HARBOR BOARD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 90, 20 March 1884, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the above Board was held in the Council Chambers, Lowe Street, on Tuesday evening, Present : —Members Lewis (in the chair), Kenny, Joyce, Hepburn, Brown, Townley and Tucker. The minutes of the previous meeting was first read and confirmed.

OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE, The following outgoing correspondence was then read :—Telegram to Mr. Tole re Harbor Board grants ; to Mr. Wilson re ferryage of school children ; to the Secretary of Bluff Harbor 80-rd, re enquiry as to a Priestman’s Dredge ; to the Chief Commissioner of the Marine Department, asking for permission to errect dyke in river, for the purpose of scouring the same. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE. Telegram and letter from Mr. Tole re Harbor Board Grants, and in reply to request asking for copies of the same. — “ Will be happy to comply with your request so soon as I am advised of execution of Grant.” “ I have the honor to inform you that a Crown Grant to the Gisborne Harbor Board, for foreshore, at Gisborne, has this day been forwarded to the District Land Registrar at Napier.” The next letter was addressed to the Wharfinger, from Mr. H. E. Johnstone, and ran as follows :—“ Will you kindly ask the Harbor Board to refund me the wharfage on 6 cwt. of coal, 1 ton of salt, and 45 strainers, amounting to Us. 6d., ex schooner Columbia as the goods were landed on the beach below Adair’s store. I wonld gladly have paid the wharfage if the vessel could have landed the goods at the wharf. By not doing so I have been put to a great deal of inconvenience and expense.” In answer to Mr. Joyce as to why the good had not been landed at the wharf, the secretary said the schooner could not get alongside the wharf on account of there not being sufficient water, owing to the silting up which had taken place. Mr. Lewis said the by-laws specified that, no matter where the goods were landed, the dues had to be paid all the same. Mr. Kenny, on rising, remarked that he supposed some one must move in this complaint. Mr. Johnstone had spoken to him about this matter, and he certainly thought it very hard, as Mr. Johnstone had been put to considerable trouble through not being able to land his goods at the proper place. But whilst they all must strongly sympathise with the complainant, yet, on principle, the Board could not possibly refund the money. The Harbor Board only existed for the general good, and its sole means of support was by levying the dues. If they did not collect enough funds they could not possibly hope to remove the cause of complaint. At the present moment they were doing all they possibly could to remedy the state of affairs, by erecting a dyke for the purpose of scouring the silt away from the wharf, and every effort would be made to remove the evil complained of. He did not wish to do anything harsh, but was compelled to move “ That the money be not refunded.” He had just been informed by Mr. Joyce, that Mr. Johnstone had not complied with the rules in this matter, but still he considered it a hardship to that gentleman, and was sorry that his duty compelled him to oppose the application.

Cr. Lewis agreed with the previous speaker and thought it would be a very bad precedent were they to comply with the request. Cr. Hepburn also supported this opinion, and having seconded the motion, it was put pnt and carried. The Secretary said he had received a letter from Mr. DeLautour, addressed to Captain Porter and Mr. Chambers, but as it related to Borough Council business, he wished to know whither it should be read now, or stand over until next Tuesday. Members Townley and Joyce were of opinion that the letter should be read and discussed at once. The following letter was then read ;— Gisborne, March 15, 1884. To Captain Porter and W. K. Chambers, Esq. Gentlemen, —I have to acknowledge your letter of the 12th, enclosing copies of a proposed Harbor Construction Act, and Sir John Goode’s report. Y’ou ask me, on behalf of the local bodies you represent, to give my political support to the Bill. The Bill does not seem to me to be calculated to bring about what you desire. Parliament is somewhat jealous of its control of the public estate, and will be inclined to resent such matters being settled for it by the local bodies you represent. The more usual course, where local bodies seek endowments of Crown lands or grants of public money, is for the district member to bring forward his Bill in blank, with the Governor’s assent. Before the second reading, the Government of the day will either refuse to allow the Bill to proceed, or will fix the exact endowment or grant to be proposed with its recommendation to the House of Representatives. Your Bill must weaken Mr. McDonald’s hands. For some time past he has, as your member, been excessively active in endeavoring to secure the assent of the Crown to a substantial endowment for Gisborne Harbor Works. It is true that in this he has not been successful, but I venture to think that he would very shortly be in a position to bring you a more favorable report. Personally, I shall be unable to support the Bill which you are promoting.—l am, &0., C. DeLautour. Mr. Joyce thought it would be advisable to postpone the further consideration of the letter until the return of Captain Porter, when there would be more members present. Mr. Townley was of a different opinion. The letter had better be discussed at once. Mr. DeLautour had found fault with the bill, but he had not offered any suggestion as to what alterations he deemed necessary. Mr. Tucker—Yes, he does. He points out clearly what he considers to be the defects in the bill. Mr. Townley, continuing, said Mr. DeLautour had objected to the insertion of the name of a certain parcel of land, but that had only been done by way of comparison, and it would be just as easy to leave the name blank. He certainly thought Mr. DeLautour should be asked for an explanation, with a view, if possible, of obtaining his support to the bill. Mr. Tucker had not had an opportunity of seeing Mr. DeLautour upon this matter, and so was not quite clear as to his meaning. He seemed to suggest that the bill should be drafted in blank. As he had a great respect for that gentleman’s opinion, he would propose that Mr. DeLautour be asked to attend their next Board meeting for the purpose of giving them the benefit of his advice. No doubt he had some very good reason for objecting to the bill, and he was sure that Mr. DeLautour would not mind taking the trouble to attend. It was most advisable that they should get his support to the measure. Mr. Lewis pointed out that Mr. DeLautour had refused to support the bill in toto. Mr. Tucker thought the chief cause of objection was in naming the block as an endowment. He knew that Mr. DeLautour was in favor of a harbor scheme. Mr. Kenny was anxious that Mr. DeLautour should be heard, and thought no efforts should be spared to obtain his support to the Bill. He was a gentloman who had made his mark, and exorcised considerable influence in the House. At present they did not know his grounds of objection. They must remember that Mr. DeLautour represented another distant constituency, and it was just possible that the Bill, in some way, might interfere with that representation, and so render him unable to support our measure. But however that might be, no doubt they might rely upon his advice, and as he thought it very necessary to get his (Mr. DeLautour’s) opinion he had much pleasure in seconding Mr. Tucker’s proposition. The motion was then unanimously agreed to. PAYMENTS. The following accounts were then passed for payment Borough Council, £725 2s. Mr. Lewis explained that this was the full amount due by the Board to the Borough Council, and was being paid with a view of transferring the overdraft from the Council to the Harbor Board, a proceeding which would prove beneficial to the latter, inasmuch as they were paying the Council ten per cent, but would only have to pay the bank 8 per cent. Denton and Harries (for sledge house) £l5; Wharfinger’s salary, £6 ; petty cash, £5 ; Borough Council (for rent), £8 6s. Bd. EXTRAORDINARY BUSINESS. On the secretary informing the Board that the contract for printing and advertising expired at the end of the current month, he was instructed to call for fresh tenders for the same. LUMINOUS BEACONS AND LANDING STAGE. Mr. Kenny saw it mentioned that the beacons, which had some time since been painted with luminous paint, had again be-

