LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 917, 2 June 1877, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

The fortnightly meeting of this Board was held yesterday at 3 p.m. at the Government Buildings, Lyttelton. Present—Hon. E. Richardson, (chairman), Messrs Craig, Cunningham, Anderson, Hon. John Hall, and Dr. J. T. Rouse.

The Chairman stated that since last meeting the accounts of receipts and expenditure and assets and liabilities of the Board to 30th April, 1877, had been audited and certified to by the Provincial Auditor, and it was now necessary they should be finally examined, and if correct settled by the Board and certified under the 41st clause of the Lyttelton Harbor Board Act. The General Government within the last few days had paid to the Board's credit £2024 Is lid, collected to March 31st. A voucher for wharfage for April, amounting to £151119s 7d, had been forwarded to Melbourne for payment to the Board. The Collector of Customs had yesterday paid in pilotage and port charges for May amounting to £404 14s 3d. In accordance with authority granted he had arranged with the Gas Company that they should supply one and a quarter - inch gas pipes, and lay them to the end of Officers' Point breakwater, charging 9d per foot for piping, and for the actual labor, &c. A report from Captain McLellan with regard to the number of lamps required for the wharves and jetties would be read. The question of what proportion of cost of gas was to be borne by the Railway was not yet settled, but the secretary was to meet the traffic manager on Monday, with a view to coming to an understanding. He should propose the Railway pay for lamps to westward of Screw-pile Jetty, and the Harbor Board the rest, fourteen in number, including two new lamps, the Harbor Board being provided with a separate meter. The Harbor Master recommended the purchase of a spare red lamp, in case an accident occurred to that in use at the end of Gladstone Pier. The cost would be about £B. He also recommended that a kedge anchor and thirty fathoms of 2iin. rope be supplied for the harbor pilot boat, for use in case of accidents to masts and sails when outside the Heads. The cost would not exceed £lO in all. The report of Mr Turpin regarding work done by the dredge was most satisfactory. The westward portion of the channel in the fairway would be finished by the 11th inst., when the dredge would take up her position to the east side of opening, and vessels entering or leaving would then have to pass to the westward. A notice to that effect had been prepared and printed. Mr Turpin also reported the winches aboard the dredge were unsuitable, and he would ask the Board for authority to get another, which he heard could be procured from Melbourne. A letter from the Union Steamship Company, replying to one from the secretary, respecting the infringement by two of the company's steamers of the regulations re dredging on the fairway, would be read. The spoon dredging at the mouth of the Oxford street culvert had been postponed, pending the putting in hand of the extension of the Screw Pile Jetty, when Mr Derbidge, the clerk of works, would be able to superintend both works. He had arranged for postponing the works at the Screw Pile Jetty for a fortnight, to enable steamers to work at it until the rails were laid on to the intermediate jetty extension, which would probably be completed by next Monday. Steamers would then be berthed at the intermediate jetty until the dredging in the fairway was completed, and also until the Screw Pile Jetty extension was finished. Contracts for supply of stores, coal, &c, to dredge and barges, and for fencing time ball tower site had been signed by the contractors, and would be laid before the Board. Licenses for ballast, cargo, lightermen's and watermen's boats had to be issued on July Ist if applied for by the 16th instant. He proposed the treasurer should issue those licenses upon the certificate of the harbormaster, and on payment of the usual fees. Two applications had been made to him for the office of inspector of lighters and boats. Harbor regulations 68 provides for the harbormaster acting as inspector of ballast lighters, and regulation 79 provides in reference to the inspection of cargo and watermen's boats, that they must be inspected by two or more competent persons appointed by the Board. He recommended that Captain McLellan and Pilot Reed be appointed for the purpose. Warrants of appointments of the Jiarbor and dredge sfcafi; liad been prepared, and would be

submitted for sealing by the Board that day. A letter from the Traffic Manager, defining the duties of the pierinaster, would be read. Several accounts would be submitted for payment. The question of purchasing Peacock's wharf would have to be considered by the Board at an early date. CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondence was read from Mr Lawson, Traffic Manager, as follows :—"With reference to duty of harbor or pier master at Lyttelton, I have the honor to inform you that it has been decided to limit his functions to the shifting of vessels from one wharf to another on the requisition of the station master at Lyttelton, subject of course to the harbour master's discretion and to the safety of the shipping. The station master will have the entire control of the wharves, steam cranes, &c. It was also decided that the railway department pay the harbor master one-half the amount of his salary, as fixed by the Harbor Board."

From Manager National Bank re mode of Government payments to Board's credit. From Captain Dunsford regarding inspection of ballast boats, lighters, &c.

