LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2183, 23 February 1881, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

A special meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board was hold at noon yesterday at the Harbor Board office, Hereford street. Present —Hon. B. Richardson, Hon. J. T. Peacock, the Mayor of Lyttelton, Messrs Sawtell, Aynsley, Harman, B. G. Wright, Allan, Cunningham. The secretary presided. An apology was received from Mr O. W. Turner for non-altondanoe.

The Secretary explained the reason of the special meeting, viz., for the election of a chairman for the ensuing year, and also read the election returns from the various local bodies of the election of the members of the Board.

The Mayor of Lyttelton then rose and suggested that a change now and again in the occupant of the office of chairman would be advisable. He had no desire to reflect in the elightest degree on the manner in which the late chairman had discharged the duties of his office, but ho thought now blood would be found to bo of great advantage to the working of the Board. Ho was of opinion that each member in rotation should have an opportunity of occupying the chair. He therefore bogged to move —“That Mr Harman be elected as chairman of the Board for the year 1881.” Mr P. Cunningham seconded the resolution, stating that though ho had differed with the chairman on several occasions, he was quite willing to give him credit for having the interests of the Board at heart, and that whatever he did, whether ho (Mr Cunningham) agreed with it or not, he felt eure it was for the best.

Mr Harman said this proposition took him quite by surprise. Ho had not previously been consulted in any way ; indeed, ho had come to that meeting with the full intention of proposing their late chairman for re-elec-tion. He thought that it was highly desirable, in the interests of the Board and the public generally, to secure the benefit of the services of Mr Richardson while they were available, particularly as they had now very largo and important works in hand. Besides this, Mr Richardson being a member of the Parliament of the colony, and also havingbeen Minister of Public Works, his knowledge and services in that capacity could not but fail to be of the highest value to the Board and the publio generally. Under these circumstances he bogged leave to propose as an amendment—“ That the Hon. B. Richardson be elected chairman of the Lyttelton Harbor Board for the ensuing year.” Mr E. G. Wright seconded the amendment, and in doing so, said that while agreeing with the principle, as a general rule, of changing the chairman, he had much pleasure in seconding the amendment of Mr Harman.

The Secretary was proceeding to put the amendment, when Mr Cunningham rose to ask Mr Harman if he still persisted in his refusal to become a candidate for the office of chairman.

Mr Harman replied in the affirmative. Mr Cunningham then asked Mr Allwright if he would consent to withdraw his resolution.

The Secretary pointed out that this could not be done except by permission of the Board.

The Mayor of Lyttelton desired to point out that as to Mr Richardson’s services in Parliament in connection with the Board, which had been alluded to by Mr Harman, one member of Parliament was as good as another. He would however, if it was the desire of the Board, withdraw his resolution.

The resolution was then by leave of the Board withdrawn, and the amendment proposed by Mr Harman unanimously carried.

The Chairman said—This is not an ordinary meeting of the Board, but there are some subjects of importance requiring to be dealt with to-day, which I will now bring before you. 1 have received a communication through the Collector of Customs, coming from the Admiralty, asking for certain information as to the facilities obtainable at the Port of Lyttelton for the requirements of the vessels of the Royal Navy, and I have accordingly caused this information to be furnished. It will probably be in the recollection of the members of this Board that in June last, when in Wellington, I addressed letters to the Hon. Colonial Secretary and Minister of Marine, asking them to inform the Admiralty, and also the officers commanding her Majesty’s Navy on the Australasian station, of the facilities which could be afforded to their vessels in our graving dock when completed, and also the depth of water and security afforded for their vessels within the inner harbor. The Mimster for PublioWorks telegraphed to me from Dunedin, asking me to meet him here this morning in reference to the correspondence which has taken place between the Government and the Board on the subject of , the leasing shed sites on the breastwork. I accordingly met him, and he commenced by explaining that he regretted that Mr Maxwell had both misunderstood and misinterpreted the Acts of Parliament bearing on the question, and therefore based all hi# arguments on wrong data. He (Mr Oliver) regretted it the more as he had always considered, and still did, that this Board had carried out its duties in a highly satisfactory manner. He also stated that he still objects altogether to allow the store sites to go into private hands. The Government not at present being in a position to carry out tho provisions of clauses 143 and 144 of the Harbor Aot, 1878, and as they consider the working of the sheds in Lyttelton should be under one control, there remain only two alternatives, one being that the Board should build the sheds and retain the management of them; the other being for the Board to build the sheds and lease them to the Government at a rate to be agreed upon to cover outlay and depreciation. The subject of the tug’s insurance is the only other business to be considered to-day. Considerable discussion ensued on the subject of the insurance of the tug, and ultimately

Mr Wright moved—“ That the steam tug be re-insurod on the old basis, valuing the tug at £IO,OOO, and insuring her for that amount.” Accounts to the amount of £1241 Is 3d were passed for payment. The following notice of motion was then given by Mr Wright for next meeting—- “ That the,charge for wharfage on all grain shipped from Lyttelton be reduced from 2s to Is per ton.” Mr Aynsley called attention to the rock upon which the brig Clematis had been wrecked, off the Long Look Out, and suggested that the attention of the Government should be called to it, although it was outside the jurisdiction of the Board. The Board adjourned to Maroh 3rd at 2 p.m. in Lyttelton.