THE HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 5036, 25 April 1879, Page 2

THE HARBOR BOARD.

The Harbor Board’s adjourned meeting, held at three o’clock this afternoon, was attended by Messrs M Tewsley (preiding), M’Neil, Ramsay, Mill, Bridgman, Fsh, Burt, and Captain Logan.

CORRESPONDENCE. The bank pa-s book hid on vho table showed a c-edit balance of L 64.778 6« lid. Messrs Sievwiight and Stout enclosed draft of deed of site for Sailors’ Home. —Approved. Messrs Cameron Brothers, of Lyttelton, offo.ed the Tit.n as a tug-boat.—Referred to Works Committee. The Premia telegraphed wi'h reference to veclatctingjand for wi* new railway station Letter or 28th Ma ch wa« answered on Saturday. 1 have every hj >pe the answer will prove sati-fdctory.” The correspondence which had passed be tween the Hon. Mr Macandrew and the chairman, previously publi-hed, was laid on the table. WORKS COMMITTEE. The Works Committee reported“ Having recon* ,-ldcred the proposal to employ two engineering black* smiths, and having taken the evidence ot the Board’s engineer and the inspector of machinery, they had again come to the conclusion that—at all events as an experiment, and to work off a lot of material on hand —lt would be expedient to do so; and recommended accordingly that tho inspector be empowered to em* ploy two smiths and three helpers, temporarily, (v!) The engineer having explained that as many only of tho soundings taken on the bar and other parts ot the harbor have been placed on the plans as could be done without inconveniently crowding them, and to giving tho maps a confused appearance, the soundings were taken continuonsly and the least depths of watsr recorded. (3) App l otions for mat tor and engineer of the side dredge having boon considered, the commit', co had made the following appointments and requested the Board to confirm the same:—Thomas Primate, mate of the Vulcan, to be master of the side dredge ; William Macl'ay, formerly engineer to the side dredge, to be engineer; George Dunk'oy, deck hand on tho Vulcan, has been promoted to be mate. (4) The committee had r< quested the Inspector ot Machinery to furnish a report, on 'he gem ril condition of the machinery and its su '.a’ lity tor the work.

On the motion of Mr j amsat the report was adopted. The Inspector ot Machinery reported suggest* ing that new engines of fortv h.p should be lie din the Ir< n Age. Tbe fitting her with new boiler would not make her serviceable for towing purposes. In the course of disoasrion which followed Mr M'Neil said that the dredgo Vuloau had been eight days under steam abd yet her returns only showed forty hours’ work. No private firm in Christchurch weald submit to such a state of affairs; and there was some* thing radically wrong with the concern. Two men appointed a fortnight ago M b’acksmiths fur the New Era had not done any work yet, and yet Captain Logan and himself had been asked that day to pass their accounts on the pay sheet. He could point out six or twelve men who were really doing nothing. His conscience would not permit of his countenancing such a state of affairs.— The Secretary said that L 1,700 wes paid monthly for labor.—Mr Ramsat suggested that a special meeting of the Board should be called, tho members then to go into committee, and each express himself as to how the carrying cn of the works of tbe Board could be impr-v-d. Ho agreed with Mir M'Neil that money was bang needlessly frittered away, and he was getting heartily sick of it.—The Chairman was in favor of members go ng down the barb -r in the launch and investigative the works. There was no use rushing like a bull at a gate, as Mr M'Neil had suggested.—Mr M'Neil would be in favor of testing the feeling of the Board by suggesting that the whole of tho work* should be stopped, pending investigation —Mr Fish said that to talk as tbe la-t speaker had done was tho height of absurdity. To stop all works while an investigation was proceeded with, which would result iu little good, if any, would indeed be playing the farce out. He reminded the Board that the dredges were legacies left bv the first Board, of which Messrs Ramssy and M'Neil we e members. The Chairman defended the dredges. Tho New Era was reported to he doing her work sweetly and thoroughly, and the side-dredge. Was working satisfactorily. He was justified iu saying that there were some weaknesses about the V ulwvn ; on the other hand it must be be rue in mind that for two years it had been working almost constantly without repair. - It was agreed on Mr Burt’s motion—" That the Chairman be instructed to call a special meeting of the Board to discuss the whole matter.” ACCOUNTS, Accounts were passed fur payment amounting to L 522 I2k sd. the board’s engineer. Mr Fish, inWccordance with previous notice, moved—" ThaV in the opinion of this Boatd the time has arrived when it is no longer necessary to i etain the exclusive services of the Engineer. That Mr fcimpson be requested, instead of holding the present position, to accept that of consulting engineer to the Board at an annual fee of L receiving in addition usual professional fees for any service he may be called upon to render tho Board outside of such occasional supervision of the works now in progress as may be necessary to maintain the general principle of the scheme. That it be remitted to the Works Committee to interview Mr bimpson upon the above proposal and report to the Board,” He explained that he had given notice of the motion with a view to economy. It was not necessary to retain an officer such as Mr Simpson at a salary of 11,000 per annvm, Mr John Mill sccondeu the motion, saying that it was in accordance with a resolution carried by the Board some eighteen months ago.

Mr Ramsay would like to see the motion held over till after the special meeting arranged for had been held.

Eventually it was resolved that consideration of the matter should ba held over till next meeting. notice op motion. Mr Fish gave not ce of his intention to move ; Tim*; in view of the increasing commerce of the Port and the consequent oi rival of vessels i*f larg r tonnage and greater Temrth than lias been the case hitherto, it is highly desirable and necessary that the gra< i ig dock ba lengthened —ft, m order to accommodate such vessel . Thatth s Board make urgent representations to the uovemment to this effect. That It ho remitted 6 Works G° mm lttee to carry out this resolution. That in view of the rapidly-increasing commerce of the Port, and the consequent frequent arrival of shins or larger tonnage than has been the case heretofore, U is absolutely uectss iry that the bar at the Heads be de»pvnc\ That in order to effect this object It is re-

s'dved tha\a suitable dredge he at once ordered, and that it bo remitted to the Works Committee to make such recommendations to th-; Board as they deem expedient, in oAler promptly to give effect to this resolution.