LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1006, 15 September 1877, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

A meeting of the Harbor Board was held at 2 p.m. yesterday at the G-overmnent Buildings. Present—Messrs Harman (acting chairman) } Anderson, Sawtell, Craig, and Cunningham. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. chairman's remarks. The Chairman said —I have to report that no copies of the new Harbor Board Bill have yet come to hand; so soon as they do I will have them distributed to the several members of the Board, and will call a special meeting to consider the Bill in question. The Resident Engineer having reported to me that on the stripping of the decking of the Breastwork it was found that further damage had been done to it by the late fire than was at first contemplated, and that it would be necessary to expend a further sum of £3b 16s 4d on extras under the contract, I authorised this expenditure, and will ask the Board to confirm my action. A letter has been received from the Lyttelton Colonists' Society, requesting me to convey to the members of the Board the thanks of that body for the Board's donation in aid of their reading-room; and further, to state that had the society not received the donation in question their yearly cash account would have shown a deficit of .£22. A reply has been received from the Lyttelton Gas Company, declining to tender for the yearly supply of gas to the wharf lamps. I think it will therefore be necessary that the Board should decide that the disconnection from the railway pipes should be carried into effect. A letter will be read from the Waimakariri Harbor Board, asking that Captain McLellan and Mr Turpin may be allowed to inspect the Waimakariri, with a view of assisting a committee of that Board to report as to the immediate requirements and as to the best method for clearing portions of the river. I am of opinion that the duties of those two officers are such that their services cannot be spared for the pui--pose asked for. For this reason alone Ido not think the reqnest Fof the Waimakariri Harbor Board can be granted. It will be in the recollection of members of the Board that the master of the barque Stag was fined a short time ago for flying, without authority, the exemption flag when entering the Port of Lyttelton. Messrs McKenzie and Co., of Auckland, have now written asking the Board to refund the fine of £5. The letter wdl be read, also a letter written by the Harbor Master to Messrs McKenzie and Co. on the subject, under the advice of the Board's solicitor. I have looked into the case, and see no reason •why the fine should be remitted. It is satisfactory to know that the efforts of the Board in getting the railway authorities to turn on the water to the Lyttelton end of the tunnel have already contributed to the prevention of what might have been a serious fire in that town. In making further inquiries as to the working of the steam fire engine in Lyttelton, I was informed that orders have recently been given by the railway authorities to have it returned to Cliristchurch now that the water

supply is available. This arrangement is certainly at variance with the Minister for Public Works' letter of the 7th ultimo, in which he says that directions have been given for a fire engine and locomotive to be always retained in Lyttelton; and I think its removal most unwise, as, in the event of the Lyttelton water supply being cut off by accident, the town, wharves, and skipping would be totally unprotected from tire. A circular has fbeen received from the Commissioner of Customs referring to the discontinuance of the Mana Island light and the exhibition of flashing white light on the Brothers, j Cook Strait. Publicity has been given to this notice, as requested by the Commissioner. Another circular has been received from him j covering copies of a despatch from the Imperial i Government, relative to instructions to bo observed by pilots in respect to Russian and Turkish ships during the existing war. The pilots in Lyttelton have been instructed accordingly. I have caused copies of the resolutions passed by the Board on the subject of the proposed purchase of Peacock's Wharf, to be furnished to Messrs P. Cunningham and Co., but until the Board have power given them to make the purchase, the matter must rest in abeyance. A letter will be read from Captain McLellan stating his willingness, under certain conditions, to undertake the journey to England for the purpose of selecting and bringing out a tug steamer for the Board. I have requested Capt. M'Lellan to be in attendance to-day in case the Board might require to see him on the subject. In the event of the Board sending him home they will have to consider the question of the appointment of an officer to act as Deputy Harbor-master and Pier-master during his absence. The matter of providing funds for the purchase of the tug will also have to be considered. Mr Strouts has been instructed in terms of the resolution passed at our last meeting, to call for tenders for the additions, &c, to the Time-ball building. The sum of .£171)2 9s sd, being wharfage collected during portions of the months of July and August, has been paid into the Board's credit. The system of paying over the wharfage in this fragmentary manner is very undesirable in the matter of accounting and comparison with any month of a preceding year. Mr Williams, our treasurer, reports to me that a voucher amounting to ,£2175 16s lOd for the' eight weeks ending the 25th August was sent up from here at the end of that month by fbe Eaihvay Department in the usual manner,

