HARBOUR BOARD

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 72, 26 March 1914, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD

At the monthly meeting of the Har- J hour Board last night there were pre- j sent Messrs. R. Fletcher (chairman), M'Farlane, Daniell, J. W. MacEwan, Cobbe, R. A. Wright, W. T. Hildreth, J. Trevor, H. L. Nathan, M. Cohen, A. H. Hindmarsh, M.P., A. D. Kennedy, and Captain Watson. Mr. C. W. Jones was gianted leave of absence. FINANCE. The bank pass books showed : — Current account, credit balance, £23,338 14s 7d : imprest account, credit balance, £1280 7b lid ; on fixed deposit, £80.000. Payments ;; — For accounts and wages, £20,488 10s lid ; for progress payments on contracts, £1721 10s lid ; for salaries for March, £839 5s 2d ; total, £23,049 7s. The necessary accounts were passed for payment. GENERAL. The Wharves and Accounts Committee recommended : — That in accordance with the engineer's recommendation two overhead electric cranes for the Pipitea Wharf Store No. 1 be ordered from Messrs. Royce, Limited, Manchester. The report was adopted. PATENT SLIP. The Wellington Patent Slip Company wrote asking whether and on what conditions the board would undertake dredging at the company's wharf at Evans Bay. It was decided that the board carry out the work at cost price. PETONE BOAT HARBOUR. Mr. M'Ewan moved that the engineer be instructed to proceed with the erection of a boat harbour at Petone, the work to be undertaken by the board's staff. The Petone Borough Council, he said, was prepared to pay one-half of the annual charges (totalling £260), less any mooring fees received. Those fees would amount to about £40 or £50 a year, leaving the council to pay something less than £100 a year. He added that he thought the council would provide a caretaker when the foreshore improvement scheme had been given effect to. The Chairman objected to the proposal that the council should be credited with any mooring fees. Mr. M'Ewan said he would agree to the council being credited with half the mooring fees. The proposal had been put forward on behalf of a number of working men who had taken up boating as a hobby. Mr. Nathan did not think it was the province of the board to build boat harbours all round the harbour. It this proposal was agreed to they would have applications from other places. The Chairman said it was essential they should provide boating facilities. The cost of the Wellington boat harbour had been enormous, and he thought it was only reasonable to do something of the sort for Petone. Any similar request would be considered on its merits. After discussion it was decided that the board erect the harbour and that the Petone Council pay half the annual charge, less one-half of the mooring fees received and provide a caretaker when the board considers it necessary. The cost of the work is estimated at £2450.