HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1491, 27 June 1905, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly mooting of tho Board was hold yesterday afternoon. There wore present Messrs Townley (ohairman), Hardiog, Ijysuar, Matthowson, Whinray, Siov* weight, and Captain Tucker. Tho Finance Committee reported that they could not recommend any reduction in rates oc wharfages for this year. j Tho Chairman moved tho adoption of the report. Mr Matthowson moved an amendment I that no rate bo struck this year. He thought they could do without the rates j this year, and also reduce tho wharfage. I Ho opposed tho extension of the groyne. j Mr Whinray seconded tho amendment I pro forma. Ho remarked that tho amend- I meat meant stopping the groyne oxton- | sion. , I Mr Lysnar, while not altogether supporting tho amendment, could not agree I , with the motion. Ho thought they should I ] wait uutil Mr Napier Boil s opinion had I been received. I ( The Chairman said they could not do I

away with the rate. If the groyne extension were stopped now it would be just at the point where Mr Napier Bell had said it would begin to do good work. If the rates were taken away the Board would still have £12,000 of revenue to find, as there was £IO,OOO of loan interest to find. The amendment was not on the lines of progress. The motion for the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report was carried, Messrs Matthewson and Lysnar voting i aguinst it. Tha usual resolution to strike a rate of 12-16ths of a penny on tho borough, 12-32ths of a penny on tho county, and 5-32ths on Tolago riding and Waiapu county was carried. . . The alteration in the by-law giving local bodies the power to obtain stone from outside at 6d a ton was confirmed, the by-law to come into force on July let. The secretary stated that Mr Napier Bell hod been last heard of in Tasmania. The Chairman said they might get Mr Ferguson, of the Wellington Harbor Board, to report on the groyne extension. • Captain Tucker considered it would only be necessary to send Mr Napier Belt a tracing for him to say whether the deflection of the last 50 feet would have a

harmful effect on the river. The Overseer stated that already 20 feet of the proposed 50-feet had been done, and the extension was doing what Mr Bell had stated it would. Mr Lysnar said they could put in 50 feet of concrete first, and leave the last 100 foot to see what the effeot would be. The Overseer stated that 70 feet of piling was already in. Mr Lysnar suggested that the concrete work be finished to where the piles already were, and they could write to Mr .Napier Bell, telling him how the range was affecting the river. i'he Overseer stated that when the sand was taken from the mouth of the river the range would be done away with. The Chairman hoped that members would perseyere against all clamor, and complete the work. Mr Bysnar proposed that the Overseer be instructed not to go on with the con- I orating beyond the 50 feet until Mr Bell wae communicated with. I The proposition lapsed for want of a I seconder. I

BEPOBTS. Mr D. McLeod reported:—“The John I fownley was oaken on to the slip on the | sth of this month, and launched on the I 15tb. and began dredging on Wednesday, I ihe 21st, after having undergone a very ex 1 tensive overhaal. Eleven loads of soil I were taken to sea during the month, and | mod and a halfdays putting small dredger’s I crane and machinery on gtoyne. The I .mall dredger, after depositing four loads of rook on Haiti depot wae put out of com I mission through her boiler being condemned, and will not be put into commission again for dredging work until tho concrete work on the groyne is completed. Another boiler has been procured, and to- I gather with the crane is being placed in position on the groyne for putting down concrete. The blasting punt has been at work 19 days out of 24 working days during the month. Work on the training wall has been very much hindered again I this month through rough seas. Twenty feet of sheeting and 10ft main piling has been added, sad a bulkhead put in ready for tho first section of concrete, and the rubble filling completed. If the weather I should prove favorable I expect to have the first section of concrete completed by the ;»nd of the coming month.”—Adopted. I Osptain CummiDg, harbormaster, re- I ported that the new flag semaphore signal staff was now in working order, and notice given to different shipping companies. On the 19th inst it was reported that the light at Tuahine Point was not burning. On visiting the lighthouse he found the light out and tho chimney and lamp thick with I soot, caused, he thought, by the light being surned np too high. That was the first time the lamp had smoked or gone out since May Ist. A few load? of metal were badly needed on the road eloDg the wharf, 1 carters having great difficulty id S 8 I along in bad weather. On the Bth ana «tb I there was a fresh in the river. It did not effect the channel much, but a lot of si t I .etsled along the Haiti wharf. The iowo-t 1 -oundings in tho channel for the month, I with the tide gauge at zero, were as fol- I low ; —End of breakwater 15ft, third and I fourth bollarde from end 9ft 6in, Snack s I landing. Bft, big crane 7ft, Waikanae Bft 6in, off stock yard Bft 9io, half-way along I wharf Bft 6in. Shipping: Steamer arrivals I 26, s —arrivals I 13, departures J lO.—Adopted. | Captain Solvander, dredgemaster, re- I ported Since the last meetiDg the dredge has undergone the annual inspec- I don. We were all ready for going on the slip on the 2nd, but owing to bad weather did not get on until the sth, and on the 7th the inspector, Mr Sharp, made an ] inspection of the bull, and found it satisfactory. On the 15th we got-the vessel off the slip, and started dredging on the 21st. When laid up tho dredge received iwo coats of paint outside and one snboards, also in forward hold and watertight compartments. The amount of soil taken out is 1050 oubio yards from along the breakwater and abreast of the new wharf on the Haiti side. Two days were employed in receiving tbo machinery from the small dredge, to the western groyne extension.” —Adopted.

