TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2397, 18 August 1892, Page 2

TIMARU HARBOR BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the above hoard was held yesterday. Present— Messrs Acton (chairman), Evans, Hill, Stumbles, Flat man, Manchester, Wilson, Morris, and Gibson. An apology for nonattendance was received from Mr Talbot. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were road. Mr Flatraan complained that at the previous meeting in the absence of their chairman, Mr Gibson, who was acting chairman, ruled a motion he had brought forward out of order. The motion simply asked for estimates for putting in groins to stop the shingle. The chairman said Mr Flainnuj’s motion was in direct antagonism to the

:ioM<>!i alre dy taken by the board, and consequently a notice of it was necessary. Mr Flatman said the acting-chairman had no right to assume any sucli thing. He simply sought to get information. If a notice of motion was necessary in his case, a notice of motion was necessary in other cases. For instance, no such notice was given in the recent case of ordering the vessel from England. The chairman said the question at pi'esent was as to whether the minutes were correct. Mr Flatmau could bring tlie case up again. The minutes were confirmed. Several letters of an important nature were read, and the chairman announced that lie had only received one colonial tender for the dredge. No English tenders had yet come to hand, but he had received the following letter from Mr John Darling :

“ The Secretary. “ Dear Sir, —I was favored with your communications of the 18th of May, and have now to advise you that the specification for the hopper dredge is in the printer’s hands, and will soon be issued. On receipt of prices. T will cable the most favorable as instructed. On looking into the stability of the vessel, assisted by the scientific staff of W. Denny & Co, it was found that with a beam of 24 feet, and with all the machinery and load on board, as required by your engineer, the vessel would take an unworkable, if not dangerous list. For the duty required the dimension should not be under 125 x 27 x 12. With this beam she would list 0 deg. with hopper filled with sand and an 8-tou load on the jib, and if one crane hung 8 feet clear of the ship’s side. This being so I fear she would be a useless thing with loss beam, consequently 1 have provided for these dimensions in the specifications. The specifications and conditions sent me make your requirements quite clear, and in rewriting a new one I have endeavored to follow what was put before me consistant with what builders will undertake. I have not alter the size of the scantling and plating given by your engineer, everything is amply strong enough for the increased dimensions, besides if all the sizes are up to Lloyd’s rules you need no more. Prices just now should be very low, and I hope to bo able to send you a favorable quotation.—Yours sincerely, “ John Darling.” The engineer said that with regard to the alterations made by Mr Darling they had a vessel in the harbor built on the principle, and she had worked without any danger. He read a reply to Mr Darling’s letter. Mr Gibson suggested they should adhere to Mr Darling’s specifications. Mr Marchant said the alterations would reduce the speed of the vessel. After some further conversation Mr Gibson moved and Mr Morris seconded—- “ That the alterations made by Mr Darling in the specifications for new hopper dx - edge be accepted and that the tender received be returned with a copy of Mr Darling’s letter so that the tender may be amended.” The motion was carried.

Mr Flatman moved that the letter read by Mr Merchant be sent to Mr Darling. The motion was seconded by Mr Hill, and carried. THE MANA. Letters from Mr J. M. Rooke asking what the Board would take for the tug Maua were read. Mr Evans was in favour of selling her. There was no tug at Oamaru. She cost £3OOO a year. He moved —“ That she be offered at £ll,soo.’'' Mr Hill seconded the motion, and after a long discussion it was put and lost, only the mover and seconder voting for it. It was decided that the chairman should correspond with the chairman of the Lytteltpn Harbor Board, and offer the tug. The Lyttelton Harbor Board would soon want a tug, and probably would buy. BATES. On the motion of Mr Gibson,"seconded by Mr Morris a motion was carried levying rates on the various districts as follows : £ s d Borough of Timaru 327 7 2 Geraldine County Council ... 2500 13 1 Waimate County Council ... 1148 14 6 McKenzie County Council ... 586 0 4 Payable in one sum on first September next. The chairman said the amounts had previously been paid half yearly, but owing to tl>e delay in getting the valuations it could not have been done this year, Mr Flatman said it would come very hard on the local bodies, but after some conversation the matter dropped.

engineers’ report. The engineer reported that timber was required for repairing the wharf. With regard to the shingle he had found that in Anri] 1891, its toe was out 730 feet from the rqot of the breakwater; October 1891, 810 feet ; April 1892,'880 feet; August 1392, 950 feet. Mr Wilson called attention to the shingle. A little discussion ensued, in the course of which the opposition cast doubts on the engineer’s figures; but eventually it was allowed to drop, as nothing ‘could be gained hy further discussion STANDING COMMITTEE. The report of the standing committee was to the effect that Captain JVJlllbank was favorably impressed with the harbor and did not think the stranding of the Elginshire won id afreet it, disapproved of the Harbor Board’s being subsidised by imposing primage duty; that the total cost of the Lyttelton lawsuit was £1557 las 7d, that £2071) 9s had been recovered from the other jiving il|<j board £2187 Os 7d out of pocket oy it. Mr Evans -. We have won the case and yet we lose £2487. (Laughter.) T>mv'r Ob’ onrvuji. Mr Flatnian brought up again his point of .older. The chairman said Ml? Flatniann’s motion was at variance with the action already taken by the board, and no motion of such a nature could have b.eon put until the motion already adopted lifid been rescinded. Mr Gibson said bo bad ruled Mr Fhrman’s motion out of order because Mr Toiciiemaker challenged it. Mr Elatman said that in tint case F c motion about the tug was iilog 1, became i.ll close opposed lo it challenged it. Ho must say the ch drm.iu’s answer was unsatisfactory. As regards the chairman’s assertion that ]>is motion was antagonistic, he denied it. The reason they got | the tug and dredge was to dredge the harbor, and that had nothing to do with the the shingle. Mr Evans : What’s the use? The majority rules. A few words more to the same effect terminated tljtf ipeethig.