HARBOK BOARD.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7170, 4 October 1888, Page 6

HARBOK BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board was held yesterday. Present—Messrs P. Cunningham (Chairman*, E. G. Wright, C. W. Turner, K. Westeura, W. White, H. W. Peryman, F. Graham, J. Stinson, C. R. Blakistbn, S. R. Webb, and Captains Parsons and Tosswill. The Chairman reported aa follows :— During last month (September) there has been a decided improvement in the shipping trade of the port. The registered tonnage of foreign and intercolonial vessels inwards amounted to 23,577 tons, and outwards amounted to 27,329 tons, and we may look forward to a very considerable increase upon these figures for the current mouth of October, as some eighteen foreign-bound vessels are due, their conuage aggregating to some 1(5,000 tons, aud tiiree ocean steamers are also laid on of t<7l9 tons, making a total of 2U.71D tons, which is exclusive of the intercolonial traders, whose tonnage last month amounted to some 11,000 tons. The storage report fo* , the past month is ou the table. The towage and electric lighting returns are also before you, and call for no special remark. The inventories of dock aad dredging plant, prepared by Mr lurpin, are also on the table. Since our last meeting the following sums have been paid into the lioard'3 credit:—Wharfage £2ilfcJ 7s Id ; piloiaye and port charges, jt'iWO lO.s Id; towage, storage, &c, £301 18s Bd. Total, £:3.3;i-t los lOti. The Bank book on the table shows the amount to credit of our current account, £-1072 ids sd, which, with the .£3OOO placed on tiiCil deposit, malces a total credit of £7072 2s oJ. We have, however, to remit to London before the end of the year the sum of £0000 to meet the interest due on our debentures for the six months ending 31st December next. Whilst on the question of finance I would suggest to the Board the advisableness of .setting apart a specilic sum yearly as a renewal fund. The estimated depreciation on the timber work of our wharves and jetties, &c, based on our late engineer's (Mr O. Napier Hell) calculations is at the rate of th per cent., or £4730 a year. As our financial year ends on the 31st December' next, I will then take the opportunity of more fully bringing this important question under your consideration. Effect has been Riven to your resolutions regardiug the reduction of the staff at the Dock. The dredger plant has been placed in charge of tne Harbormaster, who has been instructed to employ the engineer of'the tug and other members of h«r crew during their spare . time in looking after the machinery, Sec, of the dredge and barges, and seeirie that it is kept in • thorough working order. With legard to the dock, I will ask you to approve of the appointment of Mr W. Beecroft, who has been attending to the engines under Mr Turpin'S: directions for .the past six years, as engine driver at £3 a week, his present pay being £2 9s a week. I may mention that I took the opinion of Mr Inspector Croll on Beecroft's qualifications before recommending him lor the appointment. These stall' changes will eilect a saving of about £400 a year. Mr K. Treleaven entered upon his duties as working storeman at our Lyttelton stores on Monday last, and Mr Wm. Foster will be employsd as sampler when the busy season arrives, and in the meantime he will be employed on such day work at our sheds as may arise. I will ask the Board to order the aih'xing of their seal to Messrs Treleaven's and Beecroft's warrants of appointment. I may mention that five vessels have been docked since the new by-law came into force, two months since, and there has not been the slightest difficulty experienced by masters of vessels in obtaining the services of qualified shipwrights to undertake the docking, &c, of their vessels; in fact the same men who undertook the work under the former dock regulations are still available for the work. Pilot Lewin' and Mr' Derbidg'e, who understand the working of the dock caisson, will attend to it under the Harbormaster's directions. A letter will be read from the Sumner Town Board requesting the removal of the pilot's cottage at Sumner, which was built by the Provincial Government in 1872 on a portion of the road reserve, and subsequently handed over to this Board by the General Government. Looking to the fact that the Board gave permission on the recommendation of the Sumner Town Board to the Tramway Company to carry their line over a portion of the Harbor Board's beach in front of the cottage in question, and as we have no other site available for the cottage I thought it might be allowed to remain where it has been for the last sixteen years. The new limits of the Port of Lyttelton were proclaimed by the Governor on the 21st ult., and a plan showing them is on the table. An unexpected delay has occurred in obtaining the plans of the proposed siding accommodation for lot No. 15, which is to be leased to the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company at £200. The matter was referred by the "Railway Engineer to Mr Maxwell at Wellington under special directions from him about the middle of last month, and since then we have had no advice. X will bring under your notice today the expediency of lighting the Sailors' Home by electric light from our present installation, the cost of connecting it with the Home will not exceed £10. The average yearly cost of gas supplied to the Home is about £33. Some thirty incandescent lamps would be placed in the building, and there would be little if any additional cost of maintenance, as the Home's lights would be kept burning during the time the wharf lamps were alight. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Graham, seconded by Captain Parsons —"That Richard Treleaven be appointed working storeman for the Harbor Board's stores at Lyttelton, his wages to be at the rate of £3 per week, and his engagement to terminate with a month's notice on either side; that Wm. Beecroft be appointed engine-driver at the dock and oi the patent machinery at £2 10s per week, subject to similar notice." It was resolved, re the request for the removal of. the pilot's cottage at Sumner, that the Sumner Town Board be written to and asked for another site, failing which the cottage to be sold. It was decided that a telegram should be sent to the Hon. Minister for Public Works, urging upon him the necessity for settling the question of the proposed siding for lot 15 without any further delay. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Stinson and Turner to light the Sailors' Home with the electric light. Accounts amounting to £749 Oa 3d were passed for payment. The Board then adjourned till the 31st October, at 2.30 p.m.