LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1046, 3 November 1877, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

A meeting of the Board was held yesterday at their offices, Lyttelton. Present—Messrs R. J. S. Harman (deputy chairman), P. Cunningham, D. Craig, J. Anderson, H. Sawtell, and Dr. Rouse.

The Chairman made the following statement : —Copies of the amended Bill relating to the land to be vested in the Lyttelton Harbor Board, came to hand prior to the date fixed for our last meeting, which lapsed for want of a quorum. The third reading of the Bill in the Legislative Council is to come on to-day. A number of accounts for payment will be laid before you for approval to-day. Some arrangement should be made for making progress payments on contracts on somewhat similar conditions to those for the payment of salaries by the Board. The pilotage and port charges for the month of October amounted to £439 2s sd, and that sum has been duly banked to the Board’s credit. An arrangement has now been made by which the wharfage dues are paid over to the Harbor Board by the railway authorities in Christchurch instead of being paid through the Treasury at Wellington as heretofore. This arrangement should certainly reduce the extra labor, alleged by the Government to have arisen in dealing with the wharfage dues on behalf of the Board. J communicated to the Government the decision of the Board, declining to pay 5 per cent for its collection, but as yet I j have not received any reply, A report from Mr Tqrpin, of the dredging done during the month of October, will be laid before you today. The dredge has been for the past mouth employed in clearing a channel from the opening of the inner harbor to the channel already dredged along the Gladstone Wharf. The amount of dredging done during the past month exceeds that of any previous month by sixteen barge loads; the quantity of spoil removed being 30,600 cubic yards, or 42,500 tons; the daily average being 1176 cubic yards, or 1634 tons. This exceptionally good return may bo accounted for by the uninterruptedly fine weather experienced during the past month, together with the fact that the ground upon which the c|redge has recently been at vj erk, has been favourable. The noyv \oo (umbler, of which I spoke in my last report,' has not yet been put in, as Mr Turpin* has been able to work with the present one until now. I propose that on the completion of work upon which tho dredge is now employed, namely, as indicated in yellow on the plan, that she shall proceed to dredge to westward cf tho Intermediate Jetty, so as to £iva batter access to fcba Lighter agQ Jetty.

Mr Lowe, the resident engineer, having reported favourably upon the question of granting an extension of time to the contractor for the Breastwork repairs, I am of opinion that the Board should, under the special circumstances of the case, grant it. I understand that the whole of the timber has now arrived, and the work is likely to be completed shortly. Letters have been written to the New Zealand Shipping Company in terms of the Board’s resolution relative to the ordering of a steam tug for the port of Lyttelton, and a reply was received from Mr Selwyn Smith advising that the order for it would be transmitted by the last San Francisco mail. I may add that further particulars relating to Howden’s patent screw-tug steamers were received by me and forwarded to the New Zealand Shipping Company. The additional particulars appear to bear out the favorable opinion already formed of them by the Board. The late Minister for Public Works wrote on the 11th October replying to the Board’s resolution of the 26th September, in which they urged the retention of a locomotive and steam fire-engine at night in Lyttelton, to the effect that now that the water supply is available such necessity no longer exists, and upon that ground he has sanctioned the return of the fire-engine to Christchurch, and the retention of the locomotive for such portion of the night only as is required for railway purposes. I can only remark that the Board having placed on record, as strongly as possible, their opinion upon this matter, the responsibility of leaving the railway station, wharves, and town of Lyttelton unprotected from fire in the event of any accident cutting off the water supply, will rest with the Government. An instance of this nature has but recently happened in Wellington. However, the Lyttelton Harbor Board having done all that lay in their power to induce the late Government to guard against a similar contingency, it is only to be regretted that the Government have set aside their recommendation. With reference to the Board’s resolution authorising the ordering of hydrants and hose ready made from Dunedin, or elsewhere, for the protection of the wharves and jetties from fire, I have to report that the hydrants are procurable in Dunedin, and the hose in Melbourne. The Board is indebted to Mr Robertson, the hon. secretary of the Dunedin Fire Brigade, for very full information upon the matter, and also to Mr Superintendent Harris and Mr Sowden, for assistance and advice in enabling the secretary to forward an order for the most suitable plant for the Board’s requirements. The letter and order will be read. I think the time has arrived when it would be advisable to appoint a finance committee to take in hand the arrangements connected with the creation of the Lyttelton Harbor Board debentures, and for arranging finance matters generally. A credit to meet the expenditure under the order for the tug will shortly have to Ibe established. I think it also would be desirable to appoint a works committee. The question of a light tower for the end of Officers’ Point Breakwater will have to be decided by the Board. Authority is also required to erect a new gas lamp on the Breastwork, opposite the intermediate jetty ; the latter should be done at once. A letter has been received this morning from Mr E. J. T. Ford, asking the Board to sell the rails now on Naval Point Breakwater. The latter will be read. Tenders for the additions to the Time-Ball Tower will be opened to-day. The seal for the Board has been received by Messrs Coates and Co., and will be ready for use as soon as a suitable stand for it has been made; this will be done in a few days. Messrs Cameron Brothers applied to know whether the Board would object to their leaving Lyttelton with the Titan in search of the derelict Clan Alpine, reported to be drifting about some sixty miles to the northward. I assented to their doing so, providing they made arrangements with the s.s. Akaroa to do any tug service during the Titan’s absence.

