HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 3936, 6 October 1875, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Harbor Board was held yesterday ; present—Messrs 10. 14 Gargill (iu the chair), H. M'Nril, C. S. Reeves, H. Tewslcy, A. M‘Kinnou, and J. L. Gillies (secretary). INQUIRIES INTO WRECKS, The Secretary to the Customs Department (Marine Branch) wrote in r, fi-mwe to tho memo, forwarded him by tHo Chief Harbor Master on tin Warn tab case, that the Commissioner of Gastonia opinion was that as the whole question of inquiries into wrecks is receiving the attention of the Board of Trade in England, and us the special provision is made in the Merchant Shipping Bill now passing the Imperial Parliament, it is undesirable at present to amend the law on the subject now in force in this Colony, ihe 241st and 242r<d section* of the .Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and amendments, together with the Harbor Regulations, which include regulations for preventing collisions and accidents in ports appear to afford ampl* protection. Collectors of Customs me instructed to hold preliminary inqoiiics in all f-ase- or wreck or mateiial damage to vessels within rivers and harbors. THE SECRETARY’S REPORT. The secretary reported, as the result of his missirn to Wellington, that the Bill now before the A st-mhly, a d wh-ch has passed its second reading contai s all the. e-i-cntial points embodied in the rbaft Bill approved of by the Board. After tho second reading of the Bill, he did not con-ider it necessary to remain in Wellington, having secured the approval of the Government, the promise of support to the measure from a large number of members on both sides of the House, and the support of several influtm’ial numbers of the Uipe; House, The members of the Government, esu* cially the Hon. the Minister of Public Works, and the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs, the latter <->f whom has taken special charge of it in the House, showed gr at interest in the Bill. He had every reason to believe that the measure wi.l pass as proposed, or if amended at all that it will be in the direction of being more favorable to the Board, and when the Bill is passed the security offered to purchasers of the Bon d's debentures will be materially enhanc d According to instructions, he took with him tho plans prepared by Mr Simpson, the Board’s engineer, and submitted them to the Government for any suggestions or opinions its profec ional officers might have to make. When one or two mait-Tj of detail are supplied, suggested by the Gov -rmr.eut. and the plans formally adopted by the Board, there will be no delay in obtaining the assent of his .Exc llency the Gov nmr in Council to them, asiequired by the _ : larhor Board Act, 1874. The proposed additional harbor regulation* were carelully cmiside rd by the Commissionex and the Secretary of Customs, of them will be rendered unnecessary by certain provisions embodied in the Board’s Bill. As the >emainder were deemed worthy of being made to apply generally to all harbors, he consented to the suggestion made by the Secretary of Customs, that, before their being gazetted, they idmi'd be remitted to tUe harbormasters of the several ports for their opinions, with a view to the legu'ations being made, a> perfect as possible. Tne report was adopted, and . r Tewslet moved, and Mr Ki evks seconded, “Tiiat the Ri-crotarv he instructed to convey the thanks of the Board to tho Hon. the Minister of Bublic Works and th-* Hon tho Commissioner of Custom* for the assistance i-udeud by them in facilitating the j'reparation of the Bill now before the -Assembly ” Carried. THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. '' bis Cnmmitico report-.d oa the petition of bai'ast lighu-.inaii, lec-mm-uiding that a depu tatiou of the Hoard alien'd wait upon the Government to confer with them on the question of the cartage of baßast on tho railway. As to Captain Robertson’s application for inc-ease of salary that the Committee would not be jastiicd in recommending any increase, DEBENTURES. Mr Thws< et said it. might have been in the knowledge of some members of the Board that instructions were sent to forward the debentures that were lying in Meibom no and Sydney to London, They were endorsed as payable in Melbourne and Sydn.