LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2115, 3 December 1880, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

A meeting of the Harbor Board was held at 2 p.m. yesterday. Present—Hon. E. Richardson (chairman), Messrs Harman, Aynsley, Sawtell, Allan, Craig, Cunningham, Turner, and the Mayor of Lyttelton. The Chairman said—The following sums have been paid into the Board’s credit since our last meeting—Wharfage, £l6Bl 19s 5d j towage fees, warps, &c., £l5B 3s 6d ; pilotage and port charges, £748 4s 3d ; land tax refund, £4 16s lOd ; £2593 4s Od. Our engineer’s monthly report on the following subjects will be read —He proposed embankment for prison labour, re progress of contracts (graving dock and breastwork), re application from dock contractors for use of Minna Bell dredge, re filling up part ballast depositing ground, re tenders for caisson. Dredging and towage returns for the months of October and November are on the table. The former shows the following amount of dredging to have been done—October, 1880, 140 barge loads, amounting to 25,200 cubic yards, or 35,000 tons ; November, 1880, 147 barge loads, amounting to 26,460 cubic yards, or 36,750 tons. The shipping returns for October and November, 1880, as furnished by the harbor master, are on the table. Daring the month the steam ship Durham arrived in harbor, and steamed into her berth at No. 4 wharf without difficulty, drawing about 21 feet of water. The berth she occupies has 24 feet of water. Reports from the harbor improvement committee and the finance committee respectively will be brought up for your consideration to-day. A large number of accounts for payment will be laid before you to-day. A letter was received from Messrs Bell and Miller yesterday, covering a list of tenders for the graving dock caisson. They recommend the acceptance of Messrs W. Avioland Oo.’s tender (of Glasgow),£3l44, and it will be necessary at once to cable home the Board’s decision on the matter. A Bank credit will also have to be established to meet progress payments if the Board accept the tender. Messrs Ware and Jones’ contract for the dock does not include the work of filling in the caisson, which work will have to be done on its arrival in Lyttelton. A proclamation has been issued by the Government, vesting sections 231 and 234 in the Harbor Board, and it now remains to settle what compensation shall be paid to Mr Stephen Fisher in terms of Public Works Act. We have received advice of the shipment of the coir hawsers from 'Calcutta, and they should arrive in the City of Lahore early this month. Tenders for stores, coal, and iron work for the ensuing year will be called for this month. The specification for coal will provide for the supply of both Newcastle and Native coal, and in the case of the tenders for iron work, it is proposed to separate the ordinary forge work from casting and boiler work. It will be necessary to send our tug to Wel<

lington to be slipped before the end of this month, and I will ask the Board’s authority to do so. As four or five ships from London and foreign ports are now over due, I would propose not to send her away till after their arrival. The Lyttelton regatta committee have asked for the use of the tug Lyttelton as a committee ship on the day of their regatta. As it is probable she may not be available for the purpose, I would suggest that the Board offer one of the steam barges, one of them having been found suitable on a previous occasion. The engineer reported as follows : The Chairman, Lyttelton Harbor Board, Sir, —1. Directed by you, I submit a plan of an embankment proposed to be constructed by the prisoners in Lyttelton, which will enclose a large space for future reclamation between Officers and Sticking Points. Soundings and borings having been taken, drawings of details can be got out if required. i 2. I submit, also, plans and estimate for 120 ft of timber breastwork to be erected from j Peacock’s wharf towards the dock. The plans are also prepared for the breastwork I

1 and reclamation between the tunnel andFea cock’s wharves. 3. The contractors for the timber breastworl between the Gladstone wharf and screw pile jett; have not made much progress this month, a: they await the arrival of piles from Australia. 4. If the Board intend to shift the position o the sheds to be built on this breastwork, so as t( place two lines of rail in front of them insteac of one, as originally proposed, alterations shonlc be made at once in the plans of the timber wort of the structure to carry the front wall of the sheds. 5. The work of the dock is being carried on vigorously, nearly 200/t of the concrete and 120 ft of stone in the floor is laid; the timber portion of the cofferdam is nearly finished. I submit a letter from the contractors asking for the loan of the schooner, Minna Bell, to dredge clay out of the harbor, for the purpose of puddling the cofferdam. They also ask the Board to give instructions to keep all vessels at a safe distance from the cofferdam, as any collision with it would be attended with great risk of its destruction. 6. As there will probably not be room to deposit all the excavation from the Naval Point hill within the reclaimed land, I would request instruction as to filling up all or part of the space left for depositing ballast near Peacock’s Wharf, also whether any surplus may be deposited under the cliffs at the B.W. corner of the dock. 7. I submit a letter from Messrs Bell and Miller on the subject of the caisson, sluices, engine house, &o. The contractors for the dock were allowed the use of the Minna Bell, at the rate of £3 per week. The following report was read from the finance committee— Your committee beg to submit a report furnished by .Mr John Ollivier, the Provincial district auditor, upon the transaction between the National Bank of New Zealand, Limited, and Messrs J. and A. Sorimgeonr, in the matter of an advance made by the former to enable the latter firm to take up the balance of the Lyttelton Harbor Board debentures in August, 1879. As the auditor’s opinion is entirely in accord with the position taken up by the Lyttelton Harbor Board throughout this irregular transaction, your committee suggest that the course recommended be adopted, and action upon it taken forthwith. Edwaed Bichaedson, chairman.

