GREY HARBOUR BOARD

Grey River Argus, 12 February 1936, Page 3

GREY HARBOUR BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Greymouth Harbour Board was held last evening, there being present; Messrs P. J. McLean (Chairman), D. Tennent, W, Ciayton, J. Ryan, G. Perry, the Engineer (Mr D. C. Milne), and the Secretary (Mr W. B. Gilbert). An apology for absence was received from Mr G- E. Perkins.

The Chairman said that since the last meeting the nation had sustained a severe loss, in the death of His Majesty, King George V. It would be futile for him (the Chairman) to say anything of such, a worthy sovereign, but he thought it only right that the members should pay their respects. Ihe members stood in silence.

The Chairman also referred to the death of Sir Janies Mills, whom he said was a pioneer of one of the greatest shipping companies in the Southern Hemisphere, the Union Steam Shin Company. The meeting passed a r eso lution of sympathy with the relatives, and the members stood in silence. The Treasury Department remitted wharfages and special rate on coal £663 14s Bd, wharfage and .special rate on State coal £637 Is, rents and royalties £47 10s and £6 Is 9d.

Ju reply to the Board’s representa tions for assistance to fill in the lagoons at the north end of Blaketown, the .Minister of Unemploymem.| advised that the Unemployment Board was prepared to provide a subsidy of 35s per man, p cr week, towards wages of registered and eligible married men engaged through a Government Employment Bureau, employed on the work, provided standard rate cf wages was paid for a working week of not less than 40 hours. The Unemployment Board would accept no portion of the iusur.'iiiee risk. —'the 1 matter" was inferred to the Engineer for a report. The General Manager of Railways advised that the Board’s request that the overhead charge included in tin: cost of the repaiis tu wharf equipment at Greymouth. be reduced, could not be acceded to.

oq,e Chairman said that the overhead charges had been very high, but recently they had been fairly reasonable, and he moved that, in the meantime, the letter be received, further consideration being deferred. The motion was carried. Messrs T. N. Gibbs and Coy., Christ church, on behalf of the Tyneside Collieries Ltd., advised that the company proposed to apply for a reduction ol rent, or alternatively a postponement of rent payment, say for three years, and asking’ the Board's consent to such an order being made by the Worden. The Chairman reviewed the position of the company, and on his motion, it was decided to recommend the postponement of rent payment for twelve months. 'l'he Secretary of the Marine Department advised that the appointment of Captain Moar as pilot at Greymouth had been approved. The Greymouth United Aero Club advised its intention to hold a gala on Victoria Park on Saturday, March 7th. and asked the Board to nominate n team for the local bodies’ trotting sulky race.—Th (l letter was referred to the Executive. The Shipwreck Belief Society solicited a donation to its funds, and it was decided to make the usual donation ot £lO 10s. 'l'he Canterbury Progress League wrote asking for a donation towards the erection of a memorial at Arthur’s Pass, to the late Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson. —Received. G. P. Buchanan forwarded a return of mining timber cut from his timber area. —Received. Harry McLaughlan applied for timber cutting rights over 25' acres, adjoining Briandale Collieries’ binns, Coast Road. —The application was referred to the Engineer and Secretary for a report. Messrs Guinness and Kitchingham forwarded three applications for prospecting licenses, by Patrick Laffy, over 100 acres each, Stillwater Creek, for Board’s consent,—lt was decided to offer no objection. Messrs Hannan ami Seddon. on behalf of the Estate of Edmund Stratford, applied for a new lease of Sections 16/35 am] 754/7 (old lease expired 36/6/30), am] part Block 71J, Dobson suburban (old lease expired 31/12/29). —Granted, on the same conditions as previously. James Brown requested that the lense of Section 141, of 'Res. 1427, Blaketown, be issued in the name of his son T. 3. Brown, who applied for the lease.—Granted.

Messrs Guinness and Kitchingham forwarded a lease of Sects. 178 and 179. Packer's Quay, in the name of Leslie Walker Stanton, for completion by the Board. —Approved. Messrs Guinness and Kitchingham forwarded a transfer of Section 129, Res. 1426, Alfred Smith, to Louis Henry Head, for consent. —Approved. Francis Ed. Lawson applied for a lease of Section 14 Dobson.—Granted, on the same conditions as previously. Pursuant to his notice of motion, the Chairman moved that Captain Henry Moar be appointed pilot at, and for the port of Greymouth. The motion was seconded by Mr Clayton and carried. The Greymouth Waterside Workers' Union wrote requesting the Board to improve the facilities for members to receive their pay. The letter stated that at present the men had to go to four different places for their pay, often standing in the rain.

The Chairman said that he had gone into the matter with the watersides and the shipping companies, and in the absence of assistance from' the latter, he suggested that the difficulty could

be got over by the erection of four cubicles at the Watersidcrs’ Hall, which was the property of the Board estimated to cost .€l5.

On the motion of the Chairman and Mr Ryall, the Engineer was instructed to proceed with the erection of the cubicles as soon as possible. The Finance Committee reported: Receipts: The following accounts have been received since the date of the last meeting: Shipping dues £309 2s 2d; royalties .€55 Ils 6d; rents €223 6s 8d; hire and sale of plant £8 16s 9d; wharfages £1092 19s sd; special rate on coal £207 16s Id; total £1897 12s 7d, The Harbour Fund account has a credit balance, (including £3OOO on fixed deposit) of £4,741 15s Bd. Your committee recommends that accounts as per list, amounting to £1307 4s 6d, be passed for payment. —The report was adopted. The Harbourmaster’s request for annual leave was owamted