TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6509, 6 January 1882, Page 6

TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Timaru Harbour Board for the month was held to-day; present—Mr F. Archer (Chairman), Messrs Teschemaker, Barker, Postlethwaite, Mee, Moody, Evans, Turnbull and Butter. XHS lEOS CAISSON. Ihe letter from Messrs Jones and Peters, with reference to the withholding of a sum of £l6O from the amount of the last contract, giro rise to a rather warm discussion about the delay in providing the iron caisson stipulated for in the last contract. They wrote that they had lost no time in obtaining a tender for the caisson, and should not be held responsible for losses by delay. Captain Sutter spoke confidently that there had been unnecessary delay in obtaining the caisson. Ho believed that there would have been still further delay if he had not brought the matter up at the Board some months after the contract was let. He had often been down at the works and seen only three men at work when there ought to have been more. Tho £l6O was retained, not as a penaltf for exceeding the contract time—that would Lave been £4so—but for the salaries of tha Board's cfikera who were kept idle nine weeks, and for storage of cement meneys the Board were clearly out of pocket by the »low progress made. In reply to the Chairman, the Engineer stated that Messrs Jones and Peters called fcrten-iera for the caisson about a month after their tender for the Breakwater was accepted. There was some delay in giving them posseision of the ground on account of repairs goiug on. Captain butter was sure that a good deal of delay had taken place. There were three monoliths laid down with the-old wooden caissc-n in that contract. Ihe Engineer referred to his monthly report, dated March 2, showing that only one was laid down by his special permission, and that the work was then proceeded with by laying down blocks to the upper level, and no more monoliths were put down till the iron caision was supplied, and that caisson was destroyed when first used. Mr Teschemaker moted that the amount be paid, and Mr Turnbull supported the motion. Mr Po3tlefchwoite would not enforce a penalty as such, but if the Board were out of pocket, as the Finance Committee showed, tho contractor should pay. After a long discussion, Mr Moody moved, as an amendment—" That Messrs Jones and Peters be informed that the Board cannot see its way to remit the amount." The amendment was carried. habbotjb-mabtbb's OIJIOB, The Harbour-master wrote asking to be supplied with an office in a convenient situation.

The Board were of opinion that it would be inadvisable to erect any more buildbgs until the Board's land had been permanently defined. TUB lOBBBHOBB BKDOWJIBNT. A letter was read from tbe Under-Secretary for Public Works relative to the land taken north of the Breakwater for railway purposes by the Bill passed last session. The Railway Department only required a strip 20ft wide, me&surad from the centre of the present railway line, and the rest of the land defined in the schedule of the Bill, in excess of that strip, wj. g required to provide for " batter," in cutting away the high clay bank. The Board might erect any buildings up to within 20ft of the centre of tbe present line. If the Board desired to use the land up to that distance, where a wider strip had been reserved, the Department would require to be informed of the purpose and manner of using it. The Chairman said that on receiving this letter he had instructed the Engineer to take the plan sent down by Government, and'mark upon it tho land taken by the Bill, and the land left to the Board. .This had been done, and it was found that instead of the Board getting 3a 2r, they only got la lr and lOp. The Engineer showed also a plan he had prepared of tho land given to the railway by the Bill, south of the Breakwater.

Mr Barker thought that the extra ground taken for " batter" was tar more than was necessary. A Committee, consisting of Messrs Sutter, Moody, Xurnbull, and Evans, and the Engineer vraa appointed to take into consideration the whole question of the endowment, and have ; hi-kud all defined and marked out, this work, of coarse, to be done in conjunction wit'u a Government Engineer. FINANCE. A Ulti-v was read from Mr D. A. Menzies, Kapicr, offering, as agent of a large finanoing firm at Home, to lend the Board any sum front £60,000, upon the security the Board could utter. It -w.is decided to request Mr Menzies to submit his terms. OBMEKT. Several remarks were made about the great cost of storage of cement. Last month, £l5O wsva paid, and this month £3OO was to bo paid for this purpose. It was suggested that a temporary shed should be put up on the beach "near the works but no decision

was made. It was stated that 6990 casks of cement were in stock yesterday, and 6500 [ more would shortly arrive. ahdhusoh's claim. A letter was read from Messtrs Garnck and Oowlishaw, stating that a writ had been issued against tho Board at tho suit of Mr John Anderson. A coMPtaHrt. A long letter was read from the H.M. and A. Company, as agents for the Union Steam, ship Oompany, complaining that on Tuesday, Dec. 6, tho steamer Waitaki was not tendered with proper celerity by the landing service, i and that the manager refused to t*ke in wool , for shipment at 4.30, although they were prepared to pay overtime. In copseouenoe they had to send a lot of wool to Dunedin by rail. , A letter in explanation was wad from the manager of the service. He had received no complaint from the vessel till 6 p.m. that they wanted more boats. Ho had boats ready and waiting nearly all tho time j tho delay took place on board. , It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Evans, to reply to the Company that tho Board regretted that inconvenionce had been caused them, and informing them that tho Board would instruct the manager in future to endeavour to meet the Company's wishes, especially as they were willing to pay tho charges for overtime. It was resolved to instruct the Manager of the Service to tender steamers till 9 p m., if necessary, on the understanding that the ohippers pay each of the men employed Is 6d per hour after 6 p.m., and with tho clear understanding that goods shipped after dark are at the risk of tho shipper. This motion was passed to discourage steamers coming in late in the day and work* ing till late at nigbt. A second letter from the Union Company's agents, asked whether the Board claimed the right to force steamers to use the wharf, as it was more expensive to them than lying, out and being tendered by surf boats. The Secretary showed, from the scale of charges, that the berthage paid by the vessels was certainly higher, but the charges to consignees and shippers were much lower, by using the wharf; the total charge being about 6d a ton lower.