outurmau. Provincial Auditor’s Office, _ Christchurch, November 29th, 1880. The Chairman of the Lyttelton Harbor Board. Sir,—l have examined the account forwarded to you by the National Bank, and which purports to be the final one, showing their transactions with Messrs Scrimgeour, and in which a balance is shewn upon the interest account against the Lyttelton Harbor Board amounting to .£409 13s Id. This amount has been brought to charge in-the account current between the Bank and the Board. Befetring to my last report upon the accounts of your Board, you will perceive that I refused to accept this item on the ground thit the Bank as your agents could not hypothecate any portion of your estate, except in such a manner as you were permitted to do by Act of the Legislature, and for this reason I again reject this account. As the Bank has apparently determined to adhere to its unauthorised engagement with Messrs Scrimgeour, it only remains for me to suggest that, as public trustees, you should draw upon the Bank at sight for the amount thus wrongfully brought to charge, and failing acceptance of your draft that you instruct your solicitor immediately to proceed against the Bank for the recovery of the amount. There are surrounding circumstances in connection with this transaction which 1 desire to bring prominently before yon. In July, 1879, the Bank advised the sale of the entire parcel of debentures at an average of .£lO2 7s lOd, and, in order to complete the account, they show a final sale of debentures to the value of £ 133,400, at the minimum of .£lO2, the whole realising the sum brought to your credit of £2O-1,785 3s 6d. In the account rendered to the end of July, 1879, the Bank charges broker’s commission upon the sale of .£171,000, leaving a balance at that time unsold of £29,000. In order to sell the debentures without delay they took upon themselves to increase the brokerage from i to j per cent. In December, 1879, the Bank advises that, in order to effect a sale of the whole amount of the debentures, they had entered into an arrangement with Messrs Scrimgeour to take the balance, which they represented at £50,000, on certain terms, as set forth in the account now under consideration, and which account was to be kept open until August, 18S0. This transaction does not, however, commence with £50,000, but at £47,530, and it is first opened in August, 1879. In the interest account the charge of 1 per cent, and 2 per cent, is adhered to up to the end of October, and it is made to appear that the sales of stock by the instrumentality of Messrs Sorimgeour at this period had reduced the capital sum te £31,500. Eeferring back for a moment to the Bank account you will observe that the first charge on account of brokerage was upon £169,000, leaving £31,000, and on the 24th July, a further charge was made upon the sale of another parcel of 2000. Assuming this to be correct, Messrs Scrimgeonr’s account could only have commenced with the balance unsold ; therefore their charge for interest pro and con upon all sums between £29,000 and £47,530 could not be allowed; but it is remarkable that from the time they bring forward the account at the reduced figures of £31,000, their charge for interest on their own side is raised step by step to 21, 3, 3£, 4, and 41 per cent., while the credit given to the Board per contra never exceeds 2 per cent. The account with Messrs Scrimgeour finally closes at the end of Jnly, 1880, and then it appears they had stock on hand to the extent of £21.185. with which they or the Bank charge

