LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7779, 5 February 1891, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOR BOARD.

—_^ —. — ANNUAL MEETING. The adjourned annual meeting of the Ly ctolton Harbor Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present—Messrs W. White Jan., .(Chairman), C. WV Turner, H. W. Peryrnan, K. Westenra, J: B. Milsont, F. Waymouth, E. G. Wright, P. Cunningham, F. Graham, Captains Parsons and McClatchie-

TheCHAißMAXhavingexplainedthat the meeting was held in accordance with the Act, read a letter from the AuditorGeneral concerning the accounts. The Chairman , ** statement was read as under:—Gentlemen—The accounts for the year, IS9O, duly audited, by the Controller and Auditor-General, have already been furnished to the members of this Board, and I am much Dleased to be able to congratulate you on the soundness of the Hoard's financial position. The accounts aua statistics prepared by Mr Williams, our Secretary and Treasurer, are so comprehensive that I need not, trouble members beyond referring to one or two points, 'lhese documents speak for themselves, and axe records of the progress of our Port, which inusC impress themselves favorably upon members of the Board and the puniic generally. The Board, have, ever since its constitution, recognised the principleof reducingtheircharges from time to time, as the circumstances of their revenue justified them in doing so. Ei'idence of this i.s furnished iv the Treasurer's report which instances the tact that tbe wiiarfage dues on (rrain, and ugiicultural produce, coal, frozen meat, &c, have been reduced by the Board within the last ten years, from 2s per ton to 6d per ton ; on timber the reduction has been 50 per cent., aud on general merchandise 25 per cent. A large proportion of these reductions were made as recently as May, 1889. Abo iv the case of the piiordge, the rates have buen reduced 50 per cent.; the present pilotage rates 3d and 2d per ton for sailing vessels and steamers respectively. I thiu£ the limit <>f these reductions has, for the present, been reached, especially as the estimate of receipts and expenditure for the current year ouly show a sate surplus. During the past year dredging operations were carried on at tbe entrance to, an.i within the iuner harbor for a period of about four n.oaths. Our dredgiug plant was, as you are aware, disposed ot to the Westporc Harbor Board, as we required a dredge capable of working outside tbe moles, and to a greater depth. The question as to the most suitable dredging plant for our future requirements lias been referred to the Harbor improvement Coinmi. tee, whoare ooiaiuingfuli information on tbe subject, and they will report the result to the Board in due course. Soundings have recently been taken, showing the result of the last dredging operai ions, and these will, to some extent, enable the Board to determine what farther dredging is necessary. Acting upon the advice oil the Lyttelton Haruor Board Sinking Fund Oomuii-isiouers, the loans to the Investment and Loan Association, were, in August last, consolidated, aud a, five years' debeuture, bearing interest at 5£ per cent., was substituted. The accumulated sinking fund now amounts to £15,954 17b sd. In August last, as the questions at issue between the Lyttelton Harbor Board, the Government, and tbe Railway Commissioners, relating to No. 5 shed, and also tbe Gladstone sheds, were no nearer settlement, Messrs S. G. Wright, the Hon. J. T. Peacock, myself, aud the Secretary were deputed by the Board to wait upon the Government and the Railway Commissioners at Wellington, and endeavor to have matters settled iv accordance with the Public Accounts Committee's report of September 4th, 1889. As this deputation from the Board was unable to come to any satisfactory arrangement with the Government or the Railway Commissioners, no alternative was left to them but to again approach Parliament through the medium of the : Public Accounts Committee, lhat Committee, after again taking most exhausting evideuee, including that of Mr J. P. Maxwell, one of the Railway Commissioners, who, inter alia, stated he would rather pay £40,000 rather than allow the Harbor Board to work No. 5 .shed, reported to the House a second, time against the Railway Commissioners taking the shed from the Harbor Board, and the vote which the late Government brought down to the, House on the recommendation of the Railway Commissioners, for -610,000, Was struck out by the Parliament on the lath of September last. Nevertheless, the Rail way Commissioners still persist in retaining possession of No. 5 Sued, notwithstanding the fact i ha* they have no funds to pay for it; nor are likely to obtain any iv the face of the repeated decisions of the House oh the matter. Last year the Board could have let this shed at a high rental had not the Commissioners taken possession of it, the Board's object, however, was not to let it, but to work it themselves and to afford the public greater faoili ies at our port for storing tht. produce of the country at the lowest payable rates. This is evideuced by the fact that our storage operations for tbe four ytars ending in 188 a left a very small margin of prolit, which was converted into a loss of *157 last year, consequent on the strike which unfortunately occurred iv Lyttelton in September and October last. In the past the Lyttelton Haibor Board stores have proved a great convenience to the producers, in fact, during the past three years, our stores have been blocked withgraiu before the close of each graiu season. Our storage rates are at present slightly lower than those of the Railway Department. Mr Maxwell stated to the Public Accounts Committee last session that the railway made a considerable loss oy their storage business, and it seems somewhat peculiar that, under such circumstances, they should apparently desire to add to their liabilities, iv this respect, by endeavoring to acquire the ownership of No. 5 shed. When writing to the JUailway Commissioners, in July last, on the subject of the private .sidings and shed accommodation, JL strongly pointed out how much better it would be if the Railways were freed from the storage business, and that it would enable them to devote their undivided attention to their legitimate duties " as carriers." Tho Gladstone shed question is in somewhat a similar position. After the Public Accounts Committee had recommended the payment ot £3302, which they assumed to be the cose of these sheds to the Board, the Railway Commissioners induced the lute Government to place a sum of £3000 on the Appropriation Bill for these sheds, but as this sum is some £300 uuder the actual amount .spent by the Board oa their erection, and does. not provide for the cost of the timber work which forms their foundations, the maintenance of which falls on the Harbor Board, and also was exclusive of interest on the Beard's outlay since the sheds were built, the Board could not, under these circumstances, accept the above sum. The Railway Commissioners were made aware of this tact in June, 1890, long before they asked tbe late Government to place the £3000 on the Supplementary Estimates for this purpose. It is anomalous that the Railway Commissioners should propose to pay for the foundations of No. 5 shed, but not co do »o for those of. the Gladstone sheds. The Harbor Board are advised by counsel that the Gladstone sheds belong to them. The recent action of the Railway Commissioners appears to indicate that they possess the power to take land aud properties from the public without having the means or the desire to pay for them. In our case they first stated they were taking the property subject to a vote of Parliament, but when the House refused to vote the money the Railway Commissioners still persisted in holding possession. The Railway Commissioners are fully aware that our loan was raised on the security of the Board's income derived from rates aud rents, «fee, and it cannot be supposed that che Commissioners liave the power to reduce the security thus given to the English bondholders, aud for this reason the Board would be failing in their duty, and committing a breach of faith, were they to permit portions of their estate, represented by harbor improvements, which have been constructed out of the proceeds of loan, to be taken away without full compensation being paid for them. The Kail way Commissioners appear to fail to recognise the fact that the powers of Harbor Boards are exercised, at. least equally with their own, iv che interest a*id for the convenience of the public, and that Harbor Beards were not created for the purpose of making commercial gain. The Board have hitherto been strongly averse to going to law, as the costs, which would be very heavy, must coma out of the pockets of the public, whether the railway or the harbor jjaiued the verdict. The Commissioners do not appear to take this into consideration at all. The position they have now taken up is apparently with a view of forcing the Board to seek a settlement by this means, and the Harbor Board apparently now have no other alternative. During the past year there has been a marked improvement Iα the receipts from the tug service, and also for the graving dock, both of which are fully reported on by the Treasurer. As the liability for the cool chamber in Lyttelton was not incurred by the Board till immediately after the dose of the year