-y. Th« Secretary said thero were 1.100,000 worth of debenture sent Home, I 20,0< *0 to Melbourne, and 1.10 000 to Sydney. None o: the latter were sold, and lost notions had been given to Mi Heal to semi th'm Homo. Mr IE'ASLEY mowd, ..ml Mr M‘Neil seconded —‘ lhat. the Hnai.ct Ci.muiitiee be empowered to rend a further sum of 15C,0 0 of he Board’s debentures fui disposal iu i ondon. Mr Reeves moved the fo ; V,v’ii)g amendment, seconded by Mr M'Kinnon “That tbs I' iuanco Coinnd'teo he ..uiaiorised to arrange for placing LIOO.OOO of (lie Hoard’s debentures in the London rwmket, m terms to meet th. rules of the Sock (• xcham-e.” jbe amendment was carried on the casting vste of the chairman payment of members. _Mt M‘Neil inquired why the Finance Committee had not n poileil on the question of payment of mem eis Mr Tkwsi.ey said the committee thought the question should stand over till the Harbor i >oard Dill was nassed in Wellington, The HEcuETARt said that it would be brought up at the, neX r mectioc. ENOfvUEU’s Ri.PORT. s§\lr D L SIMHi -n’.h report, add that area his last thirty-one pies and some Umber for the superstructure of tho i.attray street wbaif had a,riv>d. hut the form. ,; will oidy supp.pment the didauc. of the ph- already driven about sixty feet. .As Hie eouH'.., ‘me jV eo :i j. pletion ex.-ires on the 20th iod , v requi ted to bn informed of Hi u.-tioo the Ho rd pioposed to take in Hie matter, and whether an exi.eiisio ..if time will oo grinded, ;•« th*= w -rke cai'U'Urow he coespl-U.id within t.v,' oi three months from the present d..te. In i.’m.nei-tion with th new «hedge m c urse of cn Um tion by e-sr-Kincid'l, M'Qinen, a d • 'o. lie had to r pM that tho only iustalrmn" as yet undertaken wm (ho boil these being co-i pitted with th. exception of tlie insert mi and fixing of th. tubes. He be'ie.ed .ha the enginea are tube commenced fo t!iv/ix b,;»u-.l t e hull immi-diau- y on the »rr>V/;l o th i shin Zed. ndia (with the plaits, &it, , which ii d-.'ily i.xp.-cled. He re commended th.'t the enginee" of t.lie dredge New L'ra b ■ direc f co to act is occasional inspector of > bn ougmC' -if tiic new dredge, v/ith an addition of -• per nm > 11■ to los salai”duiing da conatinotion. Toe model u-d ;.p, Ctic:iH".u for a new at. am ian veil hj .ve bee;, pr - -aved Oy tri*■ Insji'ct,* r, a*iu w* re forwarded for the Board's ;nfm math-n. 'I he cod, wafninished in a mow a- repot, of date the 19Hi April. Ihe Vi re, af'er .having milling nee ill j-iete remiT, is v.orking will, and consumes le< ; lu> I than lid.'Mv to. 1 m the mol ion of t ■ EWS EY, it v-;.s rescive-: that in the uie- nti e xinthitig furtiier be done iu the mats* ■ the steam launch.

nrsfsoroE op works’ report. Mr D. G. MEPHESS reported that during the month of August the dredges had lifte> 7,531 cubic yards at a current expenditure of L5Ol 7s 9d. The Peninsula towed 441 punts at an expenditure for wages, coal, and stores of BIOS 2s Id The engineer spoke very favorab • of the steam-raisino qualities of the Walto Park Company's coal, and aa'd a considurahv saving could be effected by its use at tho pit-,-ent prices. P ANS or HARBOR IMPROVEMENT. It was re* Led— 11 That the additional information required by the Colonial Government having been inserted in the plans and certified to by the Chief Surveyor, Mr M’Kerrow, and by the Government Histrict Engineer, Mr Blair, the plans he finally adopted by the Board, and that the Secretary be instructed to forward them to the Governor for h : s ap proval, as required by the Otago Harbor Board Act, 1374.” POWDER MAGAZINES. The following motion was carried: —“That it be remitted to the Secretary to make regulations and prepare a scale of charges for tho management of pewd<-r magazines.” ACCOUNTS. The monthly accounts, amounting to.l,l,Po'i Ifia Bd, were passed for payment.