HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 14575, 25 May 1911, Page 4

HARBOR BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting o{ the Otago Harbor Board was attended this afternoon by the chairman (Mr W. Belcher), Messrs W. Barclay, J. Dickson,. C. K. Kcast, H. E. 'Moller, I. E. Keenan, H. C. Campbell, K. 0. Hazlett, J. Loudon, W. Wilkinson, J. H. Walker, and F. W. Platts.

The bank pass book showed credit balances as under: Current account, £1,245 Is 7d ; special funds account, £1,297 18s; dock account, £8,697 Is Id. A clause in the harbor-master's report announcing the granting by Mm of a pilot exemption certificate to an officer who had passed tlio necessary examination, caused some discussion, Mr Baa-clay pointing out that these certificates had to be passed by the Board.—lt was resolved that in future exemption certificates be granted only at duly-constituted meetings of the Board. Messrs John Reid and Sons and others wrote asking for a share of the Board's auctioneering and agency business.—Referred to Finance Committee for report. A letter was received from the Board's solicitors stating that there was noihing whatever against tho legality of the Board' 6 granting 6ix months' leave of absence to Mr G. B. Bullock.—ln moving that the solicitors' opinion bo received, Mr Barclay said he was glad that the opinion was of that nature. —Plague Precautions.— The Chief Health Officer wrote recommending the need for providing efficient apparatus for the use of the shipping trading to the port to assist in keeping foreign and coastal vessels free from rats. As an indication of the kind of apparatus needed, he forwarded a letter from the Union Oil Engine Company bringing under notice the duplex marine furnigator, a mechanism for forcing sulphur gases under pressure into the holds of ships.—Referred to the Works Committee. A letter was received from the trustees of the Public Art Gallery, thanking the Board for the suggested donation cf £l5O as compensation for improving an adjoining site, and replying to overtures made by the Board for* the acquisition :>f this site for Harbor Board offices (alongside the railway line to the south of the An Gallory). This letter stated that tho trustees would be glad to let tho Harbor Beard have the site subject to the apprival of their chairman, Mr A. Bathgate.—Mr Keast stated that this was the reopening of a matter new to most members, and moved that it be referred to the Works Committee, which was done. —Sailors' Rest.—

In reference to Hie annual request for a donation to the " Sailors' Rest," the Chairman mentioned that formerly the Board had made a donation of £2O annually, until a certain pei-son raised the question of the legality of the grant. The Board had their solicitors' opinion that it was altogether illegal.—Mr Barclay said that most public bodies did things that did not come within the four corners of the Act. He moved that the Board grant £2o.—Mr Walker seconded this, and said that he 'did not think the solicitors' opinion would hold.—Mr Kea-st objected to overriding the solicitors' opinion, and moved that the matter bo referred to the Finance Committee for a report.—Mr Walker explained that ho thought the solicitors' opinion had been given under the old Act.— Mr Loudon 6aid the grant was legal, as the Act provided for a margin of 2 per cent, of the expenditure under the heading "Unauthorised."—The Chairman opposed the grant. He said ho had never yet known one single instance wliero the amount of good .supposed to emanate from those running the Sailors' Rest had really been derived. It was a sectarian affair from top to bottom. Prayers and hymns and other sectarian things were ladled out to the men. An institution under the auspices of the Rev. Mr Curzon-Siggere was taking away all the clients of the Sailors' Beet; yet Mr Siggcrs did not run to the Board for support, preferring to run his institution on his own Hne6. Those running tho Sailors' Rest, did nothing to ameliorate the lot of seamen on board "ship; they, in fact, condoned many of such grievances. Mr Keenan moved, as an amendment, that the letter lw received.—The amendment lapsed for lack of a seconder.—The grant of £2O was passed by a large majority.