CHRISTCHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 121, 14 February 1908, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH.

February; J. 3.. At/yesterday's ' meeting; of 'the Lyttelton Harbour. Board an account-for £13 17s. lid., > the. amount proposed to be voted'to the crew of the tug-boat Canterbury for night work after 9.p.m.'and until: midnight in. attend-.. ;;ance'" ; uponuH.M.S.' Powerful, during tho're- ; centWisit of tho fleet:was presented.. Mr. H. ■ ■ S. Webb said it was a question whether the ' tug,should becalled upon to do such work for the fleet. Frequently she had been called out to go down tho harbour to the Powerful m order to put two or three blue jackets on board. -He questioned whether the Board was entitled to favour; H.M./ships to the.ox- . v tent' that.: was common/.- Tho tug was kept going night dnd day. for their benefit, ■ and tho Board got no thanks. Indeed, on one occasion one of the. junior officers hailed the " captain of-the tug with tho salutation "Lat.?. . again!" So. that,:not only had ho -thanks" • Keen forthcoming, brit abuse yas given instead. V-'The "speaker intended: to. oppose tho use of the tug being given to tho'fleet under. \ present conditions. Ho objected, to their ves- '■ sel being called out at midnight to carry V sailors down the harbour;. The tug was becoming'very .expensive to maintain; and the ... timo .was approaching* when .they- would have to" consider tho position ' seriously - before throwing their-kindness away on H.M. ships. Mr. F. W. Waymouth said tho men'had been very much overworked owing to the- visit of the.fleet;. Considering tho valuable property in their charge, tho • naval authorities had boon asking the Board to do too much, and ■ on ]the 'recent Occasion thoy, tho : Board's: kindness. '.The. speaker; cited an instanco of severarmeri-q'-warsmen attempting to'board their own-' launch to'.go out; to tho ship, but 'wero sent round to tho tug. .The ' N -Board should definitely settle the extent of tho services to be rendered to H.M.. ships'-: boforo tho; fleet visited Lyttelton again; ■ Mr. '■ A. Ivavo said lie had a' great deal of sympathy with tho remarks of. the - othor speakers. Ho could say more;, but perhaps.it was wiser not. He rather regretted the discussion hnd been taken-in open Board It might get to tho ears of the Admiral. (Members, in .. chorus,.'"Let.it get to his ears.!') y- The Chairman (Mr. Laurenson, -M.P.) said - inwhat,ihad' been : done on behalf of tho' fleet ho'. hadsimply followed /tho , precedent set-by two';or-threo previous chairmen. *He asked 'members ; to, bear in mind,. however, .that .the fleet -was maintained; in tho'Australasian waters for tho protection of their commerce, 1 and that while the people of the colo- ; nies,taxed themselves-to tho.extent of. only' lid. per head for those benefits, the people at Home, paid 16s. per head; /That.being so', . thoy should oxtend every possible courtesy to H.M. ships. At tho same time, however, the naval authorities, instead of regarding what : was . done'" by the Board as ,a favour, looked upon it as a right, and. the favour latterly had been, abused. The account for overtimo , . was passed for -payment, and'the attitude,, of tho Board:towards;tho fleet, in,future was left, to the Harbour Improvement, , Com : mitteo, to determine at-, its next meeting,