NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 221, 28 September 1901, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH HARBOUR BOARD.

\ special meeting of the Harbour cJoard was held on Friday. Present: c Messrs Maxwell (chairman), Connett, McLean, King, Price, Ward, Sartan, Signett, and Ralfe. The committee appointed to dispose ' )f the stone at Kawa Pa reported that Mr. KiDg, the lessee, had given his 1 JODsent and the stone had been sold at luciioo. The Berthing Committee reported 1 that the secretary had been instructed ;o send the following resolution to the ' igen's of the Union S.S. Company and • Northern OompaDy :—"That pending ' final aii-angements as to the hours of berthing vessels at the wharf, boats will be berthed at any'hour as heretofore, the harbour master ani two men ' being in attendance." The Secretary stated this resolution had been sent and acknowledged. The question of the complaint made by the captain of the Ngapuhi that on several occasions ho arrived at the wharf and there were no officials present to berth the ves el was brought up by Mr. .Connett. The Chairman reminded the Board of his notice of motion that the harbour master's staff bi available ac th 9 wharf at 4.30 for berthing vessel?, but that should any ve-sels desire to be berthed before that hour the harbour master would be present with two mep, the Shipping Companies to provide all other assistance required ond to telegraph the harbour master the .probable time of tha rxpected arrivals of vessels. The Chairman stated that this notice of motion appeared to have lapsed, but if the Board was dealing with the subject he considered some such arrangement should be made. He reiterated the argument used by him on the subject at a previous me.ting. Mr. -McLean said that the time of vessels could easily be arraaged so as to to arrange for the vessels arrival at the port. Mr. 'King said the ftdes did not always suit, and it was not right to keep passengers outside the part, especially in rougti weather. The Chairman moved in the terms cf his lapsed notice of motion above referred to. He s»id that it was Captain Hood's opinion that in ordinary weather vessels should not be berthed till 4,30. The increased trade at the'port would otherwise prove too great a strain for the staff. As Mr. Webster, agent for the i Northern S.S. Company had been seat for to attend the Board, further consideration of the matter was postponed till his arrival. On Mr. Webs'er's arrival he was informed that the Board would like to hear his views as to bc-rthing. Mr. Webster said he had nothing to state beyond what was contained in the letter from the captain of the Ngapuhi already before the Board. The Chairman said it was qui e impossible for tha Board to catry on so as to berth vessels at all hours without a special staff for this increased work. Mr. Webster: That question is quite a matter for the Board. I assume that the Board provides a proper staff for working the port. Vess i s should be admitted at ail times, and it would ba a a great detriment to the port if vessels could not- discharge passengers as.soon as they arrive. A large number of passengers desired to land and get into town before the train started. The Chairman "read over hiß motion on the, subject, and Mr. Web iter expressed his opinion that the arrangement proposed thereby would suffice for bis company's boat, but would not suffice for the berthing of the Takapuna. The Chairman mentioned the desirableness of telegraphing expected time of arrivals. Mr. Webster said that would nob be possible, as bad weather might be met with on the voyage. Nothing more could be done in that direction than at present, The motion, omitting loferrace to telegraphing time of arrival, was seconded by Mr. King. - After some discussion the motion was carried. On the motion of Mr Rilfe, sconded by Mr. Connett, it was decided fcliat inquiries should be made as to the usage at other ports with reference to arrival, and berthage of vessels and assistance provided. The committee appointed to interview the railway engineer a? to arrangements for facilitating the working of after hatches of vessels reported that the engineer had marked off on the wharf the alterations necessary. Mr. King said 'that a mistake had been made in the wharf alterations, but it was very undesirable to allow past expenditure to stand in the way of facilities being made" for tte working of after hatches. He moved that the resolution calling on the Railway Department to execute at its own expense works for its own convenience now that the extension works were completed, be adopted. The Chairman said the work already executed had been done specially for the department, and to giva it facilities asked for, The department had told him that having the straight run through was the chief requirement, and as the Board had spent from •£13,00 to £ISOO for the benefit of the department, he thought it was not justified in calling on the Board to spend further money, because af'er the work was done the department saw several small works that would improve the. facilities for working the railway. It was a matter of principle; the smallness of the amount did not signify. He protested against the continual ask! ask! ask! by the department, which gave nothing. He therefore opposed rescinding the resolution. Mr. Sarten pointed out that the beims had been put in the wrong p'aee, and all that was required was to put in beams where required for the safety of the railway traffic. It was absurd to have put the house where it stood, and as a matter of safety it should be shifted. Mr. McLean said it was not tbe railway that was asking for the additional facilities which involved the alt erations, but it was the shipping authority s, and therefore he should vote for the motion. The Chairman: Cap'ain Ho .d says that the proposed alterations could not be carried out. Mr King: ThenCiptain Hood t '.l's 1 ; two different tales on the matter, i Mr Hignett protessed against the | Board spending its money in c >ns - quence of bungling by the Railway Department. Mr Filfe considered (hit the Djpartment had the opportunity of having the beams put in before the con-' tract was put in hand, but as i*; did not then ask for the work, it shouM pay,for it now if it wanted] the work done. In reply to Mr King, the chaii.min stated that unless tbe ben i wm gi eat«r than the professional men said could be

put in in the space available, the wj; k conld not be done. Mr King : The quicker the despatch of cargo at the breakwater, the cheaper will be the freight, and the better far all concerned. The motion to recind was thm carried on a division, Messrs Maxne'l, Hignett and Rslfe voting with tl.e noes.

Mr King then moved that the alterations asked for by the department I e executed.

Mr Connatfc seconded the motion, and agreed vvith the mover that thu great r the facilities, the better for the port. A discussion ensued on the sam<) line 3 as that on the motion to rescind.

In reply to Mr King, the chairman stated that the house erected for the harbour masters office had been put in a specially light extension, never intended for railway traffic. The motion was carried.

The Chairman, pursuant to notice, moved that the bye-laws as as affecting berthage chargep, be altered by discontinuing the berthage charge on pafisengeis; that the registered tonnage berthage charge be 2|d per ton in place of ; that the berthage charge on cargo be 3jd per ton ; in no cass the charge to be less than £5, or more with combined charges than equal to 3d par ton on regis'ered tonnage. Tbe Boatd made the charges practically on the trade done. The shipping compani s called the charge a passenger tax. The Union Company up till recently had printed a fiovno'eon their tickets that Is wai charged for toll on paesengers His motion was intended to remove this unpopular and unsatisfactory state of affairs, and revert to the old system of paying dues on the cargo. Mr Oonnett said some of the members had been twitted and twitted with rescinding resolutions, and he held in his hand a book of bye-laws barely out of the printer's hands, which the chairman wanted to alter. After a short discussion, the motion was lost The Chairman moved that tbe boundaries of the electoral wards be altered so that as nearly as possible the rateable values of each ward should be equalised. In the discussion which ensued, it was pointed out that alterations would continually bave to be made. The motion was allowed to lapse. Mr. Cormeti made a personal explanation. He said the chairman had stated he (Mr. Connett) was in error when he said a piece of ground was offered for new post office site at £3O per foot. This was not true, as he (the speaker) had made inquiry, and found his statement to be peifectly correct. A cotice of motion by Mr. Ward rt the " dead end " on the wharf was held over, and the Board adiourned.