LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2687, 17 November 1882, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD

An adjourned meeting of the above Board was held this afternoon at half-past two o’clock, at the office of the Board, Hereford street. Present—Mr R. J. S. Harman (chairman), Messrs E. G. Wright, M.H.R., K. Allen, H. Allwright, M.H E,, P. Cunningham, C. W. Turner, J. D. McPherson, Hon. E. Richardson, Hon. J. T. Peacock. The Chairman submitted his usual report, as follows: — 1. The Board have met to-day, according to adjournment, chiefly for the purpose of determining what arrangements shall be made for working the Graving Dock, and a report from the Harbor Improvement committee on the subject will be brought up presently. 2. As it is my intention to resign the office of chairman, as I shall shortly be leaving for England, it will be desirable that my successor should be elected at to-day’s meeting. 3. The question as to what shall be done in regard to opening the* dock is one which I will ask you to consider to-day. The caisson will be floated and tried to-morrow morning. 4. Our engineer recommends the employment of the Derwent to assist in drawing the coffer dam piles, the price asked for the use of her is £2O. I recommend the Board to accept this offer on condition that it covers all risk of damage to the vessel. 5. The harbor master, having recommended the removal of the screw mooring ahead of the screw pile jetty, I authorised it to be done, especially as he reported it was very much in the way of steamers swinging at the jetty. 6. A report of the harbor master on the luminous paint used on the transport buoy is on the table. 6a. As the sum of £3OOO has been set apart by the Board for the purpose of electric lighting, I will submit a resolution authorising the ordering from Messrs Siemens Bros., of London, under the advice of Mr Meddings, of the requisite plant, including the gas engines. 7. Telegrams in reference to the payment of the Sorrento’s dues, between the Board and the Government, are on the table. I directed their publication in the newspapers, as there appeared to have been some misapprehension on the subject. 8. The pilot at the heads has asked to have a detached schoolroom erected for the use of the children resident there, and I would recommend the Board to authorise its erection if it is found that the Board of Education cannot do so. 9. The committee appointed by the Board to select a cadet for the Christchurch office, after seeing several of the candidates, appointed Mr S. Muter to the post on probation. 10. A telegram from the Government in reference to the grant for the Sailors’ Home will be read._ The deed of conveyance in trust of the site has just been received from the Government. A letter will also be read from the New Zealand Shipping Company in reference to the use of their wall as a party wall. 11. Mr Ware and Mr Bell, our engineer, proceeded to Wellington last week and laid the case for arbitration before -the marine engineer, and doubtless his decision upon it will shortly be given. The Chairman brought up the report of the harbor improvement committee. It set forth the committee’s opinion of the dockmaster’s duty, recommended the appointment of a practical shipwright as dockmaster at a salary of £2OO a year, and estimated the working expenses of the dock for the first year at £750. The Board considered the report in committee. It was reported with amendments and agreed to. The Board then held a special meeting to consider the dock by-laws, and went into committee for the purpose. The by-laws having been discussed seriatim, were reported with several amendments, and the report agreed to. The ordinary meeting of the Board was then resumed.

The Chairman handed in his resignation, and regretted that circumstances necessitated his taking this step.

Mr Wright said it was with much regrethat he heard of Mr Harman’s intention to resign, owing to private affairs. The Board recognised that he had discharged the duties of his office in a most able and impartial manner, and would have been glad to see him preside at the ceremony of opening the dock. He thought the gentleman whose claim stood next in the matter of the chairmanship was Mr Peter Cunningham, who had been most constant in his at the meetings of the Board and of committees, and had brought a large amount of knowledge to the assistance of the Board in matters connected with commerce and shipping. Therefore he had great pleasure in proposing Mr Cunningham as chairman for the remainder of the current year. In three months’ time the newly constituted Board would be elected under the Act of last session.

Mr Turner had much pleasure in seconding the nomination of Mr Cunningham who, he hoped, would not only take the chair for the balance of the present year, but see his way to allow himself to be proposed as a member of the new Board, a'nd take the position of chairman for the next year. There being no other nomination, Mr Cunningham was declared elected. Mr Cunningham, in returning thanks, pledged himself to perform the duties of the office to the best of his ability for the next three or four months. He would not, however, promise to be a member of the next Board. If he was in the country he would probably have the same ambition that had actuated him during the last five or six years, namely, to obtain a seat on the Board. The Chairman suggested that the Board should come to some decision about the opening of the dock. Mr Turner thought ,a committee should be appointed to carry out the arrangements, and that they should be empowered to use the harbor funds as the cost might fairly bo charged as part of the dock expenditure. Mr Wright agreed with that proposal, and suggested that the Board should invito the public to a luncheon on the occasion. Mr Richardson would first like to be sure that the Board could legally expend money on such a purpose. Mr Turner was prepared to move a resolution and stand by the result. If the auditor declined to pass the vouchers, they would pay them themselves. The expend!ture would, be on behalf of tho public, and it was not right to ask the member* of tho Board to defray it. Mr Cunningham said his first duty as chairman would be to ascertain whether or not tho expenditure would be legal. If it was then it would be only fair and reasonable that it should come out of the harbor funds. Unless tho Board passed a resolution to the contrary he would have the dock opened in decent style. After some discussion it -was resolved on the motion of Mr Allen—" That the chairman and Messrs Richardson, Peacock, and Allwright be a committee to arrange for the formal opening of the dock.” The Chairman remarked that tho ceremony was expected to take place about the 14th December. The remaining business was postponed, and the Board adjourned until the 30th inst. at Christchurch.