HARBOUR BOARD.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16517, 8 May 1919, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD.

ANNUAL MEETING. MR SORENSEN ELECTED CHAIRMAN. Tho statutory annual meeting of tho Lyttelton Harbour Board was held yestorday. Present —Messrs T. D. Boag, T. A. Blackley, R. Galbraith, S. K. Sleigh, W. J. Walter, H. Holland, J. Flood, H. B. Sorensen, F. Horrell, the Hon. R. Moore, and Dr. Thacker, M.P.

Dr. Thacker nominated Mr SorenBon for the chairmanship. Mr Walter seconded tho nomination. Mr Blackley nominated Mr Horrell, which nomination Mr Boag seconded. Mr Horrell's nomination was put to the meeting first, and lost by 6 rotes to 5, and Mr Sorenson was then elected, practically unanimously. The chairman's allowance -was fixed at £200. t ' Mr Sorensen, on taking the chair, returned thanks for his election. He said ho woiild act impartially in regard to tho respective merits of the different avenues of soa communication for Christchurch. He welcomed to the Board three new members, Messrs Holland, Galbraith, and Flood. The new mombers briefly replied. Mr Holland said the Board could take the recent elections in the city of mombers to the Boardas an indication at least that . the citizens of Christchurch -were dissatisfied with the means of communication between the city and its port. Dr. Thacker proposed, and Mr "Walter seconded, the nomination or Mr Horrell as deputy-chairman. Mr Horrell was elected without opposition. Mr Horrell said he had lost his chnnce of securing the chairmanship last year, when he gave his word to support Mr Kaye's nomination as chairman for a further term. It was decided that all the members of tho Board should bo appointed to the Harbour Improvement and Finance Committees. Mr Horrell was appointed chairman of the Finance Committee. The following were appointed -members of the Sailors' Homo Committee:— Messrs T. I). Boag (chairman), S. K. Sleigh, H. Holland, J. Flood, and \\. J. Walter.

ORDINARY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Board was then hold. Tho engineer reported that since resuming work in I*o rt; Lyttelton after working at Timaru from April Ist to 16th, the dredgo Canterbury had luted and pumped into the reclamation nrea. 19,876 tons of spoil, of -which 18,0G0 tons -were taken from tho 9Uter channel, and 1807 tons from the inner harbour. Tho dredge Tewhaka had lifted 2240 tons from the Gladstono pier, and between the inner ends of Nos. <i and 7 jetties. The reclamation mole had beon raised to its full permanent height for a distance of 1144rt from Baker's Point. Relative to the visit of the dredgo Canterbury to Timaru, Dr. Thacker said she had performed excellent work there. Practically all tlie men on tlio dredge were married, and so li&d to keep two homes going during their period at Timaru. He, therefore, moved that a bonus of half a month s pay be given them. Mr Sleigh asked whether their board was paid ashore or not. The engineer (Mr C. J. R- "Williams) said a small allowance was given to each man. They were not out of pocket, but had lost the comfort of their own homc3 in having to sleep aboard the ship. They had carried out,their work uncommonly well, and he would like to see them get something. Mr Walter moved, and Mr Flood seconded, an amendment that every man, no matter what his position, receive a bonus of £10. The amendment was lost, and the motion carried. • Mr A. Kaye was granted six months' leave of absonce.

Votes of thanks were accorded _ the retiring members—rMessrs H. F. Nicoll, J. J. Graham, and E. J. Howard. The chairman said ho was particularly sorry to see Mr Howard missing from the Board. Mr Howard and ho did not pull in the same boat together, but Mr Howard had many capable public qualitios. Applications for assistance in connexion with the Peace celebrations in Lyttelton and Christchurch were referred to the Harbour Improvement Committee, with power to act. ■ Resolutions from the Canterbury Progress League regarding railway accommodation and the Otira tunnel were endorsed. Sums of £25 each wore voted to the Boy Scouts and the Workers' Educational Association.

Applications from tho staff for increases of salary, and the secretary s report thereon, were referred to the Harbour Improvement Committee. It was decided to accede to a request from tho Roynl Life-saving Society arid Taylor's Mistake Surf and Ljiesavina: Club, for two life-savins reels.