HARBOR BOARD.

Patea Mail, 17 May 1882, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

The Board met on Monday, there not being a quorum on the previous Monday. Present; Messrs I>. Coutts (in the chairj, Horner, Adams, Peacock, and Aitchison. Storag-e of Timber. Messrs York and Cornfoot had asked, through the wharfinger, for a rebate on account of allowing timber to lie on foreshore after discharging. Resolved, on the motion of Mr Adams, That the wharfinger be informed that the Board can make no concession in the matter of timber dues, due by Mr York, except such charges are made contrary to the bye-laws. Leasing and Delays. A letter from Mr H. T. Bush, lessee of a section for brickyard near Patea bridge, asking for the boundary pegs to be defined without; further, delay, as-he leased section 8, block 131, on the understanding that the pegs would be placed immediately; The rent being excessively heavy, he could not afford longer to wait ; and as some rent had been paid in advance, he would sue the Board unless the pegs bo pointed out as agreed. Mr Bush had sent two other letters within a few days, giving the Board one week from May 15th to point out the corner pegs, which ought to have been done within one week of the sale, although fohr months had elapsed.' Resolved that the Secretary'write to Mr Bush that the matter of defining the boundary is in the hands of the Government Surveyor, and that the Board have urgediattention as early;as possible. , The, Board’s Compensation Claim. A PETITION. Some of the Board’s reserves having been taken for railway purposes, and the value of other reserves depreciated -by beiiig l ctit L hp, the 1 Board had a valuation made by Messrs Dale and Cowern, who assessed - the amount due to the Board at nearly £4000.,. -The•claim [for j equivalent grants of land .is now being pressed on the Government. Major Atkinson, replying to the Board’s letter of enquiry as to tele?, graphed as follows Re petition on account of. land’ endowment taken for railways, the petition should be in the ordinary form, and sent tome. I will either present it myself, or,see that -It is; presented by some other member, and will advise whether it ,will be necessary to. support this prayer by evidence or not when before the Petitions Committee.” Agreed on the; motion of ‘Mr Aitchison/ seconded by Mr Peacock, “ That the petition re compensation be addressed to the House of Representatives*signed.; by theChairman on behalf of the .Board, and forwarded to Major Atkinson for presentation with as little delay as possible.” Endowments or Penal Labor, A conference of Patea residents having been held with the object of promoting a bill this session for further endowments towards harbor works, and for reconstituting the Board, the idea was mooted that a penal settlement might be formed in this district, and the labor be utilised on the breakwater. A telegram bad been sent to Major Atkinson (as stated at the conference), and the Major’s reply was now read to the Board as follows :—“ No intention on part of Government to propose a central penal establishment, and I do not think it likely that if such, a proposal'was made to would be . accepted.”

The Board took no action on this, nor on the resolution passed at. tlie copference, in favor of calling a public meeting to discuss certain provisions of a rating bill. Transfer of Lease. The Board sanctioned the; transfer of lease of sub-section 4, section 131, Whenuakura, from Mr A, Gr. Saunders to Mr Edward Jollie, the new tenant of Mr Coutt’s farm. * t Curious Offer, N. S. Boland wrote from Wavenley asking for employment as engineer to carry out an original scheme of harbor works, to make this_ harbor suitable for heavy shipping. His scheme would exceed any other, and he could not stop long in the colony. He added a postscript : “ No Reasonable offer however low refused by the week.” '' • The Secretary was instructed to write declining the offer for the present. Pilot's Report. Mr Wood reported There have been several strong freshes in the river of late, which have made the channel between

the grcin and the west spit considerably wider than before ; but have brought the bar a little to the east of the breakwater, and the channel has a slight curve from the breakwater to bar. Men have been employed, as authorised, to : get two hawsers, two coils of wire rope, two anchors, and place punt in safety. One anchor and two blocks have not been returned as yet from the s.B. Patea. Fifteen vessels have crossed the bar since last report, two vessels at night. . The above tackle had been authorised by Mr Aitchison as acting Chairman, and the Board passed accounts for same amounting to £39. The other business was unimportant.