1890, owing to a delay caused through an objection raised by the Railway Commissioners to the site, the amotme of the contract does not appear in the accounts now laid before you. The contract for the building amounts to £2961, and the ammonia plant ordered from Home *to £1050, making £4014, to which has to be added freight, charges, architect's fees, &c, so that the total cost will be under £5000. The engines for the cool chamber will be under the same roof a? the engines and boilers for the electric lighting, and as we are extending the latter to the dock and Naval Point, we may anticipate a benefit and a saving of expense by these two services being centralised; besides which the removal of the present electric lighting engine shed, from its present site near No. 5 shed, will give a far better access for working this shed. The Harbor Master's annual report for che year 1893 is of a rery satisfactory character, and the several matters which require attention will be brought under tbe Board's consideration in due course. The Sailor's Home as Liyttelton continues to be well pationised aud the results are very satisfactory. As a now Board will be elected on the 9th inst., 1 may not have again an opportunity of tendering my thanks individually to the present members of the Board for their consideration aud support during my term of office as Chairman, and I do so now most heartily. I also take advantage of this opportunity of expressing my high appreciation of the faithful and zealous manner in which our officers have performed their various duties. 1 have had no occasion to dad fault with oue of them during the past year for neglect of duty, and the members of the stait are now working loyally together."