Accounts amounting to £3BB 13s 4d were passed for payment. The Chairman stated that he had that moment received a telegram stating the Harbor Board Land Bill had passed its third reading in the Upper House. The Chairman (or acting-chairman) was authorised to make progress payments on contracts on receiving a certificate from the officer entitled to certify. An extension of time, on the recommendation of Mr Lowe, was granted to Mr Thompson, contractor, for the repairs to the Breastwork, as, owing to the non-arrival of the John Knox with timber, the work had been unavoidably delayed. The appointment of a finance and works committee was postponed. It was resolved that a new lamp should be erected on the Breastwork, opposite the intermediate jetty. The consideration of erecting a small lighthouse on Officers’ Point was deferred till next meeting. A letter was read from Mr E. G. Wright suggesting sale of rails on Naval Point Breakwater to Mr E. J.T. Ford, as they were unsuitable for the Board’s requirements. Mr Sawtell moved, and it was resolved—- “ That Mr Ford be informed that the Board were not in a position to dispose of the rails in question,” TIME BALL TOWER. Tenders were opened for the addition to this building, and that of Messrs Hollis and Williams for £333 accepted, subject to the approval of the architect. Hr. Rouse made an application to the Board, as Mayor of Lyttelton, for leave to lay down a pipe to the watermen’s jetty to supply steamers, &c., with fresh water. He stated the pipe would bo used by the dredge, hopper barges, Akaroa, Titan, Lyttelton, Ac., and would be a great public convenience. He begged to move—“ That permission be granted to the Lyttelton Borough Council to lay down a pipe to the watermen’s jetty for the supply of the dredge, hopper barges, Government launch, and such other vessels as may require water from the Lyttelton Water Supply Works, subject to the approval of such officer as the Harbour Board may appoint.” The resolution was seconded by Mr C'UP* ningham, and carried.

The following notice of motion was given by Mr Johs Anderson —“ That the National Bayk of Now Zealand, having been appointed the agents of the Board for the purpose of negociating the Harbor Board 'Loan, be authorised to offer the said debentures for sale in London or elsewhere forthwith to the extent of £IOO,OOO, and pending the raising of such loan the said agents be authorised to borrow the sum of £25,000 on tbs security of the said debenture? for the use of the said Board-*’

The Board then adjourned to Friday, November IGth, at tbs Go'imuattot Buildioge, Ckbtthmb.