but for some unexplained reason the Colonial Treasury have only forwarded the credit of ,£1792 9s sd. On applying to the Colonial Treasury for an explanation our treasurer was referred to the voucher sent down with the credit to the Board's bankers, and on applying to the Bank he was informed that the voucher had been returned to Wellington on the day of receipt indue course. Mr Williams reports that it is quite impossible to keep intelligible accounts for the Board if these deduc tions are made in Wellington without previous explanations being furnished to him as treasurer. He says that it would be far better if the wharfage dues were paid over at the end of each calendar month and in this opinion I concur. Tenders for gangways will have to be opened by the Board to-day. On the motion of Mr Craig, seconded by Mr Cunningham, the Board sanctioned the payment of £35 16s 4d for the extra work referred to in the acting chairman's report. WAIMAKARIRI HARBOR BOARD. A letter was read from the Waimakariri Harbor Board, asking that Captain McLellan and Mr Turpin might be allowed to inspect the Waimakariri, with a view of assisting the committee to draw up a report as to immediate requirements, and the best method of clearing out certain portions of the river. The Chairman said he thought that what the Waimakariri Harbor Board really required was an engineer's opinion, and it would be exceedingly difficult to spare those officers desired from their duties. It was decided, on the motion of Mr Craig, seconded by Mr Anderson, that a reply should be sent that the Harbor Board regret they cannot spare the officers from their other duties to inspect the river as asked. GAS PIPES ON WHARVES. A discussion took place as to the advisableness of disconnecting the gas pipes on the wharves from the railway premises. It was resolved on the motion of Mr Anderson, seconded by Mr Cunningham —" That the acting chairman be authorised to have the pipes disconnected." A letter was read from Mr D. H. McKenzie, Auckland, on behalf of Captain Davies, of the barque Stag, asking that the fine imposed on that captain in July last for hoisting the exemption flag when entering Lyttelton Harbor, should be remitted ; also asking for an exemption certificate for him, saying his treatment at Lyttelton had been most extraordinary, and drawing the Board's attention to the absence of provision in the Marine Acts 1869 and 1870 for such proceedings. Captain Davies wrote saying if the certificate were refused, he would apply to the Commissioner of Customs for one.

A letter was read from Captain McLellan in reference thereto, saying Captain Davies had never applied to him to be examined for a certificate.

A second letter was read from Mr McKenzie saying that Captain Davies held an exemption for Wellington and other New Zealand ports, and his reason for hoisting the Hag when entering Lyttelton Harbor was that he was under the impression he would receive an exemption after his arrival at the port. A further memorandum from Captain McLellan was read, saying he believed that Captain Davies would receive a certificate for competency on his return to this port. Mr Craig said that although the letter from Mr McKenzie was not couched in very temperate language, still the act might have been committed under some misimpression, and as a great deal of publicity had been given to the case he thought they would not be doing wrong in remitting the fine ; it being understood, however, that the concession would not establish a precedent. Mr Sawtell said that|Captain Davies, being an old colonial trader must have known he was doing wrong at the time, and he did not think the fine should be remitted. Mr Anderson said Captain McLellan had received certain instructions, and having carried them out, the decision of the Magistrate should not be interfered with by the Board. Mr Sawtell moved —"That the Board declines to accede to the application for the remission of the fine imposed on the captain of the barque Stag." Mr Anderson seconded the motion, which was agreed to. GOVERNMENT EIRE ENGINE.

A memorandum was read from Mr Lawson, general manager of railways, in reply, saying that now the waterworks were completed at Lyttelton the Borough Council had been asked to return the steam fire engine to Christchurch. A further memorandum from Mr Lawson was also read, saying this matter had been placed before the Superintending Engineer, who had stated that the fire engine had been simply lent to the Lyttelton Borough Council until the water supply there was available.

