HARBOR BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2392, 2 December 1881, Page 4

HARBOR BOARD.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon, at two o’clock, at the office of tho Board, Hereford street. Present—Mr E. Richardson (chairman), Mosero R. J. S. Harmon, P. Cunningham, 0. W. Turner, H. P. MurrayAyneloy, H. All wright, R. Allen, K. Q. Wright, H. Bawtell, and Hon. J. T. Peacock. The Chairman, in making his usual fortnightly statement, said—The following sums have been paid in to our credit since our last meeting : Wharfage, £1462131 3d ; pilotage and port charges for November, 1881, £421 6s 93 ; towage, &3., £133 Is 83 ; total, £2016 Is 83. Tho engineer’s monthly report on the progress made on the various new works in hand will be read. Tho dredging returns and towage returns for November are on tho labia. Tho dredging work dona is extraordinarily largo, being 167 bargo loads, amounting to 30,060 cubic yards, or 41,750 tons. Tho Minna 801 l scoop dredge has removed 2480 tons during the same month. The shipping return for tho past month (November) shows the following result: —3l steamers, 11,178 tons ; 11 sailing vessels from foreign ports, 5765 tons ; 4 sailing vessels from intercolonial ports, 2089 tons ; 79 sailing vessels coastwise, 3954 tons ; total, 22,986 tons. Tho Board will have learned with extreme regret that the barque Pampero, in which Messrs Bell and Miller shipped orr caisson for tho graving dock, has been disabled and put back to Penzance. No cablegram having reached ua on tho subject from Messrs Bull and Miller, I, after consulting several members of tho Board, sent a cablegram requesting information, and whether the caisson was injured. Their reply should reach us to-morrow, and I shall ask tho Board to authorise a committee to deal with the matter immediately on tho-receipt of their reply, as it may possibly be necessary to reship it in another vessel, in order to save further delay. I may mention that Messrs Bell and Miller were specially requested when they were appointed consulting engineers, subsequently to confer with the Board’s bankers in London in regard to the shipment of machinery for the dock. Two reports from Mr Turpin, our dredging superintendent, are on tho table. The one in reference to tho cooling system on our vessels, the other in reference to the trial of some antifriction grease made by Mr Mullins of Lyttelton. Mr Turpin reports that it is tho best lubricating grease ha has ever used for cur dredging plant. Reports will be brought up to day by the finance committee and the harbor improvement committee respectively. Duo consideration was given by the latter committee to Mr Turpin’s report in calling for fresh tenders for coal, storss, & 3 . In regard to tho pilot boat built by Mr Shoror, I requested Mr Wm. Watson, an expert, to examine and report on the boat, and tho result has been that he reported that the boat was not built in accordance with the contract. The boat has, therefore, been rejected, as being unsuitable for the pilot service, and fresh tenders advertised for. Mr Sheror asks to be allowed to let the boat remain in our shed, of course at his risk, until tho end of the month. I have received a reply from the Hon. Colonial Secretary acknowledging receipt of the Board's resolution relative to the representation of the counties of Ashley and Ashburton and the borough of Sydenham, and that it has been referred to the Marino Department. I have received an application from the Lyttelton Regatta committee, asking for the use of the tug Lyttelton as a committee ship on the day of the regatta, and also for permission to use the extreme end of the Officer’s Point breakwater as a reserve for subscribers to the regatta fund. I see no objection to tho application being granted—of course, with the understanding that if the tug is required for towing work on that day one of tho steam hopper barges is to be substituted for her. I hove received a letter through the Government from the Board of 'Trade, asking information in reopeet to saving life in cases of shipwreck on onr coast. I propose to furnish this information. The Board ere, of course, awaro wo have one of the finest lifeboats (built by White, of Cowes) in the colony stationed at the Hoads.

Tho engineer’s report on tho progress o: works was read and adopted.

The chairman brought up the following report Jcrom tho harbor improvement committee :

