HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1430, 14 September 1878, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

The adjourned meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon in the Provincial Council Chamber. Present — Messrs Harman (in the chair), P, Cunningham, Craig, Allwright, and Turner. The minutes of the previous meeting wore read and confirmed. chaieman’s statement. The Chairman made the following statement : The following sums have been paid into the Board’s credit since our last meeting— Wharfage for three weeks, ending August 7th, 1876 ... 1>1490 16 10 Pilotage and wharf charges for month of August, 1878 ... 590 17 0 £2OBI 13 10 A number of accounts will be submitted for payment. A report will be read from our engineer, forwarding plans and specifications for the extension of the Gladstone Wharf, &c, the Screw Pile Jetty, and No. 1 Intermediate Jetty; also in reference to putting in hand the reclamation between the Board’s jetties and Gladstone Pier.

A return of the dredging done during the month of August is on tho table ; it shows that 41 o barge loads of mud have been removed, amounting to 10,875 tons, or 7170 cubic yards. I regret to have to report that the smaller of the two new wheels broke on the Saturday following ou» last meeting; an iron plate was, however, rivetted into it, which kept it going for a few days. I had in (he meantime directed tenders to be called for a spare large and small wheel. I subsequently gave directions that tenders should be requested for the supply of another small wheel to replace tho one last broken. Only one tender was sent in for each of those, namely, Mr John Anderson's tender for the largo and small wheel, £145 15s. This I accepted subject to confirmation by the Board. The other tender for the small wheel will bo opened at our meeting to-day. Tho Board will be glad to learn that the dredge recommenced work on the 4th inst., and has been working uninterruptedly ever since then. She bus completed the dredging off tho intermediate jetty, and is now employed in removing the bank raised by vessels lying at the eastern side of the Tunnel Mouth Wharf. Letters have been received from tho Government approving of tho lighthouse, us well

as the light proposed to bo erected upon the Officers Point Breakwater. On Saturday, the 31st ultimo, I received an application from the agents of the steamer Wanaka to be allowed to discharge on the following day (Sunday). After referring the question to the four members of the Board then present at. Chrirtchureh, T, in consideration of the fact that the Wanaka was carrying south the inward San Francisco mail, and had lost no time on her way down, authorised the issue of a special order to enable her to discharge upon the occasion applied for. I am advised by our chairman, who is in Wellington, that he has had several interviews with the Secretary to the Treasury, in reference to the proposed alteration in the mode of refunding our wharfages collected by the Government, and a reply is promised in a day or two. Acting under a previous resolution of the Board, the insurance of our steam tug upon her voyage out. has been effected to the extent of £II,OOO, divided among six local insurance companies. The premium paid amounts to £319 in all, I have also received advice from the National Bank of New Zealand, of the payment of the third instalment (£3250) of the contract for building the tug. Memoranda will bo read from our chairman on the following subjects : —He the Peacock wharf property rearrangements, re the Resident Magistracy, Lyttelton, re (ho proposal to pay members of the Board for each attendance. With regard to a six month’s extension of Messrs Cameron’s steam tug service contract, I have to report that no reply has been received from those gentlemen. It will bo for the Board now to decide what arrangements are to be made for the continuation of the tug service. 1 have also to report that the mooring chain of the transporting buoy has been renewed from some spare chain which was in stock. Also that, of the Parson’s reef buoy, this latter buoy has also been taken up, re' paired, and replaced since our last meeting. The harbor master having reported that, the telegraph between the pilot station and the look out house on the hill, was working badly, I arranged with Mr Meddings to go down and examine it. He recommended that telephones should bo used, and his recommendation lias been given effect to, and they have been found to answer admirably, and in case of any failure on their part, the A. 8.0. instruments can still bo used. The cost of the telephones is £5. It having been suggested to me that a line of telegraph between the pilot station, at the Heads, and Lyttelton, via, the lighthouse, would be of great service,especially for signalling purposes when the services of our steam tug are required by vessels outside the Heads, I have thought it desirable to ask Mr Meddings to furnish mo with an estimate of the cost of constructing such a lino. This estimate will bo laid before the Board as soon as it is received. I think the subject well worthy of their favorable consideration. I desire to call the attention of the Board to a claim for remission of port dues, which was made by the master of the ship Duke of Argyll, on behalf of his vessel. As the Board are aware, the ship sailed from Lyttelton and returned a few days afterwards under circumstances which were detailed in the inquiry held by the Collector of Customs after tier return. The harbormaster was not present at the inquiry, and has no knowledge of the case beyond that possessed by any member of the public who may have read the report of the inquiry in the newspapers. He was, however, applied to by the master of the vessel for remission of the port dues, and the master having stated in writing that he returned to port by reason of “ stress of weather,” the harbormaster did not feel himself justified in refusing to admit the claim, and the dues were accordingly remitted. It appears to me very doubtful whether the circumstances of the case really justified a claim on (he ground of “ stress of weather,” and in order that the harbormaster may in future be enabled to form his own opinion as to the justice or otherwise of such claims, I would suggest that the Government be requested to invite his presence at such inquires, and to instruct the Collector of Customs to put to the witnesses appearing before the Court any questions which the harbormaster may desire to answered for his own information.