CORRESPONDENCE

Tbo Marino Dspaitmorit wroto approving of the plans for booms to be erected by the Alpha Sawmills Coy. , Mr Barker waited upon the Board, and asked permission to lay aline of rails along the wharf. He stated that the Companies here were negotiating with the Hallway Department to have the logs brought to the yards by the Department. The urnpany had a scow coming down in a few days They had received permission to deal with this load themselves, but expected tho Kailway Department to undertake the delivery in future. If negotiations failed with the Railway Department they would still ask permission front tho Board f to lay the rails on the wharf, but the laying I of the line to the yards would bo dealt 1 tt* fihmns'h the Borough Council* Inoy

would abandon the booms. a Permission to lay a temporary line on v wharf was granted. \ Olhe Borough Council wrote asking the j Board to place a light at the head of the j Wh Mr' Lysnor proposed that the lamp . be erected as suggested. ! Mr Mattbowson said ho would support tbo motion if a berthage was made for the Waibi these.; and passengers landed at that place. The motion was carried, Mr A. H. Wallis wrote “ I wish .0 draw your attention to the irregular and unfair way in which the late election for a member to your Board was conducted. First, the polling places wore not a located ; fairly, there not being a polling place be- ; tween Gisborne and Tolago Bay, a distance of 36 miles, or between Tolago Bay

and Waipiro Bay, about 32 miles. It seems to mo to be unfair to ask a, ra epayer to travel a distance of 30 or 40 mil-s to record his or her vote, especially at this time of the year, when the roads are bad and the days are short; secondly, there were three electoral rolls used .durmg the late election, namely, the Cook County County electoral roll for Gisborne distno , tbo electoral roll for the County of Waiapu, ■I and a list of persons who have paid tne I pounds and upwards for harbor and whart i 1 aues. (Naturally, one would expect every deputy 1 returning officer would have re-

ceived a copy of each of these rolls* but such was not tho case. I know of one instance whore a person was rofusod leave to vote by tho returning officer because his name did not appear on the Cook County roil (tho only roll ho had), but this person s name was on the Waiapu roll; tbnaly, there were not a suffioiont number of voting papers sect to caoh of the polling places, and special messengers had to be sent with more papers. I have not been informed whether this prevented any persons from voting. I hope the noxt election to your Board will bo conducted in a more satisfactory manner.” . , Tho Chairman stated ho had acquainted Mr W. J. Quigley, Returning Officer, with tho complaint, and ho had replied stating thas since ho had been Returning Officer or previously there had boon no booth at Wbangara. Three additional booths wore provided at Tuparoa, Awanui, and Te Araron, which did not exist at the fiebru* ary election, and Wharerata an( -* maru were eliminated at the Boara s request, as there were hardly any votes recorded at the February election, when ovor 75 per cent of tho voting papers forwarded to the various booths wore returned unused, so that it was impossible to reckon on so many papers being required. Where Waiapu voters were expected the Waiapu rolls were provided. Ac Wftima&a, where there was no poll in February, it happened since that time that a Waiapu elector could not vote owing to a Waiapu roll not being there, but this was tho only instance in tho electorate. Regarding the wharfage roll, only nine votes had boon recorded *on it, when instructions from the Board’s solicitor

