, removal of guns from Torch and Philomel for transference to merchant vessels, towage, loan of boats for boarding visiting men-of-war, and unloading coal during the .threatened labour trouble in 1916, _ to mention only a few of the services referred to, have .greatly, facilitated the work of the Naval Department, whose relations with tho board have always been of the best. I would further like to make special reference to the Harbourmaster, Captain J. E. Dawson. and to the Traffic Manager and Chief Wharfinger, Captain A. V. Halo Monro, upon both of whom most of the executive work mentioned has devolved, and whose personal assistance and advice have throughout been of the greatest value. I also wish to place oh record the unvarying high opinion of Captain Dawson, which, entirely'unasked for, has been expressed by each of. the captains of the British ami Allied men-of: war who have visited Wellington. <hn>.. ing hostilities. -.Captain Dawson's untiring energy, courtesy, .and-tact have ]effc nothing to be desired. Finally it is also desired to make mention of tho Harbonr Board pilot staff, who have, as assistants to the Harbourmaster, shown the same qualities which characterise the policy of the board itself. .

"Permit me also to tender you the thank-s of the Dofonce Department for the valnaWe assistance which lias been rendered to it nt all. times by your board and its oHicprs.—Tours faitlifnllv,—(Sgd.) J. Allen, Jfinister of Defence."

Mr. J. G. Cobhe asked if .the Government had civen the hoard the necessary authority to provide worker."' homes, to which the chairman replied that the Government had bppti asked to grant this power, but nothing had been done.

Mr., Col)])'! said he would further .deal with the subject by way of a 'notice of motion.

; It was decided to fix noon on Tuprdnv. March 4, as time nnd date for the public drawiiK; at the offices of tli« lmard of fifrivnhn delipnturps of the board's /!8;"f1.nnO Consolidated Loan for re(lonnitiim. by coinmissioiiprs of sinking fund on Aim-list 2S, 1919, to appoint •Mr..Thomns Slinilrr Weston to act as notary public at the drawinc;, and to authorise the' secretary to insert the necessary advertisements.

. The Wellington Harbour Hoard's wharves, stores, and offices are to lie closed on Wednesday, Feb-iury 5, the occasion being the annual picnic ol' the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union.

At the monthly meeting of the Wellinuton Hospital Jioiird it was decided that the following charges would be made for X-ray work to be undertaken by the Hospital's newest department: Plates, first £1 ]5.,. subsequent plates ]os. Cd. each; screenings, ]()«. Gd.; treatments, 10s., (id. each.