TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2023, 22 March 1890, Page 3

TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of this board was held on Wednesday last. Present—Messrs F-. Acton (chairman), Wilson, Teschemaker, Talbot, Manchester, Ross, and Captains Woollcombe and Sutter. Apologies were read from Messrs Morris and Flatman. Mr K. F. Gray wrote resigning his seat on the board. Captain Sutter moved, Mr Wilson seconded, and it was carried unanimously—“ That Mr Gray’s resignation be accepted with regret, Mr Gray having been a member of the board since its formation and taken an active part in all its proceedings.” The Bank of New Zealand reported the redepc-ait of the Titan insurance fund, which is now £2166. fhe Harbor Board decided to give Mr Snosswell, a fisherman, the use of one of their boats for the purpose of searching fur a sea-deep fishing ground, on condition that he found sureties for its value and painted it when done with.

Offers of £3 per ton and 10s cwt. for different qualifies of old coir rope were accepted.

The harbor master reported (he arrival during February of 26 steam and 10 sailing vessels, and departure of 26 steam and 6 sailing vessels. The weather during the month was very fine. The soundings book for that day showed for the first time depth beside the north mole. These ranged from 13ft to 15ft from shore end to opposite the end of the Moody wharf, 16ft to 19ft thence to half way along the wall, thence 20ft to 21ft to the bend, and 21ft along the bond. The engineer reported that the north mole contract nas completed. He recommended the removal of the Duke of Sutherland wreck by ihe aid of gun cotton and the dredge. The Taniwha had dredged and discharged 3890 tons spoil in 14 working days. The dredge was now on the slip for repairs. The engineer was authorised to remove the wreckage.

Mr Teschemafcer inquired where the shingle dredged from the end of the breakwater came from, and the engineer repeated the explanation he gave at the previous meeting—that it came from the sea bottom, where the swirl of the water off the breakwater had scoured out a broad trench on the seaward side. It had nothing whatever to do with the beach. The sea bottom in many places appeared to wholly ot shing'e. Captain Sutter moved, and Mr Talbot seconded, a long formal resolution increasing the. harbor rate for the current from one-eighth of a penny to a farthing in the £, and rescinding the former resolution as to the remuneration to the collecting bodies, and requiring them to do the work, as provided by the Act, for the remuneration of 2h per cent. Captain Sutter read an estimate of the current year’s receipts and expsnditure, from which estimate the amount of rate required was obtained. The gross revenue last year was £10,500, plus interest on deposits £2OOO, total £12,500 ; the working expenses interest on loan £IO,OOO, total £15,200, leaving a de-

ficiency of £2700, to be mad© up by rate now being collected. For the current year the revenue from dues was estimated at the amount received last year, £10,500. The interest on deposits, however, will be £450, or £1550 lesr than last year, making the total receipts £10,950. The ordinary expenditure was set down at £3700, interest £IO,OOO, law costs £2OOO, dredging £ISOO, total £17,200, leaving a deficiency of £6250, to be made good by a rate, and a farthing rate is estimated to produce £6OOO. Hitherto the cost of dredging has been paid out of, loan, and the law costs, which now amount to £4OOO, have been paid out of loan deposits, but they must be paid out of ordinary account, and £2OOO was set down for this year. He thought the ratepayers would see the absolute necessity for increasing the rate now, but there need be no further fear of it being further increased as far as he could see. Mr Talbot in seconding the motion said he believed their limit had been reached, and even so much would not have been needed but for the necessity of paying off the law costs. He contended that the rate was very cheap payment by the ratepayers for the advantages they gained by the possession of a harbour. Without it they would have the long railage to Lyttelton or-Dunedin to pay on all their goods. Where would be their milling industry, their meat freezing industry, their agriculture, without the harbour 1 He believed the board’s finances now wore their worst aspect, and that it would never be necessary to again increase the rate.—The motion was carried unanimously. The rate will not be collected until December. The chairman reported that, as authorised, he and Mr Talbot had conferred with the solicitors on the drafting of a bill to enable the board to make a levy, on the local bodies for the amount required from the ratepayers, as was done by the Hospital Board, instead of striking an independant rate. A circular had been drawn up to send to the chairman of the local bodies asking them to consider proposal, and give the board their opinion upon it. Ihe circular pointed out the whole expense of collecting the rate fell ©n the ratepayers, and as this expense would be saved—and it was about 10 per cent, of the amount collected the board hoped the local bodies would approve of the alteration in the law. The circular was approved. It was decided that the solicitors should not proceed with the drafting of the bill until the local bodies had bad time to reply. Captain Sutter’s motion providing for the removal of the Moody wharf to the North Mole was lost, The wharfage return for the four weeks ended Ist Februrary was £695 Us 9d net, about £SO more than for the same period last year. The secretary stated £1930 of the harbour rate had been paid, about two-thirds of the whole. Accounts amounting to £7656 18s 4d were passed.' This sura includes £SOOO for interest and £a.700 odd on the North Mole contract. The meeting then terminated.