come non-luminous. As the thing had been found to answer admirably, and had proved of service in giving greater safety for entering the harbor by night, he thought, as the expense would not be much, they should be renewed with the same material. The winter with its dark nights were now coming on, and it would prove of more service than ever. He would move “ That the Engineer be instructed to re-paint the beacons with the luminous paint, and also to keep the same in repair, from time to time, as required.” Mr. Lewis had much pleasure in seconding the motion, as the luminous beacons had proved very useful. Carried. The Engineer pointed out that he would hand the paint over to the Harbor Master, who had sole charge of the beacons. Mr. Kenny said he had another small matter he wished to call attention to, and that was the little jetty at the end of the Gladstone Road was getting much out of repair. As the structure was of so much use he thought it a pity to let it go any further, and would move, “ That the Engineer be instructed to put the same in repair—the cost not to exceed £2.” Mr. Tucker seconded the motion, which was put and carried. THE BOARD’S CORRESPONDENCE. Mr. Joyce rose and said he would like to ask how it was that the correspondence of the Board appeared in the public papers before the same was brought under the notice of the members. He imagined that the correspondence was private until it had been read and discussed at that Board. He certainly thought members should have access to the same before it had been made public. He was of opinion that the correspondence being published and criticised before coming before that Board was calculated to do much harm, as it caused' the public and others to form erroneous opinions on subjects before they were discussed and dealt with by the proper routine. The Secretary asked Mr. Joyce to name the correspondence he was referring to. Mr. Joyce said he referred to numerous instances which had lately occurred, and amongst others he might mention the com* munication from the Minister of Public Works re the bridge grant. Although this had not been read at the Board until the evening of the Sth February, it had appeared in the papers of the 4th February. Then there was the Land Company’s offer re the Waimata bridge, and the notification re Harbor Board grants, and now the letter addressed to Captain Porter, and which had appeared in print and been criticised the previous evening. The Secretary said with respect to the latter communication he had been so surprised to see the same in the paper before he had received it, that he had gone round to the office to make enquiries, and had been informed that the paper had been handed a copy of the same by the writer. Mr. Lewis had noticed the thing, and confessed some surprise himself. After the Secretary’s explanation, he supposed they must be satisfied. SOLICITOR TO THE BOARD. Mr. Kenny moved, and Mr. Hepburn seconded—“ That Mr. Nolan be retained as solicitor to the Board at a retaining fee of five guineas per annum.” On the motion being put it was carried, there being one dissentient. SILTING UP OF THE RIVER. Mr. Hepburn wished to known whether the Engineer had reported the soundings at the wharf ? The Engineer said he had not thought it necessary to do so, as they were about to erect a scouring dyke and take other means for removing the silt. Mr. Joyce and Mr. Lewis thought the report should be made, and the Engineer was instructed to make the report to the next meeting. This finished the business of the evening, and the Board then rose.