TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7081, 1 March 1893, Page 2

TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

The following is tbe continuation of the report of yesterday’s meeting ; “ BAKING-DP ’J

Mr Evans moved, and Mr Sullivan seconded —" That tbe finance committee be instructed and empowered to consult tbe Board’s solicitors with reference to the legality or otherwise of the withdrawal of the Mana or other special fund? lowards tbe payment of the new tug dredge, and other doubtful legal actions of tbe late Board, and report to next meeting.” Mr Evans said this would deal with the letter from the solicitors regarding the tug contract. It was very desirable to have everything on a legal footing. Tbe inquiry could not do any harm; and thoy all bad full confidence in their solicitors, who had pulled them through grave difficulties before The specifications of the tug dredge contract were very important, and the solicitors said the Board's specifications must be signed. No one would accept such doings in his private business.

Mr Manchester asked for more details, the resolution was too general in “other special funds" and “ other doubtful legal actions.’’ The chairman pointed out that (be resolution asked the solicitors to report on their own work. Mr Hill asked whether (he Mans, fund was not set aside by a special resolution, and being informed that it was, be said that resolution had never been rescinded.

The secretary said there was no rescinding resolution. The resolution allotting the funds to the purchase of tho dredge could be rescinded by this board. That resolution was pasted on the recommendation of the standing committee. Mr Evans said it was a hole-and-corner meeting of the committee. Mr Teschemakor did not see why Mr Evan a should say that; no doubt he had notice of the meeting.

Mr Ivans admitted that he bad notice of the meeting, bat not of the business to be dealt with.

Mr Hill would like to explain why he had not attended the later meetings of the standing committee. He and Mr Stumbles used to attend regularly till at one meeting Mr Gibson drew up a report with reference to the ordering of the dredge, which ho (Mr Hill) refused to sign, and he aak;-d the chairman to enter hie protest against it, as illegal, and Mr Stumbles did the same. The meeting was declared closed and they went away. It appeared that Mr Gibson and the chairman then went to consult the solicitors, and in stead of bringing up the report of the com ■ mittee at the next meeting of the. Board they brought five or six resolutions drawn up by the solicitors,to make their illegal action legal. From that time he never attended any meetings of the standing committee, feeling that he bad been illused and unfairly treated, in business being done a£<cr be bad left the meeting. The allocation of those funds, he contended, was illegal, and it was the duty of the committee Ip inquire in'o that The money was still in the bank, he understood, on fixed deposit. There should have been notice given of a motion to remind the former resolution, so that every member would have notice of the business. They deprived the Maua of her insurance fund. Suppose she went out and was lost; there would be a dead loss to the Board. Mr Flatman asked the mover to erase tho word “ doubtful " The word was obnoxious to some of the old members, and if there was anything “ doubtful" the inquiry would show it.

The secretary did not think the Board bound themselves in laving aside the special , funds. They were merely art aside to show that they had money to meat accidents. If the Board wished to upset the allocation of the funds it could be done by notice of motion; there was no question for a solicitor. Mr Talbot, referring to the motion, said they might expect that sort of thing perhaps. It was a direct insult to the board that bad gone out. Nothing had been done; the money had not been sent away. A contract had been entered into and the money must be fo ind to njcfst it. What Mr Hill said about the Maun insurance fund being taken was wrong tt was not an inaurnr.ee fund but a renewal fund and if it wont into a new boat it would bo devotee to the purpose it was intended for The in nion, however, was quite in accordance with what they might have expected Mr Evans to do It whs ' excessively small. (Mr livens; Mr Chairman i) To eay the late Hoard had doqe things utterly doubtful and probably illegal was going out of their way altogether. (Mr Kvauo: But you are one of them too.) Everything had been done under legal advice, and now they wem going to ask the lawyers if their advice was coirect. Not a peony had been touched that could not he rightly touched, and any member cculd give notice of motion to rescind the resolution at next meeting. But the money must be found in some way or other. Mr Evans said the late Board did not eoruplo to hurt the feelings of the minority, and now they were getting a little of the whip themselves. Mr Manchester rose to a point qf order. Mr Evans had already spoken once to the mo'ion before. i