I wore acted on not to allow further votes on the wharfage role to be exercised. In conclusion, Mr Quigley hold that the elec- | tion was conducted according to law, and in a fair and impartial manner. Mr Lysnar said there was room for considerable improvement in regard to the way the Board conducted the election. He thought the Board should not place all the responsibility upon the Returning Officer. Mr Harding said there wa3 no excuso for the Returning Officer not having supplied tho rolls and sufficient votiug papers. He thought the explanation very weak. Tho Wharf Laborers’ Union wrote asking tho Board to erect a small shelter shed

for the men in attendance at tho wharf at all hours of tho day and night attending to their duties. Heretofore they had taken advantage of tho goods shed, and at times the waiting room, when not required, for shelter from the odd and rain, but recently they had been prevented using either place, and there was nowhere else on the wharf where the men could obtain shelter during the long hours of waiting for the arrival of boats and during their meal hours. They asked permission to use the waiting room at present.

It was decided that the Works Committee report to tho next meeting of the Board, the men to have the use of the waiting room in the meantime. The Harbor Master stated that the men would not use the waiting room at steamer hours, and had alsc guaranteed to keep it olean.

A letter was received from the Secretary of the Harbor Boards’ Association of New Zealand, enquiring whether there were any subjects which the Board desired to brii g up for consideration at the next meeting

of the Association. The Association m:fc annually unless the Executive decided that there was insufficient business to warrant a meeting. If a meeting was :o be held it was desirable that it should be early ia the coming session of Parliament, so as to have ample time in which to in* troduce any legislation the Association might desire to promote.—Received.

The Collector of Customs wrote stating that it was report-d that the Tuahine lighs was not burning on tho 19th inst.

Tho Harbormaster said he visited the light the following day, and found it bad gone out, having been turned too high. Mr Lysnar urged that the light should be p!acjd at a greater a'titude, and fcbai a reflector should bo used. Mr Ha-ding suggested that daring the winter months the caretaker should visit the light every other day. " Mr Lysnar said this was hardly necessary. It wa3 during a slO‘*m the light was of value, and that was the time they should see it did not go out.

Captain Tuck:r said it would be better to do away with the light altogether than have oue that failed at the very time it was most wanted. Mariners in the past had been used to navigate without a light there, and ho waj afraid that something terrible might happen through their depending on the light. Ho thought that immediate action should bo taken. The advice of a professional lighthouse keeper at present in Gisborne should be obtained.

The barborro&4 r stated that tho most powerful lights were obscured at times when the atmosphere shut down like a blanket.

A committee consisting of the Chairman and Messrs Ha ding, Whinray, Jjyanar and Captain Tucker were appointed to see if any improvement- could be made in the light. It was rleeid d also to to securo the advice of Mr G, Houston, licensed lighthouse keeper. ‘ Oapiain Tucker read a letter which he had received from the proprietors of the a.s. Storm, asking tnat tho Harbor Boatd take delivery of cargo from the ships slips, au:l deliver it to the carts from the shed. Ho stated that it 'was the Board’s desire to eeo vessels of larger tonnage enter the river, and they should encourago vescels of this class.

The Chairman stated that this would open tho whole question of wharfages. If they did Shis for one e Earner they would have to do it for all and this would necessitate the Board retaining a permanent staff, Mr Ijysnar said she question should not be dismissed lightly. The Storm wa3 the largest boat- that came there and iu w&3 to get boats of this class into the river that they had spent so much money on im provemeot. Ho proposed that a commitj tee be set up to cousid. r tho control and management of all cargo that passed over tho wharf. The Chairman and Mr Harding spoke

in favor of the motion, and the Chairman, and Messrs Harding, Whinray, and Ijysnar J7R rs appointed a comm'-ttoo. A circular letter s?as received from the Timaru Harbor Board upon drainage. The Harbormaster submitted a rough sketch of a temporary* contrivance for keeping the people back from the gangway upon the a* rival and departure of steamers. It was resolved to carry out the Horoormaater’s idea.