WAIMAKARIRI HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2184, 24 February 1881, Page 3

WAIMAKARIRI HARBOR BOARD.

The adjourned annual meeting of this Board was held in the Eaispoi Borough Council Chambers on Tuesday evening. Present—Messrs. Blackwell (chairman), Wearing, Moore, and Mathews. Letters were read from the Secretaries of the Lyttelton and Tim am Harbor Boards, forwarding copies of balance-sheets, and one or two other circular letters. Prom South Waimakariri Board of Conservators in reference to a groyne opposite Stewart’s Gully, to which a reply had been sent stating that it was out of this Board’s jurisdiction, and was believed to be erected on private land. The Chairman stated that the business, after passing the accounts, which had at length been audited, was mainly for the election of a chairman. In reference to the delay in the audit, it appeared that Mr. Ollivier had been exceedingly busy, and could not audit them in time for the meeting first called. With reference to position of the members of the Board be regretted that through an oversight on the part of the clerk to the Board, who had been misled by reading a wrong clause of the Act, the election far members which ought to have taken place had not been held. The members who ought to have retired were, for the town of Eaiapoi, Messrs. Meore and Mathews ; for the Mandeville district, Messrs. Bckersley and Parnham ; and for the Eyreton district. Messrs. Tbrelkeld and Denton. As it was provided in the Act that the Governor might nominate members to fill the vacancies, he had submitted the names of the members in question, and hoped that in due course they would be gazetted. It was provided in the Act that the present members ceased to hold office when their successors were elected. The clerk read the annual statement of accounts, showing the receipts for the year to have been from—Bents, £lO4 8s j wharfage dues, £5 2b 6d ; transfer of agreement, £1 Is. Total, £llO Is fid. The expenditure had been —Debit balance last year, £2O 6s Id ; secretary’s salary, £l2; office expenses, £4 6s 4d ; printing and advertising, £7 19s 10d ; dredging, £29 2s 4d ; day labor, £9 9s ; and interest on overdraft to Bank of New Zealand, 14s 2d, The balance on hand was £26 13s 9d. The assets were—Dredge and plant, £6ll 14s 7d ; liabilities, £4 7s 3d. Mr Moore pointed out in an ironical way that the Board had actually done £4O worth of real work during the year, and the sum of about 15s per week had been expended in the improvement of the navigation of the river. [Laughter,] Mr Mathews moved, Mr Wearing seconded —“ That the accounts, as read, be adopted and signed by the chairman.” Carried. The Chairman pointed out that in compliance with the Harbors Act the accounts must be published. An opinion was read from Garrick and Oowlishaw, stating the Board could not enforce payment of increased rent against Mr A. Thompson for one of the river reserve sections, but could give him, as a yearly tenant, six months’ notice to determine the tenancy, to take effect at the end of a yearly period of the tenancy. Accounts—Garrick and Oowlishaw, 10s 6d; G. Atbley, six months’ attendance on dredge, £1 ss; Borough Council, fifteen months’ rent of Chamber for meetings of Board, £7 ss—were passed for payment, one member remarking that the Council might remit a portion of the rent as the Board had not met since August last. Mr Wearing drew attention to a clerical error in an agreement between the Board and Messrs Oram and Hanson, referring to certain river reserve sections.

It was resolved “ That a new lease of same t>e executed by the chairman when the correction has been duly made.” : The Pkbs» was appointed the Board’s official paper. > The Chairman stated this being all the business, the Board would have to consider that of electing his successor. Mr Moore thought it would be advisable to defer this election till it was seen if the Governor made the nominations asked (or, or whether there was to be an election. In the latter case, after the wonderful balance sheet which had been presented, there might be persons who would he anxious to become members of the Board, with a view to doing something grand with the balance in band. [Laughter.] Mr Wearing, under the circumstances, would favor an adjournment till the full Board was able to meet. It was not fair that four oat of the nine members should proceed to the election of the chairman.

It was agreed to defer this election. Attention w» drawn to the necessity for dredging operations opposite Messrs Blackwell, Beans and Oo.’s wharf, and it was decided that steps be taken to facilitate the navigation of the river at that point. It was not considered advisable to extend the works to the next wharf up stream, as the wharf was not deemed safe for landing goods, and was practically useless. The Board then adjourned.