A4L,100, WiLXJ. WiiIUUL l/uey Ui lUO jjciuji. umuyo themselves at the average rate—viz., .£1.02 7s ioa. See the effect of this : In October, 1879, the Bank reported that the debentures were quoted at 1 per cent, advance upon the price they had credited the Board with. In August, 1880, the official quotations of the closing price of Lyttelton Harbor Board debentures was 107 to 109. A considerable loss has been sustained by the Board in this unauthorised traffic with its debentures, and taking the mildest view of the transaction, the Board is bound to repudiate the contract with Messrs Scrimgeour and the consequent charge made in this cross account for interest. I have, &c., J. Olliviek, Provincial District Auditor. The Chairman said they had taken counsel’s opinion, and were of opinion that the action taken in London was ultra vires. Mr Sawtell moved —“ That the report be adopted, and the chairman instructed to take the action recommended by the auditor’s report.” Mr Allan seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The report of the harbor improvement committee was read as follows : 1. In reference to the Hon. Mr Eolleston’s telegrams of the 26th and 27th October, 1880, in which he asks whether the Board are prepared to make arrangements for the employment on reasonable terms for a long period of a large gang of prisoners on some continuous work, and which would be one of public importance in the future and not such as would interfere with the current demand for labor, your committee have given the subject their most earnest consideration, with every endeavor to meet the wishes of the Government, and regret they do not see their way to recommend the Harbor Board to pledge their present funds for such a purpose. After visiting Lyttelton, your committee came to the conclusion that the only suitable work within their jurisdiction of a permanent nature and of future value upon which prison labor could be employed with advantage, was the formation of an embankment from a point near the outer end of No. 1 shed, on Officers’ Point breakwater, in a direct line to Sticking Point, being some 2000 ft. in length with a top width of 15ft. and a height of 6ft. above high water spring tide. Although doubtless this would be a work of prospective value, it forms no portion of general plan of harbor improvements which the Board are now carrying out, and towards which their fnnds.havo already been allocated, and which cannot now be fairly diverted, and for this reason they do not at the present time feel justified in recommending the Board to incur such a liability, more especially as the harbor accommodation now being provided will, when completed, meet all the requirements of the port for some years to come. A , plan has been prepared showing the proposed embankment referred to, and careful borings and soundings have been taken over the portion ' of the harbor it would occupy. Your committee therefore recommend the Board, in the event of the Government seeing its way to undertake this ■ work, to agree not to offer any impediment to ' its being carried oat, provided the Government

will agree to procure during the next session of the Parliament the necessary power to vest such portion of the land proposed to be reclaimed, as it is now outside the limits of the Harbor Board’s property, in the Board ; and so soon as the expansion of the trade of the port requires the extended accommodation which the proposed reclamation would give, the Board will agree to pay for work done by prison labor such price as may be at the time agreed upon as fair and reasonable. _2. Tour committee, after giving full consideration to the question of utilising Harbor Board’s reclamation and breastwork between the Screw Pile Jetty and the Gladstone Pier, have adopted a plan .providing (for three shed sites, with two lines of rails, upon the wharf in front of them. With regard to the leasing sites, as your committee are not agreed upon the question, they submit the following alternatives which have suggested themselves to them, (a) That three two-floored sheds are required, and should be built by the Board, and be simply used as transit sheds for receiving goods ordered for shipment by specially named ships only, (b) That the sites be leased on short leases by public tender, with a condition giving the Board the

right to resume possession upon pajing the actual value ot the buildings. The conditions of lease to provide for the using of the sheds, subject to railway and wharf regulations from time to time in force, and the occupation of the shed site not to give the tenant any right whatever over the wharf frontage, (c) That the Board should build the sheds themselves, and lease them by public tender for short terms not exceeding three years. The sheds to be used as export sheds only. The lease of the sheds not to give any right over the wharf space in front of them, and the working of the sheds to be subject to the railway and wharf regulations for the time being in force. 3. Your committee recommend that the dock contractors be allowed to fill in the greater portion of this ground, but that a small portion be left for depositing ships’ rubbish, ballast, &0., where necessary during the ensuing season. 4. Tour committee recommend the Board to call for tenders for the supply of six tip waggons, to be used for discharging ships’ ballast and ships’ rubbish. 6. The harbor master having reported that the screw mooring is in the way in bringing steamers into the screw pile jetty, you* committee recommend its early removal, and that the chairman be authorised to have it removed. After some discussion, Mr Craig moved the adoption of the first part of the harbor improvement committee’s report, regarding employment of prison labor, and that the chairman be instructed to carry out the recommendations, Mr Harman seconded the motion, which

