HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 3650, 3 November 1874, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

There was a full attendance at the monthly meeting to-day. The Superintendent presided. The EiriHMce Committee reported the delegated powers. Tha% on October 14, by pro, in the ‘Oszctte,’ the Superinten. lent delegated to the Board the powers vacted in bim by tho Marine Act of 1807, TV romp- >'iv legalise so oh delegation, i,im Harbor t bur-i Act v. qivrc > the proclamation to appear in the ‘ - t w Zealand Gazette.’ Th< oojpm.Uec therefore delayed until a reasonable tone for its transmission had elapsed before takinv further steps. On the £2nd the secretary was instructed to write to the Government aq follows “ I have the honor, by direction of the chairman of the Finance Committee, to convey the thanks of the Board to the Government for gazetting the delegation of the Superintendent's powers to the Harbor Board. As this has now been dpnc the Council have been enabled to rmke satisfactory arrangements for an advance of money as r; qnired from one o: the banks, sufficient they believe to provide for all animal requirements until the Board is in a position to a negotiate satisfactorily >heir debentures. They are now anxious to have a meeting of the Board on as early a date as possible, and would fe.l obliged, therefore, by calling a meeting if the Government would favor them with an early answer as to when it will be conveuionfor the Government to arrange the formal handing over the control of the Department to the Bm,rl, together with all jetty an i other dne% andpl.ued at their disposal the balance unexpended of the votes for dredg iug, .fee , in rt;i on . f the memorandum of fhmnce committee of the board and xecntivc* of ■ late • September 25, and confirmed by th ;■ Board on that date. The committee Would aUo respectfully draw attention to the provisions of clause 213, in regard to the Board s providing and keeping hooks in such form ( f any) as fro n time to time shall he appointed by the Superintendent, and would suggest th t some officer by the Government be appointed to confer with and arrange the details, if deemed necessary, with the secretary of the Baar b” The following reply was sent ou the 30th

I have to inform you that the Government is quite prepared formally to hand over the entire control of the staff employed in the Otago harbor (the Chief Harbor Master being exempted), and also the control of the jetty and other dues to the Board, but as the month has nearly expired I would suggest Thursday, November 5, as a convenient date on which to make the transfer. As the Chief Harbor Master will be required by the Provincial Government for the management of the harbor staff of the Province his services cannot be wholly transferred to the Board, hut I have no doubt some arrangement can he come to whereby, while his services are at the disposal of the Provincial authorities, they can also be made available as at present for the supervision and control of the (Jtago harbor by the Board paying a reasonable proportion of his salary. The officers employed in the Harbor Department ha ve been faithful and zealous in the discharge of their duties, and have served the Province for a lengthened period, and the Government mnst stipulate that in the event of any alteration or reduction <>f the staff the officers affected will not be in a worse position in regard to qompensation than they would be under existing regulations; Referring to the question of jetty dues to be collected at the various wharves, the control of the mine will be made over to the but I have to inform you tljat the General Government object to Wjy dues being collected at the Port Chjilmorj railway pier, and has requested his Honor the Suderintendent to especially except this from the delegation of his powers. In regard to the balance unexpended of the vote for dredging, &c,, there is a difficulty in the way of formally transferring it to the Board; but the Government will be prepared to pay vouchers authorised by the Board, subject to the same being countersigned by the Harbor Master or ether approved officer of the Government, it being understood that the expenditure shall be strictly in accordance with the votes of the Provincial Oouncil, The Superintendent approves of the suggestion that an officer of the Gavemmen*. should be appointed to meet the Secretary cf the Board for the purpose of arranging the forms in which the books of the Board are to be kept, and the sub-treasurer (Mr Sperry) has been instructed to meet you for that purpose.

The committee recommended the acceptance of the Government's terms; it beino left to the Finance Committee to negociate wiih the Gov rnment as to the salaries of any officer* who may not be wholly under the control of the Board ; and to the Works Commiteu to take over the plant, &c., of the Haibor Department. Financial arrangements ; That Bad--factory arrangements had been made with the Colonial Bank, who had met the Committee’s proposals in a laudable and very liberal spirit. The bank, in taking the Board’s account, agrees to afford such a como lathm as may be nece-sary from time to time i.p to a certain limit, which the committee considers sufficient to cover any contingencies that may a ise. Debentures. —That mortgage forms for L50.C00 be prepared, the term of :o:m to be thirty years from January I, 1875 ; interest and principal to be pa able at *ither Dunedin, Melbourne, >ydi!ey, Ado a de, or London, the first issue being 1.20,0h0 i eaolutions to give t ffi ck to the committee’s recommendations), were adopted, and Mv .1 L. Gillies was appointed treasurer to the Board. fee Works Committi e reported inter alia re dr Johnson’s letter, ia regard to suggested rec-umation at Fort Chalmers, that the Sec-clary was instructed to write to the M'iiister of Public Unrks in reference thereto, and h."d received a reply, “that the Government were of opinion that it would be very undesiiably at pi ( sent to do anything m the way of reclamation at the spot indicated consequently the offer was declined. Purchase of t,i e Peninsula ; Captain Thomson, Chief Harbor-Master, having urged upon the committee the desirability of re-considering the question of purchasing the steamer Peninsula, requested him to furnish particulars r bowing what the coat of her working would be, if purchased, jpg against the pnwnt cwb of hire. _ Taking

all things into consideration, the committee recommen ed that “essrs M‘Neil, Ramsay, and M'Kinuon be appointed to negotiate and conclude tier purchase, with t- e consent of the Government. Appointment of E gioeer: -‘mj numerous and conflicting have been the opinions held as to the making of the ap poimment, your committee have deemed it wise even to tun the risk of being blamed for deiay rather than rashly come to any determination. They have now, however, come to she f flowing decision :—“ J hat the Board be recommended to appoint an engineer for twelve months at the salary and on the conditions as advertised, and subject to renewal of the engagent on such terms as may be agreed upon three mouths before the termination of the first years engagem-nt.” Iho committee not being about xo agree upon any one candidate, submitted eight names for the Board to choose from. The report was received.