MrTuttNER moved in effect that the accounts aud statement of assets and liabilities up to the 3lst December, JB9O, should be passed aud certified. He observed that the accounts and the various reports were highly satisfactory, except the storage, which was not altogether satisfactory. The public had the benefit, but the return to che Board was not at all good. Mr Wright seconded the motion, and remarked that he disagreed altogether with Mr Turner when that gentleman said that the storage was th? only account in which there was not a satisfactory return. He kuew of others, but at the sume time ie appeared to him that it would not be advisable to make any alteration in the rate at present. Mr Pebyman, who supported the motion, took exception to the comparative accounts, as they showed that the reductions had been made in one year having wus not the case, the reductious. This extended over several years, and he would have wished to see a statement of all the years for the purpose of comparison. The Chairman submitted that the Board should not make a great gain, if any, especially on grain. He pointed out that the table was given for ten years, and that the bulk of the reductious had been made within the last two years.

Mr Graham drew attention to the returns, which he held furnished the information raised by Mr Peryman's question. Mr Tukner said it must not be understood that he wished to raise the rates, and spoke upon the position of matters regarding the Lyttelton sheds. The accounts were so full that he considered they would be read by a great part of the Community. The motion was carried.

On the motion of Mr Wbight, seconded by Mr WesTenba, a vote of thanks was passed to the heads of he departments and to the staff for the satisfactory and efficient manner iv which they had performed their duties.

This concluded the business of the annual meeting.

ORDINARY MEETING.

The adjourned ordinary meeting of the Harbor Board was then held, the same members being present. The Chairman reported that the following sums had been paid into tbe Board's account since last meeting:—Wharfage, £1097 5s sd; pilotage and port charges, £724 3s; towage, warps, &c, £1378 9s ad. As £suoO of the fixed deposits matured on the lyth inst. the Finance Committee recommended that it be re-deposited for a period of six months. The bank book on the table showed the current account balance in credit £1279 53 Id.

The Harbor Master's annual report was received and passed. Mr Croll, Government Inspector of Machinery, reported on the tug lyttelton in a satisfactory manner. - ■ In answer to a letter from Mr Bennett, of the Union Steamship Company, it was agreed to supply permanent fenders for the east side of No. 7 wharf.

In reply to a question asked by Captain McClatchie at the last meeting, the Harbormaster reported that a tauk for drinking-waterandan ambulance stretcher at the dock would be useful.

The same officer reported on the drowning case which occurred at No 3 wbarl. Captain McClatchie took the opportunity to suggest that protection should be placed Oα the wharf and in other necessary places. The question was, however, referred to the Harbor Improvement Committee, who were also requested to report upon the matter of the salaries of che employees under the Board.

It was decided to re-deposit £5000, which had matured, in earns of £1000 each for six mouths. The Auckland Harbor Board offered dredge Mo. 21, 5iX) tons, for sale for £25,000, or would lease it at £30 per week, the Lyttelton Harbor Board to pay wages, expenses, insurance, and eifect repairs from the time the dredge leaves Auckland until ie returns to thac port. Mr R. Kirk, of the Joha Bell, wrote asking that the following concession be granted to coasting vessels—that wheu che vessel arrives the number should be hoisted Indicating the berth it was to occupy, which would prevent delay; that if arriving after 5 p.m. on Saturday, vessels be allowed to sail into any vacant ! erth occupied by coasting vessels, to save their ljiug in the stream over Sunday. Mr Gkaham considered the request' was a reasonable one, aud nochiug to prevent the concessions being uiaue. He moved that the request be granted.

Mr Wright agreed with this.

Mr Tubneb said that many years ago the difficulty of berthiug was got over by vessels bt-iiig allowed to anchor in the stream. Perhaps, however, the conditions were different now. He would offer no object I hi to the number beiag run up. Mr Milsom seconded the motion, which was carried.

Among the miscellaneous business transacted the Board granted two applications for space on which to spread oysters; it approved of a return, prepared by the Secretary, in reply to a letter from the Marine Departmenc, for certain information concerning the water In the dock. Accounts amounting to £1335 11s 8d were passed for payment. T. Newton was appointed second night watchman at Lntelton. Two tenders received for coal stores were declined on account of the excessive price asked. The tender for stores was referred to tbe Chairman to accept if advisable. That life saving apparatus be supplied for .New Brighton. A vote of thanks was passed to the Lvttelton Fire Brigade for their services at the fire on board the Nettie, and the Board adjourned until Tuesday, the 24th inst. ..