Meeting of the Haste Board.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2548, 7 March 1877, Page 3

Meeting of the Haste Board.

A meeting of the Thames Harbor Board was held last night in the Borough Council Chambers. Present: 'Messrs Dnvies (Chairman), Butler, Price, Gibbons, Mennie and Wilson.

The Chairman said tho meeting was called together to consider a letter received from the Customs Department at Wellington, which he would read to them. He then read as follows :— '

Customs Department, Marine Branch, Wellington, February 27, 1877. The Chairman, J hames Harbor Board, Thames. Sir,—l hare been directed by the Minister aqtiug for the Honorable the Commissioner of Customs to acknowledge the receipt of two Isttors from the Honorary Secretary of tlie Thames Harbor Board dated the 9th instant, covering copies-of resolutions requesting that the powers usually vested in Harbor Boards may be conferred on the Thames Harbor Board, and that there be gazetted to the Board all lands authorised to be so granted by the provisions of the 29th section of " The Thames Harbor Board Act,. 1876." In 1 reply I am to state that the .Act referred to does not contain the clause which was inserted in the other Harbor Board Acts of last session to proride that the Boards constituted thereby should re-. spectively be "deemed to be a Harbor Board established under and ;in pursuance of. '1 he Harbor Boards Act, 1870.'" There is therefore 'no special provision in the Thames Harbor Board Act enabling ; tho . Governor's powers to be delegated : to your Board. This difficulty may probably be overcome by causir.g the delegations to be; made under the sixth section oP the" Marine" Act 1867," which authorises the Governor to delegate his powers to any.person or persons. Before, however, any steps are taken in this direction, it will be necessary for the Board to state whether it is., their desire and intention to undertake the' entire management and control of the harbor staff or not. With regard to granting to the Board the land referred to, I am to state that it will be requisite that a plan showing exactly the area and limits of the land the Board desire to re-' ceive, should be furnished. A plan of the port is forwarded herewith, in order : that the requisite information may be marked thereon. lam to take this opportunity to draw the attention of the Board to the provisions of " The Harbour Works Act, 1874," which provides that the plans of all harbour works be sub-, mitted to the Governor in Council for approval, and that reclamation of land fiom the sea in any port is a harbour work within the meaning of that Act.—l have, &c, William Seed, Secretary of. Customs. : :. ■

The Chairman, having drawn the attention of the Board to the various clauses and produced a chart of the harbor sent up from Wellington, said that really the great point to decide,was whether they should take over the whole staff' of har-, bor officials or not., He thought sotrie provision ought to be made by the Government with regard to salaries, &c, as they had no revenue to pay these themselves. The foreshore at present was barely worth a ten pound note; the Goods Wharf brought in about £250 a year, and after June next the Shortland Wharf7would produce £15Qriiore. ' 7. 7 : Mr Mennie thought that ev-en at present the foreshore would produce revenue as several applications for sites had been received. ? ■ ' i

The Chairman pointed out-that they really had no money to take over the staff of the Harbor, the latter, he was sure, did not pay its expenses, and it would not do when the officials came to be paid to return them an answer that they had nomoney. x :

After some further discussion Mr Gibbons proposed that the Board take over the. entire management and control of the Harbor staff, arid, that a letter be written requesting the Goverment to put them in -a position to do so.

Mr Mennie seconded the motion^ which was carried. -

The Chairman said the next question was the foreshore. Ho thought they had better see Mr Puckey and get a tracing made in accordance with information furnished by Jiim.

It was agreed that the Chairman and Mr Dean should see Mr Puckey and Mr McLaren as to what part of the foreshore had been acquired from- the natives, and a plan drawn to be sent to the Government.

This concluded the business.