LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1856, 3 February 1880, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

A meeting of thiß Board was held yesterday afternoon in the Government buildings> Lyttelton. There were present—the Hon. B. Richardson (chairman), Messrs Craig, Murray - Aynsley, AUwright, Cunningham, and O. W. Turner. The Chairman made the following statement :—Since our last meeting I received a telegram from the Hon. John Hall, resigning his seat on this Board, and I am sure that you will join in our expression of regret that, this step became necessary. I have morning received official intimation that Dr. Turnbull has been elected by the Selwyn County Council to fill the vacancy. The following sums have been paid in to the Board's credit since we last met: —Wharfage, £3OO ; pilotage and port charges, £598 8s Id ; tnw»e« feea and rent, £l9B 7s 4d ; total, £IOB6 15s sd. The dredging return for the past month is on the table, and shows the following result: —lsl barge loads, amounting to 27,180 cubic yards, or 37,750 tons. The towage return for January is also on the table, and shows a good result. Several tenders came in for removal of cottage. A report will be read from Mr Turpin, reoommending that the general overhaul of 'the dredge and barges should be commenced at once, owing to an unexpected accident to the barge Sumner. I will ask the Board to approve of the use of their tug being allowed for the annual picnic of the harbor and dredge staffs. The following reports of committees will be brought up and read at to day's meeting—Report No. 3 of finance committee ; report No. 7 of harbor improvement committee; report No. 4 of the office accommodation committee. The engineer's monthly report on the progress made with the harbor works now in hand will be read. A number of accounts for payment will come before you today. Colonel Scratchley availed himself of the offer of the Board to use the steam tug Lyttelton for the purpose of examining the harbor, and was accompanied by myself and other members of the Board, together with such members of our staff as he desired, and requested me to convey his thanks to the Board for their attention and assistance to him. As it is necessary that the Board should meet on Tuesday, the 24th inst., for the purpose of electing a chairman for the ensuing year, in accordance with the terms of the Harbors Act, 1878,1 suggest that at our rising to-day we adjourn till that day. The Engineer reported that very good progresß had been made last month on the reclamation contract of Messrs Hawkins and Co., the outer embankment, which constitutes the bulk of the work, being just finished to the boat landing. The contractors for the dock had also done much more this month, both in excavating the Naval Point Hill and the dock. A considerable amount of dressed stone had been delivered on the site of the work. Mr Turpin reported as follows : February 2ud, 1880. Sir, —I had to stop the barge Sumner, owing to a leak in the combustion chamber of the boiler. I find that the plate will have to be taken ont, and a new one substituted. Under the circumstances it will be advisable to lay up the dredge and barges at once, provided arrangements can bo made for slipping the vess-ls. All the boilers are gone in the same place, and require a thorough overhaul. My difficulty is to get good boiler makers to do the work in reasonable time, three sets of men being necessary. Messrs Scott Bros, state they will be able to furnish the supply of labor. The dredge should be shooed for examination.

An offer from Messrs Grubb was read to slip the two barges and the dredge, the former eight days each and the latter two weeks, for cleaning and repairing, for the sum of £l9O. Mr Turner moved, and Mr Cunningham seconded—" That the Board approve of the overhaul of the dredge and barges taking place as recommended in Mr Turpin's report, dated to-day, and that the chairman be authorised to make the neoessary arrangements for carrying out the work, also that he be authorised to employ the Minna Bell scoop dredge in deepening the berths along the "Gladstone Pier extension, such hands required for the work to be engaged temporarily." Carried. The secretary read the report of the finance committee as follows :

