GISBOURNE HARBOR BOARD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1169, 7 October 1882, Page 2

GISBOURNE HARBOR BOARD.

In compliance with the following notice the first meeting of the Gisborne Harbor Board was held last night at the Borough Council Chambers at 7 o’clock :—I hereby give notice that in conformity with instructions from His Excellency the Administrator of the Government, the first meeting of the above Board will be held at the Town Clerk’s Office, Gisborne, at 4 p.m., October 3rd, 1882. C. D. Bennett, Mayor. In consequence of no quorum being present at the above meeting, it is hereby adjourned till 7 p.m., October 6th, 1882, C. D. Bennett, Mayor. There were present Messrs C. D. Bennett, J. Townley, E. K. Brown, W. Clarke, H. Clayton, J. Tutchen, and W. H. Tucker. Mr Clarke said that he considered the first meeting they had to do was to appoint a Chairman. His Worship was of a different opinion and he considered that he was ex officio Chairman of the newly appointed Board. His Worship read the portion of the Harbors Act, 1878, relative to the question. Mr Clarke said he had gone over the Act very carefully, -and it appeared to him that the Chairman was appointed for twelve months, and, supposing His Worship the Mayor was not re-elected, how would the Board be situated. Mr Townley said that until the Board had been duly constituted and appointed there was no Board within the meaning of the Act. Mr Tutchen made a few pertinent remarks relative to the subject. The matter then dropped. CORRESPONDENCE. A telegram sent by the Mayor of Gisborne to the Minister of Marine asking for the date and place where the first meeting of the Board should be held. The following answer was then read “ I am directed by the Minister to inform you that His Excellency the Administrator of the Government has appointed this day (3rd October) as the time, and the office of the Town Clerk as the place for the first meeting of the Gisborne Harbor Board.—W. Seed.” An answer was sent to the Government that there was no quorum on the day fixed by the ( government in the first instance and the meeting was postponed until this evening. A long discussion then ensued as to the question of the appointment of the Chairman. It was ultimately resolved on the motion of Mr E. K. Brown, seconded by Mr Clayton, that Mr C. D. Bennett, the Mayor of Gisborne. be elected Chairman of the Poverty Bay Harbor Board. SOLICITOR TO THE BOARD. Mr Clarke called attention to the fact that no solicitor had been appointed to the Board, This question was deferred for the present. SECRETARY TO THE BOARD. It was then proposed by M r C. D. Bennett, seuomled by Mr Whinruy and carried, that Mr John Bourke, the Town Clerk of (Hsborne, be appointed Clerk to the Harboi' Board at a remuneration of £5O per annum. TREASURER TO THE BOARD. It was proposed by Mr W. Clarke, seconded by Mr Josiah Tutchen and carried nein. con., that Mr John Bourke be elected Treasurer to the Board. Mr Bourke thanked the Board for the appointment, and trusted that he would give satisfaction. Mr Clayton thought they were proposing to vote salaries which they were not in a position to pay. Ik would like to sec his way c kui tv the cl ihtio

out of the funds accruing from the revenue I of the Board. Mr Bennett, the chairman, thought that it ■ would be better to say nothing about the | pilot until the Board obtained the pilot and i Customs dues. The Harbor Board Bill, as introduced into • the House by A. McDonald, Esq., M.H.R., i was then read. Some of the members present considered i that it was simply a foreshore bill and not a i Harbor Board Bill at all. Mr Tucker considered it did not go far . enough, and gave his ideas on the subject. i Mr Drummond, the Engineer to the j Council, pointed out that the Act in question ; only gave the Harbor Board the right of the 1 land between high and low-water mark. His Worship the Mayor considered that ! having asked for a sprat they had caught a : mackerel. Mr Bennett wanted to know where Maori , Point was, and Mr Drummond indicated on | the map where it was situated. Mr Clayton thought it would only be right i to send to Mr McDonald and enquire into the matter, seeing the interest he had always i taken in the district. Mr Townley thought it was no good dis- ; cussing the matter to-night, as no grant had ! been issued yet, and it was impossible to define where the Maori point was which had j been referred to. Mr Whinray said that as £lOO,OOO had ' been granted for local bodies, he considered it would be as well to apply for some of it at once. The < lovernment should be supplied with plans and allow them to give portion of the grant allocated. After a long and desultory discussion, it

