HARBOR BOABD.

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4098, 14 September 1878, Page 5

HARBOR BOABD.

JObe adjourned meeting of the Lyttellon Esrtwr Board was held yesterday afternoon ie the ftenncial Council Chamber. Present—■ Hants Harman (in the chair), P. Cunningham, Cnig, Allwright, and Turner. The miinttes of the previous meetiisg were read sod confirmed. : ■ "'■ CHAIBItAH'3 STATKKEST. '? ■? The Chairman made the following state■The following sums have been paid into the Board's credit since our last meeting— Wharfage for three weels, ending August 7th, 1876 ... £1490 16 10 PQotege acd wharf charges for month of August,-1878 ... 590 17 0

£2081 13 10 A number of accounts will be eubmitted for paynunt. Areport will be read from our engineerj fonrardiiig plans and specificatioiwforthe ertemion of the Gladstone Wharf, &c, the Screw Pile Jetty, and No. 1 Intermediate Jetty; also in reference to putting in hand the reclamation between the Board's jetties and Gladitose Pier. ;

A return of the dredging done during the month of August is on the table ; it shows that 4H barge loads of mud have been ressoved, amounting to 10,375 tons, or 7470 eoblc yards. I regret to have to report that the smaller of the two new wheels broke on the Saturday following our last meeting; an iron plate w&e, however, rivetted into it, which kept it going for a few days. I had in the meantime directed tenders to be called for a ipsro bc-ge and small wheel. I subsequently gave directions that tenders should be requested for the supply of another small wheel to replace the one last, broken. Only one tender wss sent in for each of these; "namely, Mr John Anderson's tender for the large and tm»fl wheel, £145 15». This I accepted subject ta confirmation by the Board. Tha otter tender for the small wheel will be opened at ooi meeting to-day. The Board wfllbe gladtoleara that the dredge recommenced work on tie 4th inst., and hae been working jaaEterruptedly ever since tben. She hu completed the dredging off the intersaedkte jettr, and is now employed in remeritig the iank raised by v.-«ee!s lying at the eastern side of the Tunnel Month Wharf.

Lstters i&ve been received from the Grovenanect approving of the lighthouse, ns well » fite Eght proposed to be erected upon the OfloerePoir t Breakwater.

On Saturday, the 3lst ultimo, T received an •ppEeation from the agents of the eteatcer Tfinska to be allowed" to discharge on the fallowing dsy (Sunday). After referring the qoastion to the four members of the Board Wen present at Chrietchmreh, I, in consideration" of the fact that the Waraka was carrying south the hi ward San Francisco mail, and laid lost no time on her way down, authorised the issue of a special order to enable her to discharge upon the occasion applied for. I am. advised by our chairman, who is in Wellington, th&fc he hae had several intertjows with the Secretary to the Treasury, in reference to the proposed alteration in the mode ;of refunding, our wharfages collected by the Government, and a reply is promised in a day or two. Acting nnder a previous resolution of the Board, ths insurance of our steam tug upon her Toyage oat has been effected to the extent of £11,000, divided among six local insurance companies. The premium paid amount* to £319 in eIL I have also received adrice fron? tie Sational Bank of New Zealand, of the payment of the third instalment (£3250) of fi» contract for building the tog. MemoMada will be read from our chairman on the following subjects':— Be the Peacock wharf property rearrangements, re the Resided Magistracy, Lyttelton, re the proposal to pay members of the Board for each attendance.

VVitli regard to a six month's extension of Meiia Cfemeron's steam tug service contract, Ihtvo to report that no reply has been rec*iw4 from these gentlemen. * It will be foj *J» &«rd now to decide what arrangeinejStV Hβ to be made for the continuation of the

kWierriee. also to report that the mooring <&aia of the tranrporthig buoy has been renewed from same spare chain which was in stock. Alao that of the Panwn'e reef buoy, &s» latter buoy ias also been taken up, repsred, and replaced since our last meeting. The harbor master having reported that tie telegraph between the pilot station and the look out house on the hill, was working bsdly, I arranged with Mr Meddinge to go aawa and examine it. Hβ recommended that; telephones should be used, and his reoom-" Bieadation baa been given effect to, and they h«e been found to answer admirably, and 'in «ace of any failure on their part, the ABC. mstnHHeLtJi can still be wed. The cost of file telephones is £5. It having been suggested to mc that a line. Of telegraph between the pilot station, at the Heads, snd Lyttelton, via, the lighthouse, *Hild be of yreat service,especially for signal tog purposes when the eerrieee of our. Aeair. *j°js *H required by vesselsonteide the Heads i tare thought it desirable to ask MpM«5 with an estimate of tin eoetof coiatructinp fuc h a line. This ceti =»4e will \» kid before the Bosrd as soon :- »» rewiTwl I thiuk the subject *ell wwthyof theft favorable w^dcra-ion. iaetaeto c&U the attentijn of the Board ™*wT.L Jr wmission o f port dues. wh«i WMTBade by fee tnarter of the ship Dateo on behalf of hie ve£se j. F the Board aw aware, Q* dd p x^ tel .

ton *nd returned a few days afterwards under circumstances wm'cfc were detailed in the inquiry held by the; Collector of Custom* after her return. • Tbe'-harbormaater was not present at r th* inquiry, and has no knowledge of the case beyond that possessed by any member of the public who may have read the report of the inquiry in the newspapers. He was, however, applied to by the master of the vessel for remission of the port dues, and the master having stated in writing that he returned to port by reason of "stress of weather," the harbormaster did not feel him-

eelf justified in refuging to admit the claim, and the dues were accordingly remitted. It appears to mc Tery doubtful whether the drcumatenees of the case really justified a chum on the ground of " stress of weather," and in order that the harbormaster may in future be enabled to form hie own opinion as to the justice or otherwise of such churns, I would suggest that the Government be requested to invite his presence at such inquiries, and to instruct the Collector of Customs to put to the witnesses appearing before the Court any questions which the harbormaster may desire to answered for his own information.

