Harbor Board.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 1, 9 June 1887, Page 3

Harbor Board.

Tax usual fortnightly meeting of the above body was held on Tuesday evening last. Present— ‘Messrs Graham (Chairman), SieveWfight, Townley, Matthewson, Porter, DickHU) Chambers and Gannod, McEwan A CO. The following letter was read i— We have to acknowledge due receipt of your, esteemed favor of 26th Feb., contents of which we note. We thank you for credits now advised) vie., £5 13s 6d and £8 14s Id, Hercules i This with other machinery is complete and in course of delivery. The un. avoidable delay arising from various causes has been a matter of great regret to us, and you may be assured that nothing has been wanting on our part to expedite the completion of the work. We advise you more specially in another letter as to the arrangements made for freights, &c. Sank credit: We had been hoping to receive a further credit by mail to enable us to make the needful payments. As this did not come to hand and time was getting short we felt it best to request the Union Bank to telegraph to their Gisborne branch on the matter, naming the maximum amount possible to be required as £6OOO, including everything. In this amount to be provided £lOOO for freight in view of chartering and paying freight here, not only on our machinery, but on the 8000 casks of cement from the Gillingham Company. A reply has been received that a credit for £4OOO is on the way by mail (presumably that due here May 19), and that you declined to authorise more than that amount. We can not but express surprise at such a departure from the understanding from which the business was arranged, and feel we have not been justly treated. As it is, we have now made freight on cement payable abroad, and draw on you for balance in ordinary way without credit. We feel sure your executive will find the machinery now going forward everything that could be desired. It has been constructed with great care and under competent official supervision, so as to insure best workmanship and suitability for the work required. After considerable discussion it was decided to refer the letter to the Finance Committee. ACCIDENT INSURANCE, An offer to insure the men employed on the Board against accidents was received from the Agent of the N.Z. Accident Insurance Company, and after some conversation was referred to the Committee. The Amending Bru. The Chairman gave an account of his reeent trip to Wellington in connection with the above question. He had no doubt the Bill would pass whenever there was an opportunity of bringing it before the House, Several amendments had been suggested. The Audi-tor-General agreed with the Bill, but suggested a few slight alterations, as in clause 5 to read " the interest from time to time accruing to be paid into the sinking fund account." He (the Chairman) had explained that this would hardly suit their purpose. They wanted to be allowed to utilise the interest accruing from the £25,000 towards the payment of the annual sinking fund of £2,000. The Committee appeared to be agreeable to the utilisation of the interest accruing from the sinking fund. The Committee were in favor of the rate being fixed at a penny n the County and twopence in the Borough, and he (the Chairman) had considered that this would meet the views of the Board K long as the point was definitely settled, Mr Fi tiger aid seemed to insist that the that the £4lOO taken into the general account should be returned to the special account, and bo (the speaker) hod explained the awkward position in which this would place the Board. Mr Fitzgerald had suggested that the follow, ing might be inserted after Clause 4"That whereas the Harbor Board has, prior to the passing of the Harbor Act, 1878, Amending Act, 188—, incurred an overdraft at the Bank on the general account, be it enacted that it shall be lawful for the said Harbor Board to advance such sum from the loan account as shall be sufficient to pay off such overdraft, provided the Harbor Board shell refund onefifth part of such sum to the loan account out of the general revenue of the Board each year for five years after the passing of the Act," The Chairman had considered this a very good suggestion—it would allow ample time and he did not think it would interfere seriously with general works. In reply to Major Porter, the Chairman said the sum of £25,000 was to be set aside and invested as a sinking fund, Further discussion took place, and the Chairman was accorded a vote of thanks for , his services in Wellington, Engineers Report,

The Engineer's report was read and adopted as follows :— . “ All the machinery is now in good working order, _and we commenced crushing stone on Friday last. On Saturday we made the first concrete, and this morning have begun a monolithic block at the end of the viaduct which will be of eighty tons weight. The railway has been put in good order and the slip cleared. It was necessary to drive several piles to make it quite safe. The surface of the cattle yard was removed, and a quantity of stones had to serve as a drain. This, I hope, will keep the yard dry m future. The block moulds are finished, but we are waiting for the completion of the foundation platform before taking them over. Two large casings for concrete at the viaduct have been made, for the slides and hoppers for measuring cement erected. The Government Inspector of mach ; wry has examined the boilers and engines with the exception of the locomotive which he ’uspected some months ago, Valuation 8011. The Chairman was authorised to initial the alterations in the Valuation 801 l in accordance with the Bating Act. Motions. The Clerk explained that there had not been sufficient time to get the information required in connection with Major Porter’s motion re stopping of harbor works.—Allowed to stand over. In reference to Mr Dickson’s motion to get the advice of two consulting engineers as to the desirability of altering the site of the breakwater, the Chairman ruled that he could not receive the motion until a former negative resolution had been rescinded. Mr Dickson then gave notice to have this done, so as to allow the present motion to come on. Mr Gannon’s motion to alter the meetings from the evening to the afternoon came on, and after discussion was put to the meeting and lost.