1. Your committee recommend that tenders bo advertised for as heretofore, for the supply of coal, stores, and ironwork for the year 1882. 2. Your committee recommend th-t detail plans be prepared for 120 feet of low level timber breastwork for small vessels, to the westward of Peacock’s wharf ; and also plans for tho pieco of limber breastwork close to tho dock, for vessels using the dork : and that tenders for the same bo advertised for as soon as possible. 3. The committee think it desirable to postpone the construction of the slip until the graving dock is farther advanced towards completion. The engineer in tho meantime will complete the plana. The report was adopted. The finance committee submitted tho following report on the question of reducing tho harbor charges : Your committee, having had the question of reducing harbor charges under their tion, beg leave to report as follows The Board are aware that the sum of £7OOO a year of the ordinary current revenue will be released by their recent decision to charge the dredging against ioau, and, therefore, yonr committee have taken this in their consideration in proposing redactions to the Board. Your committee submit the following recommendations for the Board’s approval:—(l). Wharfage— That the wharfage rates on general merchandise remain as at present, namely, 2s per ton. (2). That the wharfage on agricultural and other produce, ns enumerated in our by-law of Ist April, 1881, be reduced from Is fid to Is per ton. (3). Wharfage on sawn timber, squared logs, &c., piles of heavy timber, to bo reduced 3d to 2d per 100 ft superficial; wharfage on firewood to be reduced from Is fid ta la per cord; wharfage on posts and rails to bo reduced from Is fid to Is per 100; wharfage on roofing shingles to ha reduced from 3d to 2d per 1000; wharfage on palings to be reduced from 3d to 2d per 100; wharfage on timber, except as specified, 3d to 2d per 100 superficial feet; wharfage on carts and drays, 2i fid each; wharfage on carriages, two-wheeled, 2a fid each, four-wheeled, 5s each; wharfage on ship’s ballast, from vessels into trucks, or from tracks into vessels, to be reduced from fid to 3d per ton; wharfage on ship’s ballast into lighters free ; transhipments half rates. In regard to transhipments, your committee do not see their way to recommend any reduction beyond half rates so far as wharfage is concerned, but they think the railway charges on transhipments might be very considerably modified. (4). Pilotage Charges—With reference to pilotage your committee recommend a uniform charge of 4d per ton be made on the registered tonnage of all vessels, instead of fid and 4d per ton as heretofore. It is estimated that this will represent a redaction of at least .£IOOO a year. The towage arrangement to remain as at present. Tho other alternative which presented itself to the committee was to reduce the pilotage to 3d per ton register on all vessels, and that the towage rate should apply in full without the present rebate of 2d per ton on pilotage when the Harbor Board tug is used. (5.) Your committee _ further suggest lor the Board’s consideration, whether it would bo prudent to remove the compulsory pilotage on outward vessels.

Mr Turner moved the adoption of clauses 1, 2 and 3. When carried out they would effect a total reduction in tho wharfage charges of £SOOO. Mr Harman seconded tho motion. On the motion of Mr Murray-Aynsley, the last paragraph of clause 3 was altered as follows : whether into vessels or from one wharf to another.” Mr Peacock asked what was the object of making all these reductions ? Mr Turner said it was done to relieve the Lyttelton shipping trade, which at present was very much handicapped by charges far in excess of those which obtained at Port Chalmors and other ports of the colony. Clauses 1,2 and 3 were then adopted. With regard to clause 4, the chairman stated, in answer to Mr Cunningham, that the loss which would result from a reduction of the pilotage to 3d would be £IBOO, and tho profit that would be made by allowing no rebate for towage when the Harbor Board tug was used would be £7OO. Mr Cunningham therefore moved, and Mr Harman seconded—“ That the reduction in the pilotage proposed in the third paragraph of clause 4 be adopted, and that the other part of clause 4, together with clause 5, be struck out.” Mr Turner would prefer adopting the alternative mentioned in the first part of clause 4. It would bo better to impose a uniform charge of 4d, and not make it compulsory on ships to take a pilot outwards. In Auckland, and he believed in Wellington also, it was at tha captain's option to take a pilot or not when going out of port. With regard to towage, at present there was not much inducement for English ships to use a tug, as when they did come alongside the wharf they were not allowed to remove the hatches until entries had been passed and tho Customs officers had ticked everything off with red ink —a t rooeacing which occupied about, four or five days. After some discussion Mr Oun-

Bingham's motion was agreed to, and on the motion of Mr Turner the report as amended was adopted, the alterations therein recommended to come into force on the 2ad of January. The finance committee was instructed to reconsider the towage rates. Accounts were passed to the amount of £5084 17s Id.—On the motion of Mr Peacock, seconded by Mr Allen, it was resolved —“ That the Government bo informed of the action of the Board in reducing tho rates of wharfage and transhipments, and recommended to reduce its charges also, as in the opinion of tho Board they are excessive, and materially interfered with the shipping trade of the port."—Tenders wore opened for the construction of a now pilot boat. Mr Shaw's tender of £59 was accepted, it being the lowest. It was agreed that should it be found necessary tho chairman should call a special meeting to take steps in tho matter of the caisson referred to in tho chairman's statement. This was all the business, and tho Board adjourned.