Report No. 3. Your committee having considered the letters dated i2th November and 21st December, from the National Bank of New Zealand, Limited, in reference to the fl jating of the Harbor Board loan, aad in ennneetioa with the Harbor Board's account, beg to submit for tho approval of the Board, the accompanying replies. JiDWABD RICHABDSON, Chairman. " Be Harbor Board Loan £200,000. " Harhor Board Office, " Lyttelton, February 2nd, 1880. "Sir, —Adverting to your letter of the 21st ultimo, in which you furnish particulars and accounts relating to the floating of the Lyttelton Harbor Board loan, and specially referring to an arrangement made by your Bank in London with Messrs T. and A. Scrimgeour, I have the honor, by direction of the Board, to inform you that on submitting the accounts in question to the Government auditor upon the occasion of his annual audit, he addressed aletter to the Board on the subject, a copy of which I enclose, and in reference thereto I am dire ted by the Board to request you to be good enough to cause to be excised from the Board's accounts with your London office all the entries connected with the loan by the Bank, the Board declining to recognise the same. " I have the honor to be, Sir, " Your obedient servant, "O. H. Williams, " Secretary and Treasurer Harbor Board, " Lyttelton. "The Manager, " National Bank of New Zealand, " Christchurch." " Harbor Biavd Office, " Lyttelton, Fobrunry 2nd, 1880. " Sir, —In reference to your letter of the 12th November last, in which you acknowledge the receipt of mine of the 18ih of October, on the subject of the banking arrangements between the Board and your Bank, and upon a newspaper report alleged to have taken p.uce on the subject at a meeting of the Boa> - d. '• I am directed by the Board to state that as they have transferred their account from your Bank, they are of opinion that there is nothing to be gained by a continuance of the discussion, more especially as nothing has transpired since the receipt of your letter now under reply, to lead them to alter their opinion. "The Board regret that Mr Buchanan should consider that bis Bank has bcien treated with discourtesy, not to say injustice. " I am instructed, however, to say that fhis must remain a matter of opinion on either side, as the Board do not think anything will be gained by continuing the discusbion. "I have the honor to be. sir, " Your obedient servant, " (Signed) C. H. Williams, " Secretary and Treasurer Harbor Board, " Lyttelton.

" Cha?. Buchanan, EBq.. " Inspector National Bank of New Zealand, " (Limited), Wellington." Mr Allwright moved, and Mr Craig neoonded—" That the Board adopt report No 3 of the finance committee, and direct that replies be sent to the National B»nk of New Zealand, es therein recommended." The Harbor improvement oommittee reported : He Orphanage Drainage—After proceeding to Lyttelton and inspecting tha proposed position of the drain from the Orphanaga, your committee recommend that when the Governmeat and the Borough make a reasonable pro-

poaal to meet the requirements of the ca3e, that the Harbor Board should offer every facility to enable then-, to carry the dcain through the Boird's property. lie reclamation between the Boat Stage and the Screw Pile Jetty—Yorv committee reommend the Board to order pians and npeciacatinn for the removal of the boat st»ge and a portion of the boat jetties, and for an extension of the reclamation to tie timber breastwork on tbe east sMe of the Screw Pile Jetty—and that, tenders be calle i for the work ; also, that a plan and estimate for a floating boat stage be prepared by the engineer at once. That in the matt rof the Lady Jocelyn's anchor the committee have referred the papers to the Board's solifitor for advice. Edward Richardson, Chairman. It was moved by Mr Turner and seonded by Mr Craig—" That report No. 7of the Harbor improvement committee be adop'ed, and that the engineer be instructed to get out plans and specificatins for the extension of the reclamation on the Screw Pile Jttty."— Carried. The office accommodation and harbor staff committee report d Harbor btaff.—ln the matter of the hirbnr master's assistant your committee beg to r -c m meud that he be allow d one month's salary in lieu of notice, dating from the Ist Februar., 1880, to enable him to seek other employment. Toar csmmittee, after considering the question of salaries referred to them, report that tbey do not see their way at pre-ent to recommend an increase of salary to pilots, but the; recommend the following increases, namely : That the salary of the master of the dredge be increased from £l6 to £ 8 per month ; that tbe salary of the mate r f the tug be increased from .£l2 to £l4 per month. Plans, Board Offices, lyttelton. Tn the matter of the plans for the harbor offices in Lyttelton, your committee have decided upon the plan with the entrance at the south-w. st corner fronting on Oxford street, and tbe architect has been instructed to proceed with the detail plans and specifications so that they may be laid before the Board without delay, and tenders for the building may be advertised as Boon as pos ible. Telephonic Communication.—Tour committee have to report th it the telephonic communication between Oh isteharch and Lyttelton offices will be completed so soon as a diversion of part of the line through Christchurch is effected so as to separate it from the telegraph lines, this most probably will be done within a fortnight. Kdwaed P.ichakdson, Chairman. Christchurch, 28th January. 1?80. The Chairman read a letter from Mr Strouts, the architect for the proposed offices, received by him subsequently to the meeting of tbe committee. The letter stated that he considered the plan proposed would prove objectionable, as would also the appearance of the building when erected. Mr AUwright aeked whether the architect declined to go on with the work, for if so he was in favor of getting another in Mr Strouts' place. The building should have been up long since, and he thought would have been had its location been at Christchurch. The Chairman explained how the delay had been caused, showing that tbe site had not been secured until the end of December. Mr Craig moved—" That the committee see the architect with reference to his letter of the 30th January and the suggestions therein contained, with tho view of adopting a plan and calling for tenders without delay." Seconded by Mr Murray-Aynsley, and carried. In reference to the recommendation of the committee as to tbe assistant harbor master, Mr AUwright spoke very strongly. He thought the matter had been improperly dieposed of. The harbor master had asked for the appointment, and a gentleman with high credentials was given the posi'ion. It was plain, however, the assistant and hiß superior did not get along well together, and he would not say on which side the blame rested, but he was of the opinion that the gentleman who was now recommended to be got rid ef had been uifairly used. It was in no bad spirit towards the harbor master that he made the remarks, but he hoped that the next time an assistant was asked for, the Board would remember the report of the harbor master upon the laat one. Mr Turner spoke in high terms of the assistant harbor master's qualifications, and said that the suggestion to dispense with his services and to substitute a boatman in hiß place would be very little eaviug to the Board. Mr Cunningham took exception to the attitude assumed by Mr Turner, inasmuch as that gentleman was a member of tho oommittee, but had not attended the meeting. He (Mr Cunningham) at great inconvenience had spent a whole day investigating this matter of the assistant harbor master, and he considered it very unfair for a member of the committee who had absented himself from the meeting to criticise the committee's action, as Mr Turner had done. The assistant harbor master had been suspended, he thought very properly, for insubordination. It mußt be held as an invariable principle, that whatever superior officer was in charge he must be obeyed. For his own part he thought the appointment now proposed to be done away with could be dispensed with safely, indeed he was cot sure that the staff could not be further reduced. He had thought when the Board got their tug boat such would have been done.

