HARBOUR BOARD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 227, 13 January 1877, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD.

The following report was read and adopted at yesterday's meeting : " Wc beg to recommend that the New Zeak-.ml Harbor Regulations be adopted as the Bye-laws of the Oamaru Harbour Board ; the following addenda to clauses will be advisable under the peculiar circumstances of the Port : •' Ist. Thai in Clause the words ' person in charge ' should be in addition to ' principal ollicji'.' 2nd. That in Clause 33. after the words ' interest of the whole of the shipping' the words 'or any portion thereof,' be added. 3rd. That the following be added to Clauses ~jo and oi : That the time allowed to vessels to occupy berths at the quays, jetties, or wharves, for the purpose of discharging or receiving cargo shall be at the discretion of tiie Harbor-Muster, who will arrange with masters as to the time which will be ai~ lowed. 'lih. That in Clause 57, after the word ' continuance,' the words ' night and day, if reuuhvd by thy Harbour-Master, bu inserted. sth. A Rate of Pilotage should he cstublishad for the Port of Oatuartl (:iow free), the rate for pilotage to by 31. per ton to all vessels coining to Port and requiring the s.rviees of a pilot. C.rtiticstj o; exemption held by shipmasters to be licensed at the rate of per ton per annum. "The Harbour Board take no responsibility of vj b whilst laying within the Tort of < iar.r.'.ru ; their security and >afetv, whether at aiiehor or inouivd ;di-;igsL.ie any wharf, pYr;;, or jetty, is to hi? at the ri.-ik of the iaaater ani owners. " V.\<.—The charge should be (2.1.) t'v.>p ire.; pr ton ivgi-der for two (hiys or parU of days use, and thereafter (11.) one p.nny per ton regisier for each day or part of day. Warps kept for the use of vessels at wharf on!y : but should any vessel lying out at moorings be supplied with the use of a warp, the :-.a;ne to be charged for at the rate of (Id.) one penny per ton for each day or part of a d "V during which thy said warp is so used ; additional warps to be charged for at the same rate. '• Warp.; so supplied for the 'use of vessels, either at the wharf or at moorings, will by at the risk and responsibility of the master or owners of t'.ie vessels, as the Hoard will in no case be answerable for aiiv damage to vessels that may arise through the warps or moorings getting broken or displaced : and warps getting damaged through neglect of persons in charge of vessels not keeping sufficient chafing-gear on the parts liable to be chafed, wiil be replaced or repaired at the expense of the masters or owners of such vessel, who will be charged with the cost of damage so sustained, and such charge will have to be paid before clearance or receipt is given for cargo. As soon as the new wharfage is completed, wc are of opinion that the ship should be charged for the use of cranes at the rate of say Gd. per ton, as is the usage at the Lyttelton Wharves. " It being notified that the cranes will do the work only at the request of masters of vessels, who, in doing so, will accept the whole responsibility of loss or breakage which may occur through breaking of chains or machinery, or through any cause whatever, the cranes for the time being being held to be part of the ship's appliances. " The cranes will be worked under the direction of the Harbor Master, who will, at his discretion, afford the use of cranes on request by masters of vessels, and will be empowered to refuse the use of the same, should he consider that, from the ' nature of the goods, the work could be i better done by the vessel's appliances; and will also have the option of refusing to allow cranes to be used in the lifting of such packages i.s, from their weight, size, or shap.*, would sscm likely to endanger the stability of the cranes, and a general instruction should be issued by the Harbor 1 | Board to the crane drivel's, to the effect that the crane driver must use his judgin«at as to the advisability or otherwise of performing work when there is any appearance of danger. "Masters of vessels applying for the use j of cranes will be obliged to put on. such

number of hands as will deliver the caxgo to the cranes as fast as it can be hoisted out, and will continue the work during such hotirs as the Harbor Master may notify to be necessary for the furtherance of the work of the port. " We recommend that a scale of charges should be published in the New Zealand Gazette as part of the Boards Harbour Regulations, with the proviso that all charges should be prepaid, or a guarantee should be given to the amount of not less than £IOO, that the charges will be paid at the beginning of every month, without fail, should monthly accounts be allowed, the parties agreeing that no claim whatever would be held as a set ofl. Claims to be settled by the Board, if found to be just; and if disputed, by arbitration or otherwise, as may be decided. "We are of opinion that while it is necessary to make some regulations for the protection of the Board, it would not be advisable with the pressnt accommodation, to make any alteration in the presort mode of charging, although it will sooner or later become advisable to charge vessels lying at tue outer anchorages lighterage, in addition to the usual charges, to reduce the dues on goods and charge craneagc to vessels, as suggested, and to provide for many- more points which it is impossible to deal efficiently with at present. " THOMAS Fouubsteii, " Secretary Oamaru Harbour Board. " Willia?.i Sewell, " Harbour Master."