Report from Mr Turpin, superintending engineer of dredge and barges was read, stating the work during the month of May had been 143 barges filled with 25,740 cubic yards of mud, equal to 35,750 tons. Accounts amounting to £164 Is lid were passed for payment. It was resolved that the printed account of receipts and expenditure of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, for the period ending April 30th, 1877, and also statement of estimated assets and liabilities of the [Board on April 30th, 1877, as examined and certified to by the auditor, under date of 23rd May, 1877, be allowed by the Board, and that the same be certified accordingly under section 41 of the Lyttelton Harbour Board Act, 1876. Resolved —" That the warrant of appointment of the Harbour Department and dredge staff, as now submitted to the Board, be sealed with the seal of the Lyttelton Harbour Board."

Mr Craig moved —" That the chairman and Mr Cunningham be authorised, under the 25th section of the Harbour Board Act, to sign, on behalf of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, the following contracts : —With R. Forbes, stores to dredge and Harbour Department to 31st December. 1877 ; R. "Wood, for coal to ditto ; James Kilburn, for fencing Time Ball site."—Carried.

Resolved—" That a spare red lamp for the end of Officers' Point breakwater be purchased, also a kedge anchor and 30 fathoms of 2|-iuch rope for Harbour Pilot boat." Dr Rouse moved—" That Messrs Hawkins and Go's offer to sell the spoon dredge for £8 be accepted. Agreed to. Hon John Hall moved, and Mr Cunningham seconded —" That the Chairman of the Board be authorised to obtain from Melbourne or elsewhere a suitable spare winch for the dredge. Carried. Resolved—" That the regulations dated January Ist, 1877, relative to dredging between the moles on and after the 11th inst, be approved and circulated as heretofore. Moved by Mr Craig, and seconded by Mr Anderson—" That the treasurer of the Lyttelton Harbour Board be authorised to issue licenses on July Ist for ballast boats, cargo boats, lightermen's boats and watermen's boats respectively on the certificate of the harbor master as set forth in the New Zealand Harbor Regulations, subject to the usual fees for such licenses being paid, and that the harbor master be dhected to inspect ballast lighters under the provisions of the New Zealand Harbor Regulations." Cr Cunningham said before this resolution was passed, he should like it to be understood that the watermen's licenses should be reduced one-half. Now the breakwaters were up they had much less work, and though there had been no alteration in the fares they had much more work to do if they were going anywhere towards the Heads, as they had to go round the breakwater instead of straight across as formerly. He thought that if the licenses were made 10s instead of £1 it would meet the case.

The resolution was then put and carried. Eesolved —"That Captain McLellan and the harbor pilot be appointed inspectors of cargo and watermen's boat, in terms of New Zealand Hai-bor Regulations 79." Agreed—" That instructions be issued to Captain McLellan as pier master in terms of Mr Lawson's letter of May 22nd." TRUCKS. Mr Craig said he thought the Board should take action in the matter of the scarcity of waggons, and have the cause of the delay ascertained. The province lost a great deal through the delay. The Hon. John Hall said he supposed it was a fact that their wharves were occupied an unnecessary time by vessels, in consequence of sufficient means of transit for their cargo not being provided. He would move—" That vessels loading and unloading at wharves in Lyttelton are subject to great and unnecessary delay owing to want of sufficient trucks being provided by the railway department, and that serious injury is therefore inflicted upon all interests concerned and upon the character of the port. That the Chairman be requested to represent the matter fully to the Colonial Government, and urge upon them in the strongest manner the necessity of providing without delay an adequate remedy for this serious grievance." This was seconded by Mr Craig. Mr Cunningham said during the last eight days the various vessels alongside the wharves had been half their time idle, and besides this there were seventy truck loads of stuff waiting for transit to Christchurch. Already merchants had to pay Is a ton more through the demurrage, and of course this was charged again to the community. It was clearly their duty to interfere and keep up the credit of the port. After a few more remarks the resolution was carried.

Hon. John Hall moved, and it was agreed to, —" That the arrangement proposed to be made by the Chairman with Mr Naldej, as solicitor of the Board, be approved. Terms, the solicitor to receive £75 per annum, a retaining fee, for which he is to give all advice required by the Board, draw up bye-laws and forms of application, &c. The solicitor to be paid the usual cost of drawing up deeds such as conveyances, iind also for appearing in Court on behalf of the Board. The solicitor to refund the fees allowed by the Court. Such arrangement to remain in force for one year, commencing from the date of Mr Nalder's appointment. Hon. John Hall gave the following notice of motion, "That it is desirable the Board should at an early date take into its consideration the improvements which are required in the harbour of Lyttelton, with a view to arriving at some well matured and comprehensive plan upon which all future works shall be carried out. That to assist the Board in this consideration a committee Reappointed

to collect and arrange information upon this subject, and make such recommendations to this Board as they may consider expedient. That such committee consist of the Chairman, Messrs Harman, Cunningham, and the mover."

The Hon. John Hall pointed out that their next meeting would fall on mail day, and proposed an adjournment of three weeks. This was agreed to, the Board adjourning to Friday, June 22nd, at Christchurch, at 2 p.m.