HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 514, 4 October 1890, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of the above was held on Thursday afternoon. Present; Messrs Townley (in the chair), Sievwright, Shelton, Chrisp, Arthur, Johnston, and Clark, The Clerk said the net amount of the refund to the Board had been placed to the credit of the Board-£3,312 9a 2d.—Mr Shelton thought the Board should be relieved from paying charges to the Trust Office. The Premier had promised that there should be no charge except for the departmental coat.—The Chairman said the charges on the whole amount were £54 3s 6d.—Mr Shelton said they had other sums also to consider.— Mr Arthur said he had mentioned the matter to Government, and other complaints having been made a Commission had been appointed to enquire into the whole working of the Trust Office.—Mr Sievwright suggested that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee to try and get a reduction,—Agreed to. The Clerk stated that the Chairman had agreed to let Mr Vigor Brown have 300 casks of cement at the same price as was allowed to the Napier Board, 16s 8d (net 15s). Mr Brown applied for a further quantity.—Mr Johnston strongly objected to the disposal of the ooment in this way.—The Clerk said it being a perishable article it had been deemed advisable to sell the cement.—Mr Johnston asked was there any profit from it,—The Clerk said it cost the Board 18s. —Mr John eton said that business should not be done in that way—the material should be advertised.—The Chairman said authority had been given to sell the first lot, but this might have come before the Board .—Captain Chrisp supposed the Chairman had the authority of the Board,—Mr Johnston; I never agreed to it.—Captain Chrisp said the Bawd had agreed to give the authority before Mr Johnston was a member.—Mr Johnstqn said be did not object to what was done with the first lot, but he did object to to this kind of thing going on ; if they sold things at a lose (they would be bound to • come to grief—it was only a repetition of other things—Mr Shelton considered they could not get a better price than that offered by Mr Brown—the only thing was whether they would require the cement in view of the expected report from Mr O’Connor.—The Clerk said there were 1200 casks on hand.—Mr Johnston did not object to the cement being sold, but it ought to be advertised—there was a right and a wrong way of doing things.—ln reply to Mr Clark it was stated the price they were getting was the same as the contract price of the Napier Harbor Board.—Mr Arthur said they should not risk a certainty in fqyor of an uncertainty.—Mr Johnston reckoned they could get a higher price.—Mr Shelton said he had, as a member of the Finance Committee, been trying to get the cement disposed of through every traveller that came along.—Mr Sievwright agreed that they shou’d not dispose of large quantities without advertising.—Mr Arthur proposed, and Mr Clark seconded, that Mr O’Connor fee wired to asking if the Cement would ba required,-Curried unanimously. ■— Mr Arthur proposed, and Mr Shelton seconded, that it the cement is not wanted Mr Brown's offer be accep'el.—Mr Johnston moved as an amendment, which was seconded by Mr Sievwright, that it not requited, tbe cement fie advertised for sale.— The mo'ion was carried, Messrs Johnston and Sievwright dissenting.—The question areas as to whether tbe Freezing Works required any, their price being 16?. and it was decided to qommuoicate with s l b y derland, and give him the prefereaoe, A copy of the Marine Department's report was presented, Messrs Nelson Bros wrote asking if the Board wished to sell any coal.—The Clerk said tbera was 12 tons in hand—the Gas Company bad b efi n promised some if they wanted i«.—Mr Shelton thought there were SO tons ea hand when the work stopped. Ha suggested that the coal be placed at the disposal of Nelson Bros, to ba taplaped if the Board wanted ib— The Clerk said the quantity was eighteen tons when tbe works eeased—-Mr Johnston advised that the coal be sold at a reasonable rate ; Nelson Bros, had done all they could. to push the place ‘ ahead, —■ Captain Chiisp pointed out that the Bflard had already promised the coal to the Gas Company.— Mr Shelton said that the Qotapany had bsen promised it if they wanted it, but they could not expect it would be kept for them. —On the motion of Mr Johnston, seconded by Mr Clark, it was resolved to offer 10 tons ct coal to Nelson Bros, at £2 2s 64, provided that Mr O’Connor’s reply did not show that it was wanted by the Board. The Pilot applied tor two oars at a cost of £1 10s.