ANNUAL REPORT

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLV, Issue 6863, 9 May 1917, Page 4

ANNUAL REPORT

The Chairman (Mr G. V, Stewart) presented his annual report for the year ended April 30, 1917, to the meeting of the Harbour Board on Thursday last as follows:—

Report A

My.last report outlining a brief histury of our proceedings brought up to the end of April, 1916. At the statutory meeting held on Wednesday, May 3, Mr Grant proposed my re-election as Chairman, and Mr Lally seconded the motion. An amendment was moved by. Mr Adam?, seconded by Mr Green, that Col. Ward be elected. The amendment was defeated. If I may be permitted to make a personal reference, I felt deeply touched, on reading the report, of the kindly feelings and sympathy expressed by tbe great majority of the Board and to the effect that with my life banging ou a thread, I was not.to be cast off as a soiled glove or a discarded slipper.

At that meeting advice was received of the arrival at Tauranga of the beacon light from the Acetone Illuminating Co., Ltd., Napier, with a' gas capacity of l^O days, the cost beurg £127 7s sd. The installation of the light was left in the hands of the Executive Committee. A long discussion ensued on the matter of Messrs Sanford's trawler having infringed the regulations by trawling within a mile of tbe harbour entrance. The late Harbourmaster's action on the matter was approved. Mr Grant submitted h;s report on the Harbour extension scheme in the Matata district, which was adopted and Mr Grant heartily thanked for his valuable services in tha extension campaign.

June 7th. —At this meeting the consideretion of the Harbour Amendment Bill was postponed at my request till next meeting, when I hoped to be preaent and submit further suggestions in my annual zeport that had been delayed owing tn ray illness. A strong resolution was forwarded to Mr Allport, Secretary Marine Department, directing his attention to the very slow rate of progresa made in dredging. The Executive Committee was authorised to adopt the necessary steps for screening the light at Stony Point.

July sth. —At this meeting the draft of my annual report was, after a full discussion, adopted and ordered to be printed. A lusg discussion resulted from an appiicatini forwarded by the secretary of a large public race tins held at Katikati in reference to numerous thefts from the Katikati Wharf. On the motion ot Mr Gill the matter was deferred till next meeting with a view to ascertaining the Board's legal position.

August 9th.—At this meeting the Board granted £7 10s per annum to wards the salary of a caretaker at Katikati Whatfj and authoiisd a subscription of £20 to the Navy League. A large sniouGt of correspondance with the Marine Department relative to the dredging was dealt with.

September 6ih. —The Board meeting was held at 7 p.m. iosteid of 11 u.m. Mr Grant was appointed delegate to meet the Matata settlers in reference to the extension campaign. Active correspondence with the Marine Department re dredging the.Jharbour wan dealt with. Col. Ward was granted leave of absence during the lime he was engaged on his military duties.

October 4th. ---Captain Millar res'gned Lis position as- Harbanrnia?.t?r, The resignation was accepted with regret a'id vote of appreciation wa? passed for the manner in which he had discharged his .duties since his appointment.

. November 2nd.—The Marine Department notified the Board thut the work of dredging the Fairway Channel would be stopped, a3 satisfactory results were not obtained with the dredge in ose. Captain Alex. Turner was appointed Harbourmaster. Mr Gill referred to- rep«esentatiar.a made to him for reducing the landing charge of la per head of cattle one year old or underhand moved that trie Secretory communicate v^ith other Harbour Boards to ascertain the chaises made by them on small cattle, and report to the Board. Trie resolution was unanimously adopted.

December 7th.— The Taurazga Borough Council informed the Board that the time during which the £2,500 could be expended in improving tl e Fairway Channel was to be extended indefinitely. A.considerable amount of correspondence with the Marine Department and from the late Hon. Dr. McNab, Acting Minister for Marine, on tne dredging matters was fully discussed. On the Bth December a deputation of the Board, consisting of Messrs Southey, Lochh'fl'ad, Grant, Adims, Lowe and myself waited on Mr.Herries, and earnestly placed the importance of the dredging work being resumed by a suitable dredge, requesting him to arrange with his colleague, the Hon. Dr. McNab, to instruct Mr Holmes, Government Engineer, to report, and if rpquired to assist tb.a work by a subsidy as granted to other Boards in their infancy. Mr-Herrieß gave a modt sympathetic reply, but I consider under the present unprecedented conditions resulting from this war of nations, public bodies endowed with common sense or feelings of patriotism, must makeup their minds, as with private individuals, to submit to temporary itconvenience.

January, 1917.—Letters were received from the Hon. Mr Herriea and Dr. McNflb on dredging, in which the I latter promised to arrange for a visit of inspection for a report by Mr Holmes on this important matter. The .Board's derelict punt salved at Rotoroa Island was presented to the Salvation Army in recognition of the -noble work they are d/ing thiuughout the world.

February Bth.—A votfl of condolence was forwarded to the Acting Prime Minister in the death of Hon. Dr McNab, Minister of Marine Several reports froca the Executive Committee were considered and confirmed. The annual inspection of the Harbour was fixed for the 22nd inst.. and a-i invitation from the Kalikali Domain JLSCard for luncheon, on that day at Anzac Bay was accepted.

March Bth.—The Harbour Extension draft Bill caused considerable discussion, the raain cause being on the adoption of the report by the" Special Committee on the representation, the Borough members insisting on increasing their present number. Col. Ward, having been pre?eut, paired in support of the proposal with Mr King who opposed it, and as the casting vote lay with me I gave it in support of the existing . position cf aftßirs, but on even stronger grounds, that I regarded the luroposal as a parochial attempt to stuff the Board with local members, which would create an unfavourable impression in those new districts which we invited to 3oin us. Application was made ■through the Hon. Mr Herries to secure

an extension of our existing foreßbore. A hearty vote of congratulation v»bs passed to Sir James Alien, K.C.8., uDon tie honour conferred on him by our Gracious King. April sth.—Replies were received from the WHitai Borough Council and the Ohinemuri County Council to lettres I had written asking for a conference st Waihi with them by delegates of the Board; the date vsfas eventually fixed for Thursday, 19th April. I consider that the wee-ting was must satisfactory. Mr Southey, under notice of motion, moved a resolution for increasing the representation of the Katikati, Te Puna and Wa»mapu Ridings from two to three members and as CoJ. Ward was again present was again placed in the invidious positioi of having to exercise the power of giving rny casting vote, which, on principle, I gave jd to ■ihe proposal for the reasons givei in the report cf last month, when I rejected a similar motion proposed by the Tauranga Borough member?. The above is but a brief synopsis of the work done by ths Board, a vast aniount cf business having been transacted by the Executive Committee, who kindly arranged their monthly meetings on tbe day or evening previoua to the Board's meetings to enable me to attend. Their reports were generally adopted, and in bear nig rny testimony to the earnest and intelligent manner in which every subject was treated at this round table conference, I desire to express my warm appreciation of the valuable service rendered by our Secietary, Mr Lowe, his strict attention to every business detail and a genuine interest in carrying them out. In the conclusion of the business at the April meeting, I reminded the members, that, with the exception cf Col. Ward and myself, they all expired from cffiee by effluxion of time, but confidently locked forward to their resurrection by the ratepayers on Wednesday, 25tb, rand moved au adjournment—"from labour to reireshment" to meet a few local gentlemen connected with the Board, commercially and professionally, for lunch at the Bell Tea Rooms, thus eloping our proceedings by social intercourse. A very pleasant time was the result. Mutual kindly expressions were made in honouring the toasts, and the concluding act of the expiring Board waa to join hands to the strains of "Auld Ling Syne."