Thames Harbor Board.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4882, 2 September 1884, Page 2

Thames Harbor Board.

At the usual monthly meeting of the Harbour Board at 4 o'clock this afternoon tho following report was presented from the Harbourmaster :— '* Upon receiving instructions from your Board I dis^ charged all labour, and discontinued all work, but what is absolutely necessary to keep the wharves, &c, in working order. I had a boy employed during; the late lieivy rains. A landslip occurred in front of the powder magazine. It ia merely the surface Boil slipping away to the bare rock, and causing no danger to the magazine. I had the slip cleared away from the tramway, and repaired the shoot, but I anticipate that there will always be more or less landslips after such heavy rains as those last experienced. I have bad to employ a man also for a few days in Shortland channel, to remove debris, caused by the late fresh, out of the channel ; as roots, &0., are extremely dangerous to the small steamers/ I have also placed a buoy where the outer beacon stood in Shortland chanael. I find that beacons are liable to get washed away or knocked down, but a buoy will stand c. knock and rebound, and still remiin in position. As no doubt you are aware, the cab-proprietors nowj and for some little time past, do not go down the wharf to attend passengers on arrival and departure of the steamers; the cause is they object to tha toll as charged mow. lam of opinion that they have some grounds of complaint, in as much as they some* limes go down and do not obtain fares, and I would suggest a modification in the following manner. That the toll still be collected at the toll house as the cabs go down the wharf, and if they return without passengers, that they stop and get the toll returned ; a cab going down with passengers to be charged as usual. lam sorry to see such a bitter feeling existing as instanced yesterday on the departure of the Eotomahana, when a bridal party were driven as far as the toll house, and there had to get out of the cab and proceed the rest of the road down to the steamer on foot. I have suggested to the cab*proprietors to appoint a deputation to wait upon your Board over this matter, bat further than the above I have do suggestion to make.—lV C. Baymjon, Harbourmaster.