The Board decided that they must claim tbe right referred to, and directed the Company's attention to clause 9 of the bylaws. THR MGHTHOUBK. A report on the advisability of substituting green glass in the lantern of the lighthouso, by Messrs Hall, Goodall and Captain Mills, having been read, it was decided to put green glass in a portion of tho lantern, as recommended, and to light it with gas instead of paraffin. WHABF MANAGES. Mr Turnbull's notice of motion, re appointment of wharf manager, was discussed for a few minutes, and then allowed to drop. SAIABIEB. Mr Barker's motion, for an enquiry into the salaries paid to the Board's officers, was remitted to a Committee to report upon. SAT OF MEETING. On the motion of Mr Moody, the ordinary day of meeting was ohanged from the first to the second Thursday in each month, to suit the convenience of some country members. FINANCE COIIMIIT3B. Messrs Sutter, Gray, Barker, Evans and Moody were appointed a Finance Committee for 1882. BXFOsrms of cbane. The Chairman said he observed the large crane standing on the middle of the breakwater on Boxing Bay. It must have been there from Saturday till Tuesday morning. Was this with the Engineer's approval ? The Engineer said he was aware that this had happened on one occasion; he did not recollect when. It was then caused by the breaking down of the smaller orane, which blocked the way. He certainly did not "approve " of the crane being left out on the mole all night. bnginbbb's bbpobt. The Engineer's report for the month was read as follows . "I have the honour to report that having taken advantage of the leave of absence granted me by the Board for a fortnight, I was unable to be present at the last monthly meeting, from unavoidable delays caused by steamers not keeping advertised times. Before I left, I placed Mes rs Jones and Peters, contractors for breakwater contract No. 4, in possession of the works. They took charge, and began the contract on Nov. 16 hat. Since then, they have laid foundation blocks for a distance of 50ft, and steady progress is being daily made. "In accordance with instructions, plana are being prepared for another length of about 200 ft of wharfage. Borings over the site are being taken, to ascertain the nature of the bottom and arrive at the lengths of piles required. This will be effected in a few days. Being instructed to report on the removal of shingle for town purposes from the foreshore, with a recommendation as to where it may be taken from, and what rate charged per ton or load, I beg to state that, after examination of the foreshore, I find that carters chiefly obtain shingle from nearly opposite George street. Shingle is also taken from opposite Grey street. I consider the best place t.o take shingle for town purposes is opposite George street, whioh street I believe it is the intention of the railway authorities to close shortly. A fair rate of charge would be 3d a load.

"On examination of the plans of the harbour endowment north of the breakwater to Whale's Creek, I find that the land left to the Harbour Board amounts only to 1 acre 1 rood and 10 poles, instead of 3 aores and 2 roods, which would have been the quantity had the terms of agreement entered into with the Government been adhered to. The Railway Department have reserved on an average about 45ft between the railway centre line and the beach, instead of land sufficient for a double line of railway only, as agreed, which would be a width of 17ft 3in. " I beg to draw particular attention to the fact that the Bail way Department are making preparations to make use of the reclamation south of the Breakwater, and that a distinct understanding should be come to with them as to how far they might approach the Breakwater works until they are completed, for the land adjacent to the root of the mole cannot bo given over until then. The contractors are already muob cramped for room, and any encroachment would materially affect the progress of the works."

LANDING BEEVIOB. The manager's report for the month was read as follows : " I have the honour to report that during tbe past month a great part of the landing and shipping of tbe port has been done at the wharf, tho returns for whioh will of course be rendered by the railway department. "In all 21 vessels have arrived, the gross earnings for the work done at the service being £466 Is sd, and the net £ll6 4s 3d. "I have been working the ship City of Cashmere at the outer anchorage, but owing to the absence from town of Mr Leask, one of the partners of the steam launch Lillie Denham, £ have not been able to make any ex-] periments in towing tbe surf boats." ME ANDEESON'B CLAIM. A letter was read from Messrs Perry and I Perry, the Board's solicitors, stating that as f instructed they had accepted service of the writ issued at the suit of Mr John Anderson, of Ghristchurch, and, according to previous | arrangement, bad engaged Mr Stout to assist them.