LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2261, 1 July 1881, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

A meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board was held at 2 p.m. yesterday. Present— Messrs R. J. 8. Harman (acting chairman), O. W. Turner, R. Allan, and P. Ganningham. The acting chairman said—l have received a telegram to-day from Wellington stating that Messrs B. Richardson and P. Cunningham have been re-nominated as members of the Board. Mr Aynsley asks for leave of absence for to-day's meeting. Since our last meeting the following sums have been paid to our credit:—Wharfages, £2050 4s 6d ; towage and warps, &s , £255 7s 6d ; total, £2305 12s. £85,000 of our fixed deposits mature on the 2nd July, and the flnanoe committee propose to deal with it in the following manner —£60,000 to be placed fixed deposit for six months, £15,000 to be plaoed fixed deposit for three months, in sums from £3OOO to £30,000; and £IO,OOO to be carried to credit of our currant account. Our engineer's monthly report (June) will be read. I may state, in reference to the portion relating to the plan of the proposed shed and rail arrangements on the new breastwork, that Mr Richardson has seen the General Manager of Railwayb in Wellington on the subject, and we may expect shortly to hear from him. A number of accounts for payment will come before ysu today; none of them call for special remark. They have been carefully gone through by Mr Turner, member of the finance committee. A copy of the Harbours Aot Amendment Bill hao been received from our chairman at Wellington ; also a notioe of motion by Mr Allwright, proposing to rate the offices ooonpied by the Board. This resolution was adopted by the House in Committee last night. It rests with the Board to say whether they Aeeir e to express any opinion on this matter. Mr E. G. Wright has also brought forward a motion in the House last night for tho re-constitution of the Lyttelton Harbour Board upon the following basis, viz. : Giving two members to the county of Ashburton, two to the Belwyn oounty, two to the Ashley oounty, two to tho city of of Christchurch, one to Sydenham borough, add one to the borough of Lyttelton, all to be elected by the ratepayers; also one member to be eleoted by the Chamber of Commerce, also the Mayor of Lyttelton to be a member ex officio. The present constitution of the Board is—Two members returned by ratepayers oity of Ohristohurch; two members returned by Seltryn County Council; two members returned by Canterbury Chamber of Commerce; one member returned by ratepayers of borough of Lyitelton j two members nominated by Government; one Mayor of Lyttelton, etc officio. A letter will be read from the Marine Department, asking the Board to consent to the Government appointing Captain McLellan, our harbor master, a surveyor under the Shipping and Steamers Act, more particularly to control the deck-loading of vessels in Lyttelton. I think it is desirable he should be so appointed. Dr. Haasfc has written, asking the Board to present their two models, one of the harbor works, and the other of the graving dock, to the Museum, to be placed in the new room shortly to be opened as a Technological Museum. The dock model in any case cannot be spared until after the dock is completed. Mr Turpin reports on the state of our tug's bottom and boilers, and he recommends she should be sent up to be slipped at Wellington at an early date. It is now more than six months since she was on the slip. The decking of the wharves requires to be cleared of tho growth of vegetation upon them, and the harbor-master suggests the employment of day labor for the work, I recommend the Board to authorise this expenditure, the same course having been pursued this time last year. I desire to call the Board's attention to the state of the boilers of both the dredge and the barges, and to remind the Board of the ohairman's recommendation upon the subject at their last meeting. If the boiler of either of the barges should give out a very heavy loss in the average amount of work performed would result ; while if the dredge's boiler should give out the whole dredging staff and plant would at once be at a standstill. This is hardly a satisfactory condition in whioh to leave so valuable a portion of our staff and machinery. In the matter of Weloh, deck hand on board the Hoathcote, who was suspended for insubordination, the chairman and a member of the harbor improvement committoe held an enquiry in Lyttelton on the matter, and decided that his services should be dispensed with. The report of the engineer was read. Several accounts were passed for payment, amounting to £6134 8s 6d. Tenders were opened for the building of a pilot boat, and that of F. G. Shearer, for £47 12s, was accepted. Mr Cunningham spoke on the amendment of Mr Allwright as to rating the property of the Harbor Board, and said that he thought that, as the buildings of the Board were for public purposes, they ehould not be rated. Tho Melbourne Harbor Trust property was separated from the rating powers under the 56Dh clause of the Melbourne Harbor Trust, but the tenements of the Board ereoted upon lands owned by them, and from which they received rent, were liable to be rated, which he thought was a fair thing. Ho thought that the Borough of Lyttelton should only rate thorn as the Melbourne Corporation rated the Melbourne Harbor Board. It was resolved that tho Board forward a communication to the chairman of the Board with reference to the amendment of Mr Allwright ae to rating the property of the Board. A letter was read from the marine department as to the appointment of the Harbormaster at Lyttelton as a surveyor under the 35th clause of the Shipping Act. After some disoußsion, Mr Turner moved — "That the clearing officer was tho most proper person to see into this matter, and that the Government be requested to see that this is attended to in future." The resolution, not being seconded, fell through. It was resolved that Captain McLellan be asked whether he could discharge his duties as Harbormaster in addition to those now asked to be undertaken by the Government, and that if he could do so without interference with his duties as Harbormaster the Board would see no objection to his discharging them. A letter was read from the direotor of the Museum, asking that tho models of the Lyttelton Graving Dock, &c, be presented to the Museum. Mr Allan moved—" That the request be granted as soon ae the models can be spared." Mr Cunningham said that the harbor model could be given at once. It was resolved—" That the harbor model be handed over at once ko the Technological

I Museum, and the dock model m soon as the works are completed." Mr Turpin reported that the tug Lyttelton had been beached on June ISth. He recom- ' mended that the tug should be put on the B> >/o as soon as possible. was resolved that the consideration of i the *. , P orfc » M regarded the tug, be deferred till nex:' meeting. Some o..'«cussion ensued on the report of Mr Turpir... Bif to the condition of the boilers of the bargos an.d dredges, and ultimately it was resolved that specifications be prepared for spare boilers for the dredges and barges, and that tenders be ,«enfc in before next meeting. It was resolved that the notice for boilers be advertised in the Otago Auokland papers. The Board then adjourned untu' August 4th, at Chrietohuroh. j