Mr Turner made a personal explanation of his absence from the committee meeting. He had ascertained however that a quorum would be present, and as he had a very pressing engagement, he had stayed away from the meeting. Had he been aware though that bo important a matter as the removal of the officer in question was to be considered, he shou'd have acted differently. It was only now he had learnt of the action the committee had taken, and he regretted it exceedingly. Mr Craig concurred with Mr Turner as far as the qualifications and the credentials of the assistant harbormaster were concerned ; but he would adhere to the recomendation made by the committee, after what had fallen from Mr Cunningham. No matter who the officer might be, whether tho harbormaster or any other, his position should not screen him from oensure when, after due enquiry, he deserved it.

The Chairman said that virtually, under the regulations of the Board, the assistantharbormaster's suspension stood to the present time, to the meeting of the Board. He thought the remarks made by Mr Allwright would not have been given had he known the circumstances. The chairman then stated how it was that the investigation had been held. That the assistant harbormaster had himself requested it, and had acknowledged the charge preferred against him. The committee had come to the right conclusion, in his opinion, and aB to having any intention of causing any uudue reflection on the assistant, they had really bo word'd the recommendation in the report as to let him down as lightly as possible. As to the insinuations made by Mr All wright against the conduct of the stsff, he (the chairman) felt it his duty to take exception to that mode of procedure. It was very improper to cast aspersions upon any of the Board's staff without giving the person attacked an opportunity of replying, and he deprecated it very much. If Mr Allwright, or any member of the Board, could substantiate a charge of mieoonduct against any of the staff, it should be that member's first duty to make a specific charge. He felt very warmly upon the subject, and had upon former occasions at the Board meetings hid to regret that Mr Allwright had made similar insinuations. Mr Allwright said, if he had, it was because he had had occasion, and the reason he did not push tho information whioh had been conveyed to him at various times to an investigation was that he felt a deicaey in doing so, besides it might be attributed tu personal feeling. He might, however, have lees delicacy in future After a slight alteration in the form of the recoinmendatii n in the report, Mr C r aig moved, and it was carried, "That, the report be adopted and acted upon, omitting the paragraph referring to the Board cffioes." The Chairman drew the Board's attention to the fact that the committee had made nu report as to the remuneration being paid to their treasurer and secretary, Mr Williams They had left it for the Board, and ttie chair man then referred to the admirable manner in whioh the Board's business had be*n conducted and the responsibilities of the posi tions filled by Mr Williams. He also etateo how such services were paid in both Otago and Auckland, showing a favorable balance 01 the economical Bido on the part of the man agement of Mr Williams, and alaoindividuallj as to the talari* s paid. Mr Cratg moved " That, in consideration ot the verv satisfactory manner in which th secretary and treasurer had performed ln> responsible duties, hiß salary be increased bj £IOO per annum, to date from January Ist. Becmded by Mr Turner and curried. ! Accounts amounting to £5330 lis were passi-d for p>yment. The Board e/j >urned to the 24th inst., U meet in Ohristonurcb. at 2 p.m.