was moved by Mr 'Pucker, seconded by Mr Lewis, and carried, that the Commissioner of Marine be requested to send a tracing of the lands mentioned in the Bill. COMMON, SHELTON AND CO.'s NEW BUILDING. Plans of a new building proposed to be erected at Common's "Wharf were submitted for the approbation of the Board, the cost being something over £lOOO Several members of the Board, including ; Messrs Brown, Tucker, Lewis, and Tutchen, spoke on the subject. It was moved by Mr Lewis, seconded by Mr Tucker, and carried, that this matter stand over till next meeting of the Council for the report of the Engineer as the Engineer had not seen the plans, so that it would be wise to defer the same until recommended by the Borough Council. SALARIES. It was resolved that Mr Drummond’s salary for the first three months be at the rate of £5O per annum. An amendment moved by Mr Tutchen to the effect that the amount be made £“5, found no seconder, and therefore lapsed. Mr Tucker thought us the work would be very hard on the Engineer for the first three months, he considered that he was entitled to a sufficient remuneration. Mr Clayton wanted to see m hat funds were coming in. as they would, as soon as the Act came into operation, have to pay the Harbormaster. The original motion was carried with one dissentient, viz.., Mr Tutchen.

SITTING DAYS. It was proposed by Mr Clayton, seconded by Mi’ Brown, and carried, that every alternate Tuesday be the sitting day of tho Board. An indiarubber stamp was, on the motion of Mr Tucker, seconded by Mr Tutchen, ordered to be procured for the use of the Board. Finance Committee. A Finance Committee consisting of Messrs E. K. Brown, J. Tutchen, W. Clark, J. Townley, and W. H. Tucker were appointed with power to choose their own Chairman. Council Chambers, 6th October, 1882. To the Chairman of the Harbor Board. Sir,—ln accordance with instructions I beg to lay before you the accompanying plan showing the area enclosed, according to schedule of the “Gisborne Foreshore Bill.” I also forward tracing of plan of the entrance to Turanganui River, showing position of the boat harbor, beacons, mooring posts, and buoys, also position of projecting portions of rock which now obstruct the entrance channel; these were nineteen in number, of which seven have been removed at an expense of about £2OO, leaving twelve to be still operated upon. At low-water the tops of those projecting rocks are not more than from 2ft 6in to 3ft 6in below water, and as will be seen from the plan are almost in midchannel.

The Borough Council are already in possession of plans and estimates for the extension of wharfage accommodation and reclamation works, and I would suggest that aplication be made to Government for a tracing of the plan forwarded from this office, showing proposed reclamation works, from Read’s Quay to Bright street, the data for again compiling which having been lost. The wharf and ferry punt are at present in fair repair and working order ; necessary repairs to the cattle wharf have been previously reported on, and I would urge upon your Board, the necessity of at your earliest convenience carrying out these works. I would also suggest the desirability of a steam crane being purchased for the haulage of heavy goods, also the extension of the searching shed.—l have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, John Drummond, Borough Engineer.

It was proposed by Mr Clayton that the first plans of the Engineer be laid on the table with regard to extension of the wharves by next meeting, and that the Borough Council be requested to hand the plans over. Mr Townley seconded the motion which was carried, and it was resolved that a trac ing be sent to the Government. It was also resolved that the Secretary write to the Borough Council asking what they wanted for the properties in connertioxi with the foreshore. rent of office. A proposition by Mr Tutchen, seconded by Mr Lewis, that the rent be paid by the Harbor Board at the rate of £l7 10s to the Borough Council, was, by an amendment moved by Mr Clayton, seconded by Mr Whinray, deferred until a future meeting. The meeting then adjourned.