HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 6341, 13 July 1883, Page 4

HARBOR BOARD.

At yesterday’s meeting of this body the following was the principal business transacted : The Works Committee recommended that it be made compulsory that all the Board’s employes should assure their lives against accident to the extent of LIOO ; that all reports in reference to Dredge No, 222 for the past six months be lajd on the table ; that works recommended by the Engineer be adopted; that the services of all dredgemasters, except No. 222, be dispensed with. T he Harbor-master reported that the lowest low-water level during the month was 17ft, and the depth at the highest water level was 23ft; that the tide-gauge at the Sandspit had worked badly ; that the barque Jane Maria, drawing 14ft JOin, sailed from Dunedin wharf with a full cargo of grain, and the a.s. Hawea commenced to come up to Dunedin ; that it was the intention of the Company to do the same with other steamers of a larger class, and if so, the Board would very soon require to provide more wharf accommodation ; and that Archibald Puliation should be appointed coxswain at Port Chalmers. The Engineer reported as follows In the Lower Harbor tiro dredge 222 and the Priestman prepared a berth for the steamer lonic at Oeorge street wharf, Port Chalmers, to a depth of 26ft at low water, which al'owcd a margin of fully 7ft below her keel. The slipping in of stones, etc,, from the solid part of the wharf ban not developed any further than was previously reported ; but it will still be necessary to be watchful in case of accident. After finishing the above work the large dredge proceeded to the bar and began work - there, but it soon became evident that extensive repairs were w quired before she could work there with safety and .efficiency. The most pressing of those were the repairs to the spur-wheels at the top tumbler and the tightening up of the hopper doors, those parts having got much strained in the stiff Clay alongside the

George street wharf, and also by old iron and other refuse lifted at the wharf becoming jambed about the hinges and other parts of the doors. Those repairs, besides others of importance, arc now nearly completed, and the dredge will be ready for work on the bar on Monday first. In the Upper Harbor the dredge Vulcan has been partly employed in the Victoria channel and partly in the steamers' basin preparing berth along-ulo Eattray street wharf for the deepest-draught vessels which can come up the channel. The ITieatman has also been part of her time at tins latter work. The Vulcan is now laid up till Monday for periodical o\crThe works for the half-tide wall and tire walling at reclamation south of large dock' are proceeding. I propose repeating the whole of the soundings between this and Kilgour Point this month. Doubt having been expressed by Mr Barnes as to the reliability of the measurements of material, the Chairman* said there was no doubt at all that the dredge could do a great deal more than she was at present doing. He had visited her at the Port recently as late as three o’clock in the afternoon, and she had been working only two hours, having been waiting for punts. The idea seemed to be that that the Board had said side-punts must not be used, only boxpunts. The Engineer therefore had asked the Works Committee to recommend the alteration of the side-punts into box-punts, and the Committee had done so, and their report had been passed by the Board.

APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN. Mr Paterson moved that Mr Ross be appointed chairman. Mr Barnes had great pleasure in seconding the motion for the appointment until the end of the current year—or for the peiiod of the Board’s existence, as he understood that the Government at the end of the year would reconstitute the Board, and appoint a new one.

Mr Ross : Yes. The Government have a Bill in progress for reconstituting harbor boards.

Mr Mill said that there was not a full Board, and it would be better for them to wait, as only half the members were present. At the same time he did not object to the motion, and had no doubt he would vote for it when it came up. Mr Barron said he did not think it mattered, as it was necessary that the chairman should be a gentleman well up in the Board’s affairs. This being so, they would not be likely to appoint anyone else than Mr Ross, who was at present acting-chairman, and was well versed in the duties of the office. From the position he now occupied, he was the only man the Board were likely to appoint. Mr Paterson thought that if Mr Ross went to Wellington as acting chairman he would not be placed in a proper position. As for a full Board, they might get one more member (Mr Burt), but that was all. He questioned whether Mr Burns would be at another meeting, as he was leaving Dunedin, and his resignation would probably be before them in a fortnight. At present they had no chairman. Mr TSa-pvnes did not see that there was much difference between acting-chairman and chairman. Mr Ross was acting-chair-man at present, and if he went to Wellington lie would just take the position of chairman, and be acknowledged as such. He agreed with Mr Mill that there was no objection to the appointment, but thought that more than four members should be present. Under the circumstances, it might stand over until the new appointments were made. At next meeting they would probably have a member from the City Council, and also from the Chamber of Commerce, and it would not look well if they appointed a chairman at that meeting. It would be far better to leave it over, and it would make no difference to Mr Ross at Wellington.

Mr Ross said it would perhaps be better to lot the matter stand over until some telegrams had been read in Committee. The Board was being reconstituted, and any election they made that day would be only for a very short time. The matter then dropped. FINANCE.

The bank-book laid on the table showed a debtor balance of L 31,433 IGs. Accounts amounting to L 1,077 11s were passed for payment.