An application was received yesterday from the ma«ter of the brig Eeymond for the use of the Board's diving apparatus for the purpose cf examining that vessel's bottom. It will be reollected that she met with injuries upon her late voyage to tLis port. As no facilities at present exist here for shipping or docking this vessel, I thought it but right that the Board should place at the disposal of the master of the Raymond our diving ap< paratus to enable the required examination to be made. I accordingly authorised use being made of it in this instance, subject to certain conditions, namely, securing payment to the Board for any damage which may be eus-

tamed by the apparatus, acd also for the payment, ef a fee of £5 for its use, irrespective of a diver's services. 2fo diver to use it unless approved of by Mr D< rbridge. engineer's eepobt. The following report from the Board's engineer was read and discmsed :— " Sir, —I beg to submit plans and specifications for the following works:— (1 ) iEsteneioa of Gladstone Wharf 504 ft. (2) Extension of Screw-pile Jetty 43ft. 6ia. wide, 322 ft. ■ (3.) Extension of Intermediate Jetty ISTo. 1 to 401 ft. '(4.) Construction of Intermediate, No. 3, and adjoining breastwork.

[ "If the Board intends to go into all these work*,! would suggest that they be alHet in one contract, by which means I think better work and material would be secured as cheaply as by letting them in separate contractd. I do not think, however, that they can-all-be finished in time for the next grain season, and would make it a condition of the contract that the Gladstone Wharf and the extension of Interim d ate No. 1 be first finished. -

: "I submit also a plan and estimate for widening , the Ssrew-pile Jetty to 63ft. and extending it to 522 ft. lam informed by the late Provincial Engineer of Wellington that the sheds on the wharves there are not found to be at all satisfactory, and that they would willingly be rid of them if they could get sites on shore.

1 "I beg to suggest the advisability of proceeding as soon as possible with the reclamation by the embankment of that part of the harbor between the boat landings and the inner end of the Gladstone Wharf. The sooner it is done, the lees will it be liable to interruption by the increasing traffic, and the embankment should be allowed time to settle before the timber breastwork is added.

" The reclamation of the foreshore, between the present end of the breastwork and the Tunnel Jetty, has "been commenced by the Government, the timber work for which, is included in the foregoing contract. " Messrs Langiown and 00. have a cargo of timberia porfc.for their contract of Intefnie"diate Jetty, No, 2. ■■ - ■ I * " C.Napikb Bsel, Engineer." 1 Mr Cunningham moved, and Mr Turner seconded, the following, which was agreed to —"That the Board approve of the plans and specifications eubmitted by the engineer for the extension of the Gladstone Wharf 504 ft.; the extension of the screw pile jetty 43ffc,6iri. wide to 522 ft.; the intermediate jetty extension, No. 1", to 401 ft., and order that the same be forwarded' to Wellington for approval, and that so soon as such approved is obtained, tenders' be advertised for, the same to be let in one or more contracts." : 7 . SBKCIAH MKETIKQ. . It was resolved that a special meeting of the Board, for the acceptance of tenders, should be held on JTriday, the 27th inst. EECLASTATION. : Mr Cunningham moved, Mr Craig seconded —" That the engineer be requested to prepare plans' and " specifications of the reclamation between the .boat jetty and the Gladstone Wharf, as proposed by.the Board." This was agreed to.

■ " '■' tutasob. ' . A. number of accounts were passed for payment. BJ2PAIBS TO DBEDGB. - . On the motion of Mr Turner, seconded by Mr T>. Craig, the following motion was agreed to—"That the Board accepts Mr J. Anderson's tender for £53 5s for the small wheel for the dredge, and, therefore, they confirm the action of the acting-chairman in calling for tenders for it, and also for the two duplicate wheels, and in accepting Mr Anderson's tender of £145 los for them, and the Board order that their seal be affixed to the contract for the same." ' pbacoce's "whabf. A memorandum from the Hon. E. Richardeon was read, stating that he and the other members at Wellington concurred in the joint report of the Board ergineor, and the railway resident engineer, relative to the rearrangement .of the Peacock's Wharf property. ,-■ V PAYMENT OF HS3TBEES. The following memorandum from the Hon. EL Richardson was read :— ' "I haTe not referred to the proposal .to introduce into the Harbor Bill to pay the members for each sitting. All the members now in Wellington strongly object to it, and wonld feel bound to oppose it if proposed in other directions; and I much regret that we. are so opposed in this matter to so many other members of the Board." * Some diecussion followed the reading of this memo, but no ection wss taken with reference to the question of payment. .'_ " '■" '• ' STEAM TCQ-. ' I Mr Cameron waited npon the Board, and explained that his not acknowledging the letter.sent to his firm, relative to an extension of Ms contract, was due to the absence of his brother. The matter was allowed to rest in abeyance for the present. ! ~ DtTKK OB ABGYLB.

After -some discussion upjn the action of the harbor master in remitting the dues of the Duke of Argyle, the Board resolved that in future all harbor dues must be paid, and that when necessary they can be refunded, but only after reference to the chairman has been made. ADJOUBKITBHT. " ! The Board adjourned for tbree weeks, the next meeting to be held in Chrietchurch on the ith October