was agreed to. The Board then proceeded to discuss the question o£ three shed sites referred to by the committee. Mr Turner moved—“ That the Board accept and approve of the recommendation of the committee for leasing of sites contained in sub-section 6 of the harbor improvement committee’s report,” and urged that unless this were done the Board would be handing over the export trade to some two or three exporting firms. The Mayor of Lyttelton seconded the motion. Mr Cunningham thought the land was of far too great value to pass into the hands of private speculators. He understood that the three sheds on Gladstone Wharf were reserved for the English trade, and those on the breastwork for the export trade. He thought it would be a great convenience to the farmers to be enabled to have a shed where their produce could be placed intended to go by any ship whose date of sailing had been fixed. This would be far better than having the grain lying at the farms or at the railway station. He thought that the proper way would be to allow the Shipping Company, Shaw, Savill and Co., or any other company, to use these sheds as export sheds for collecting the cargoes for their ships whenever they were arranged to sail. By this being done, and ships being able to load quicker, freights would probably be reduced, say. Is or Is 6i per ton, and the Board should also have - right to charge a small sum for 1 collecting the grain, &0., at these sheds. He would suggest that a plan of the whole ' improvement of the harbor, as proposed by \ the present Board, should be prepared, so as to let any Board which might follow them 1 know what the Board intended. He should also like to see screw moorings put down in ; the harbor. : Mr Aynsley would like to see Mr Turner’s resolution carried out, provided the sites of ' the sheds were made smaller. 1 Mr Allan would also support Mr Turner’s 1 resolution. Mr Cunningham had no objection to pri- ■ vate persons having sites to the westward of j Peacock’s wharf. Mr Harman thought that if it was merely ' the principle of leasing that Mr Turner wanted recognised the resolution should say 1 80. 1 Mr Aynsley agreed with Mr Harman, and * suggested that Mr Turner should amend his : resolution to the effect mentioned by that 1 gentleman. Mr Sawtell pointed.’out that if they required > it, the companies spoken of by Mr Cunning- 1 ham could block out the small farmer. < Mr Cunningham said this could not be done, as the goods must be sent forward for a i ship loading for dispatch at a certain date. After some further discussion, < Mr Turner withdrew his resolution, and moved instead—“ That the Board approve of the principle of leasing sites for sheds, and re- 1 quests the committee to prepare suggestions 1 tor the guidance of the Board at a future ' meeting.” Mr Turner, in reply, said that the English ships ought to discharge far quicker at the - Gladstone Pier than they did. Ho should 1 take steps at no distant date to move a resolution in conformity with his opinion. ’ The Chairman said a regulation had been drafted, making it imperative on a 1000-ton < ship to discharge in ten days, instead of 1 twenty-one as now. < The motion was then put and carried. Ayes Monora AvrseloTf SawfAll A linn firmer ]

—Messrs Aynsley, Sawteli, Allan, Craig, Turner, and the Mayor of Lyttelton. Noes— Messrs Harman and Cunningham. The remainder of the report was approved by the Board, and the chairman instructed to take action thereon. The following return, supplied by the Harbor-master, was laid on the table: — List of Vessels that entered the Port of Lyttelton during the months October and November : October. Tons. 36 steamers 14,639 7 sailing vessels, from foreign ports 4,453 7 sailing vessels, from intercolonial ports ... 2,239 65 sailing vessels, coastwise ... 3,889 25,225 November. Tons. 35 steamers 12,260 1 steamer, from foreign ports 1,637 1 sailing vessel, from foreign ports ... ... ... 330 7 sailing vessels, from intercolonial ports 1,90-1 74 sailing vessels, coastwise ... 5,101 21,282 A letter was read from Messrs Bell and Miller, respecting the dock machinery, and forwarding the details of the tenders for caissons and the name of the successful tenderer. On the motion of Mr Harman, it was resolved that the Board endorse the action of Messrs Bell and Miller in having accepted the tender for caissons. Mr Sawteli seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Accounts to the amount of £7381 16s 3d were passed for payment. The Board decided to grant the use of the steam-tug Lyttelton to the Lyttelton regatta committee if available, or, if she was not in port, one of the barges. A letter was read from Messrs Pavitt, asking that a deputation from the coal and timber merchants, with respect to wharfage charges on coal and timber, should be received. * It was resolved that the deputation should be received at the next meeting of the Board. A letter was read from Mr Holmes, stating that he had found a seam of coal in Dampier’s Bay, near the old bathing shed, and asking permission to test the seam on the land of the Board. The Chairman said that he supposed the seam of coal was obsidian. It was resolved to give the required permission. Mr Allan brought under the notice of the Board the delay which had occurred in the discharge of the s.s. Durham, The Chairman said it arose from a dispute between the Bailway and the Customs, the former insisting that the cargo should be sorted on the vessel instead of at the sheds. He thought it would be as well to have these large steamers berthed in future at the i Gladstone Wharf, opposite the sheds of the Board. Ho would have the necessary dredgi ing done before the next steamer came out. , The Board then adjourned, to meet again i on December 30th at Christchurch.