—Authorised, The following accqunts were passed : — Common, Shelton and Co. £23 8? fid. South British Insurance Co. £2 17a 64, Freight on Cement £ 12 3s, Colonial Insurance Co. £3 10?, Weighbridge account £4 6s 61, A. Thompson £ 10 Us, Wages account £l3 13s 64, Secretary £8 6? 84, J. Drummond £llos, A. B. Muir £2 9?, Interest on Loan £5134 5s 9d. On the first account coming up, being a refund qf the qrnount paid on account of the foreshore, Mr Shelton said there had been considerable trouble over the mutter, but he would be willing to accept a refund, provided the Board allowed his firm to erect a jetty on the same terms as the Rowing Clubs. —The Chairman said the clubs were simply permitted to “squat,”—they were allowed the use of the sites, .but were given no title of any kind.'—Mr Johnston considered the offer a very fair one, and Mr Clark said it was an easy way out of what had appeared to him a

serious difficulty.—Members concurred, but Mr Johnston expressed a hope that the jetty would not turn out to be a woolshed, (Laughter.) Mr Shelton said he. thought they should go into the subject of wharfages, and also ascertain whether they were compelled to strike a special rate. It would not be required, unless they were bound to do it by the Act. —Mr Arthur's opinion was that the special rate must be struck according to the Act, and any advantage must be got after that.—Mr Sievwright thought the matter should come tip by notice. —The Chairman said the Finance Committee might be instructed to report on it. His own opinion, after careful perusal of the Act, was that the special rate must be the first struck.—lt was thought a new Committee might be appointed to go into the matter of wharfages, and Mr Shelton proposed Messrs Bennett, Johnston, Chrisp, and the mover.—Mr Johnston thought it would be better not to include Mr Bennett, but Mr Shelton pointed out that he was Chairman, and should not be left out. —The motion -was agreed to. — Mr Johnston thought they ehould 'appolht a permanent Chairman—The temporary Chairman (Mr Townley) said they already had a permanent Chairman.—Mr Johnston said he came there meeting after meeting, and the Chairman was not. present. He sympathised with that gentleman, but he thought if he could not attend, some one else should be ap-pointed.—-The Chairman did not think Mr Bennett had missed many meetings.—Mr Johnston: Well, where is he now? Why isn't he here’—The Chairman supposed that something had prevented*his attending on that afternoon.

Mr Shelton asked whether there was any necessity to keep on Mr Jones, engineer, at £3 a week. —The • Chairman said with £20,000 worth of machinery exposed there,, it was cheaper in the long run to retain the services of an engineer.—Mr Shelton asked if they oould not get Mr Jones to inspect the machinery ones a month?—The Chairman said they obuld not expect that Mr Jones would refuse a permanent billet elsewhere under such circumstances.—Mr Johnston said be knew that Mr Jones, who was a thoroughly capable engineer, had other offers, and unless he was given some satisfaction he oould not be expected to remain in an uncertain position when hs could easily get a permanent ana. He thought it would pay to keep suoh a man to look after the machinery.— Mt Shelton said it was originally agreed that Mr Jones should be kept on temporarily, until all the machinery had been put in such order that it would not go to destruction, and what was distinctly understood as being a temporary engagement was settling, into a permanent billet. He did not think it right to spend £l5O a year for looking after idle plant, beaidgs which they had appointed Mr XVitty as caretaker, and what did they want an engineer for ?--Mr Sievwright said the quest ion to consider was whether the machinery was worth such an annual expenditure to keep it in order.—The Chairman said they must remember how valuable was tbe machinery they had in hand, and that the greater portion was exposed to the sea air. In any case he thought it advisable to leave the matter over until they heard wbat would be the nature of Mr O'Connqr’s keport.—Mr Clark agreed with the suggestion that the matter should be deferred; if Mr O'Connor’s report was against anything further being done at present, be considered the whole of the machinery should be dis posed of.—The subject was then dropped,