An application was received yesterday from the master of the brig Raymond for the use of the Board’s diving apparatus for the purpose of examining that vessel’s bottom. It will bo recollected that she met with injuries upon her late voyage to this port. As no facilities at present exist here for shipping or docking this vessel, I thought it but right that the Board should place at the disposal of the master of the Raymond our diving ap> paratus to enable the required examination to be made. I accordingly authorised use being made of it in this instance, subject to certain conditions, namely, securing payment to the Board for any damage which may bo sustained by the apparat us, and also for the payment ®f a fee of £5 for its use, irrespective of a diver’s services. No diver to use it unless approved of by Mr Dtrbridge. engineer’s report.

The following report from the Board’s engineer was read and discussed:— “ Sir, —I beg to submit plans and specifications for the following works: —

(1.) Extension of Gladstone Wharf 504 ft. (2) Extension of Screw-pile Jetty 43ft. Gin. wide, 322 ft. (3.) Extension of Intermediate Jetty No. 1 to 401 ft. (4.) Construction of Intermediate, No. 3, and adjoining breastwork. “IE the Board intends to go into all these works, I would suggest that they be all let in one contract, by which moans I think bettor work and material would be secured as cheaply as by letting them in separate contracts. I do not think, however, that they can all he finished in time for the next grain season, and would make it a condition of the contract that the Gladstone Wharf and the extension of Intermediate No. 1 be first finished.

“I submit also a plan and eslimate for widening the Scrcw-pile Jetty to 63ft. and extending it to 522 ft. lam informed by the late Provincial Engineer of Wellington that the sheds on the wharves there are not found to be at all satisfactory, and that they would willingly be rid of them if they could get sites on shore.

“ I beg to suggest the advisability of proceeding as soon as possible with the reclamation by the embankment of that part of the harbor between the boat landings and the inner end of the Gladstone Wharf. The sooner it is done, the less will it be liable to interruption by the increasing traffic, and the embankment should be allowed time to settle before the timber breastwork is added. “ The reclamation of the foreshore, between the present end of the breastwork and the Tunnel Jetty, has been commenced by the Government, the timber work for which is included in the foregoing contract. “ Messrs Lang down and Co. have a cargo of timber in port for their contract of Intermediate Jetty, No. 2. “ C. Natiek Bell, Engineer,”

Mr Cunningham moved, and Mr Turner seconded, the following, which was agreed to —“That the Board approve of the plans and specifications submitted by the engineer for the extension of the Gladstone Wharf 504 ft.; the extension of the screw pile jetty 43ft. Gin. wide to 522 ft.; the intermediate jetty extension, No. 1, to 401 ft., and order that the same be forwarded to Wellington for approval, and that so soon as such approval is obtained, tenders be advertised for, the same to be let in one or more contracts.” SPECIAL MEETING. It was resolved that a special meeting of the Board, for the acceptance of tenders, should be hold on Friday, the 27th inst. reclamation. Mr Cunningham moved, Mr Craig seconded That the engineer bo requested to prepare plans and specifications of tho reclamation between the boat jetty and the Gladstone Wharf, ns proposed by the Board.” This was agreed to. FINANCE. A number of accounts were passed, for payment. REPAIRS iO DREDGE. On tho motion of Mr Turner, seconded by Mr 1). Craig, the following motion was agreed to—“ That the Board accepts Mr J. Anderson’s tender for £53 5s for the small wheel for the dredge, and, therefore, they confirm

the action of the acting-chairman in calling for tenders for it, and also for the two duplicate wheels, and in accepting Mr Anderson’s tender of £145 15s for them, and the Board order that, their seal bo affixed to the contract for the same.” peacock's wharf. A memorandum from the Hon. E, Richardson was read, stating that he and the other members at Wellington concurred in the joint report of the Board engineer, and the railway resident engineer, relative to the rearrangement of the Peacock’s Wharf property. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS, The following memorandum from the Hon, B. Richardson was read : “ I have not referred to the proposal to introduce into the Harbor Bill to pay the members for each sitting. All the members now in Wellington strongly object to it, and would feel bound to oppose it if proposed in other directions ; and I much regret that we are so opposed in this matter to so many other members of the Board.” Some discussion followed the reading of this memo., but no action was taken with reference to the question of payment. STEAM TUO, Mr Cameron waited upon the Board, and explained that his not acknowledging the letter sent to his firm relative to an extension of his contract, was due to the absence of his brother. The matter was allowed to rest in abeyance for the present. DUKE OF AHGTDE. After some discussion upon the action of the harbor master in remitting the dues of the Duke of Argyle, the Board resolved that in future all harbor dues must bo paid, and that when necessary they can bo refunded, but only after reference to the chairman has been made. ADJOURNMENT. The Board adjourned for three weeks, the next meeting to be held in Christchurch on the 4th October.