Mr Cunningham said the fire engine had not been lent to the Borough Council, but to the Harbor Board, and the Q-overnment in taking it away aga'n had only performed half their promise. .The engine was much more required in Lyttelton than in Christchurch, as if anything happened to the water supply, the small tank there —the only available water supply—would bo pumped out in less than half-an-hour, and the result might be very serious indeed in case of a fire.

Mr Sawtell said the reply of the Minister of Public Works was very explicit, a 3 lie had stated that the fire engine and a locomotive ■would be kept constantly at Lyttelton. Mr Anderson did not agree with the remarks that the fire engine was more required at Lyttelton than Ohristchurch. It was ordered from home expressly to be stationed in Christchurch for the protection of the railway station, and before it was ordered Christchurch had at the time its two present fire engines, and Lyttelton had not then its present water supply to depend upon.

The Chairman said though Mr Anderson was perfectly correct as to the object for which the engine was ordered, yet as thoy had two engines in Christchurch lie thought the G-overnment engine should be stationed at Lyttelton. Mr Cunningham desired to mention that when the engine wad ordered for the Christchurch railway station all the storages was done here, now it was all done at Lyttelton. Mr Craig said his opinion was that when the engine was first purchased it was not with the idea of protecting Christchurch alone, but for the protection of property all along the line. It would be a serious thing for Lytteltou if a fire broke out there, and anything had happened to the water supply. Mr Cunningham moved the following resolution—" That the secretary be instructed to forward copy of letter from the Minister oi Public Works of 7th August to the superintendent engineer, and that the Board suggests the advisability of retaining the steam fire engine in Lyttelton. The Board would also pojnt out that the instruction in letter above mentioned as to having a locomotive

kept at night at Lyttelton has not been carried out." Mr Sawtell seconded the motion, which was agreed to. STEAM TUG FOB HARBOR. A letter was read from Captain McLellan in reply to memo, from acting chairman, expressing liis willingness to proceed home, and bring out a tug, provided that he was reinstated in Ids present position on his return ; that his salary was paid into the "Union Bank monthly during his absence, and the responsibility of bringing out the tug either by steam or sail should be left solely with him without the interference of agents. He also desired permission to visit ports to guide him in his selection. If the Board consented to these terms he would be ready to sail at three days' notice, and would prefer going via Suez. Some discussion of a conversational nature took place on the Board's power to expend money in the purchase of a tug. On examining the clauses of the Act, several members expressed their opinion that the Board certainly held the power to expend the money for the improvement of the navigation of the port out of their ordinary revenue, and a steam tug was positively required for this purpose. At the suggestion of Messrs Anderson and Craig, it was decided that the solicitor's opinion should be obtained on this matter. The Chairman in reply to Mr Cunningham, said that if the solicitor's opinion were favorable, and the Board decided to send Captain McLellan home, he would arrange for an overdraft with the Board's bankers under clause 49 of the Act. After further remarks it was decided to refer the question of what kind of tug should be obtained, with the number of horse-power, description of engines, &c, to the steam-tug committee, who promised to bring up a report. The committee were also requested to consider the question of re-arranging the harbor staff during Captain McLellan's absence, and were ask ed to recommend a competent person to perform the duties of Harbor Master during that time, and also the terms on which Captain McLellan should be sent home. PAYMENT OF "VVHAKFAG-E. The action of the Government in making deductions in wharfage vouchers before paying same into the Board's credit was discussed, after which the chairman was requested to draw the attention of the Government to this matter, and point out that it would be far more convenient for purposes of reference and comparison if the amounts of wharfage dues received for specific months were paid over to the Board each calendar month. PIKE PREVENTION. Mr Craig said that now fhe water was laid on to the wharves it would be necessary that a number of hydrants should be fixed, and a supply of hose obtained and placed in an easily accessible position for the purpose of fire prevention at the wharves. It was decided that application should be made to the Superintendent of the Lyttelton Fire Brigade to state the number of hydrants and length of hose that would be required. GANGWAYS. Seven tenders were opened for a supply of six gangways, and on the motion of Mr Craig, seconded by Mr Anderson, that of Wm. Williams, Lyttelton, for £l6 6s lOd, was accepted. ADJOURNMENT. The Board went into committee, and on resuming, adjourned, it being understood that the acting-chairman would call a special meeting at an early date.