Mr Evans was only going fo Bay that ho WOifld (strike put the word ‘ doubtful " He would aho add “and the position of the Lofaniiz centraot.” Ho did p*|t see. hovf it. could now hurt anybody’* fecit gs, unites they wore thin-skinned. they did not think o f other people at one time Mr Elatman did not agree with Mr Talbot that there was no necessity for this inquiry. They found that pacifications had not been signed 00-reotly (that was done on the other side) and they must see tho necessity for an inquiry into that. Still, it would be wise, it, would be better for them to forget the past. { as the chairman had requested them to do j Ko doubt it was bard to do, but they should

not come there to nag at each other, but to do the bent they could fur the future (Hear, bear.) He hoped they would support the chairman in his wish, and not come there to crow over enemies by jumping on them now they were in a minority He trusted they would try to conduct the affairs of the Board in a gentlemanly manner. That was hie reason for asking Mr Evans to erase the word " doubtful.” They hod a perfect right to inquire into anything that appeared doubtful, and something had cropped up that seemed to demand inquiry. For bis own part he had nothing to do with the past, in the way of fault-finding, whatever other members might have. Mr Manchester said the resolution was so vague, and there was such a raking-up aspect about it that he did not approve of it. That was why he wanted the subjects of inquiry specified. It was too general, too general a raking up, as if nothing had been done right. The chairman: The specified points are the withdrawal of the Mana and other special funds, and the position of the Lobnits contract. It was very necessary that the position of the contract should be ascertained. Mr Manchester: ;; here is the further “ and other legal actions of the Board.”

Mr Tesohemafter: If they are legal what does it matter P

Mr Evans ; Scratch out “ legal,” and leave it " other actions of the late Board.” Mr Manchester said it was curious that so much was said about “ forgetting the past ” He did not think that they should be afraid of the past. But the resolution expressed a general assumption that everything in the past bad been done wrong; it presupposed that the whole business of the Board had been illegal, wrong, doubtful. If Mr Evans could specify anything, as had been done in refer* enco to the funds and the contract. Could he specify anything else P He (Mr Manchester) objected to a general raking-up motion like that.

Mr Evans did not care to take np the time of the Board specifying things. There were two specified now, and he did not cure whether those gentlemen were entirely with him. He did not expect to have the whole Board with him He would ask the chairman to put the motion, and members would vote for it or not, as they pleased. The chairman again pointed out that the motion asked the solicitors to report upon work they bad already done. He did not see the imputation that Mr Manchester saw in it. It demanded information upon one very important matter, the Lobnitz contract 5 the Board certainly wanted information about that. But any contract entered into must be carried out-

Mr Tescbemaker objected to the motion, but would vote for it if it specified the subjects of inquiry. (Mr Evans: Let it alone then.) The committee could do anything under that resolution. (Mr Evans: Most decidedly.) The motion as amended was then put and carried, Messrs Tescbemaker, Talbot and Manchester opposing KBW GEABB. A proposal by the engineer to obtain some spare grabs per the new boat, in order to get them out cheaply, was shelved, as they are not immediately required Habbottb bate. A resolution was passed striking the bar hour rate for the current year, at the same rate os last year, 3 16fhs of a penny in the £ ; to be payable in two sums, ou April Ist and October Ist, this year. The amounts to be levied on the respective local bodies are — Borough of Timam, £322 7s 2d ; Geraldine County, £2500 13s Id; Waimite County, £ll4B 14s 6d ; Mackenzie County, £586 Os 4d ; total, £4557 15s Id. Messrs Manchester, Bbodes, and Rutherford urged that time should be given to the local bodies to strike and collect the rate, or they must pay interest on overdraft. The secretary stated that os it was the dates were late for the Board’s requirements. Mr Bhodes suggested that the Board should nee their deposit moneys, on which they wore only getting 5 per cent, rather than auk the local bodies to incur overdrafts at 8 per cent.

The secretary said the deposits belonged to the loan account, and loan money could not be touched for current expenses. Mr Tcnnent explained that £SOOO would have to be sent Home by the next dan Francisco mail—before they could get any money from the local bodies. They must get aa overdraft for it. •OEBDQING. Mr Hill moved, Mr dtumblea seconded a resolution, which was carri-d, to the effect that the master of the dredge be asked to furnish a return showing how many days the dredge has bean employed on different kinds of work during the last six months. Mr Hill wished this to be done to dispose of the idea that the Taniwha eon id not oopo with the silting of thpyharbour if she wore kept at her proper work*of dredging. Ho denied that there was any silting up of any imnortsn e, and he referred to the soundings book in proof that there had been no shoaling at the harbour entrance since 1889 at ell events. And yet the chairman sUtea that there bad been three feet of shoaling. The chairman said that in justic e to the late chairman be must point out that Mr Acton said that there had been three feet ol shoaling since the surv- ys of Captain Woodcombo and sir John Ooode, not since a few years ago. Mr Hill said that it was not only Mr Acton's statement. If had been put before the Board from time to time by Mr Hibson and others that the harbour was silting up. The soundings book proved that there had been no silting up since 1889 Mr i'esohemaker: The Xaniwha has been at work ail the time.

Mr Hill: But it is put forward that she cannot keep pace with the silting, and the soundings book proves that she can. The motion was carried, and the meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman.