WAIMAKARIRI HARBOUR BOARD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIX, Issue 6870, 7 March 1883, Page 3

WAIMAKARIRI HARBOUR BOARD.

3%a first meeting oi the nr* i r“P* t i iu !f* . a. l£ Wearing, B. E. Mathews, and B. Sm». Mr Faraharo, the Chairman of the late Board, occupied the chair, ecwpwtt jojuboimw*. The following was road f— . Wrom the Secretary of the Manse Department. staling that tbs ratepayer* of the several district# having nejlroted to sleet Ihsir representatives on the Board, the ibwnw bad" *dc the appointments ae late Chairman j also, from the same, stating that the schooner Jessie was advised to be lying at the mouth of the river, and should be removed; also, with regard to the motion passed on S«L 1* last, r» the siprimra briaiTunder toe control of the Board, and advising that the Oovwmaent would hand ®var the control of that officer to the Homo, ■cd would grant the required sum *** r* service, vis,, £l2O a-year, and also *BO for the requisite plant for lb® year current, toe Board to supply vouchers for the sxpaamtUM, and to receive the monthly payments | also, stating that the Department had received notice from toe owner of the adjoining section to fence along the boundary of toe pilot station reserve. , _ _ , An offer from Mr J. a Hsmplemaa was received for the purchase of an 8 h.*p. Hornsby engine, in good working order, at £l3O. * , „ , An application was read from the Produce aud Milling Company for an extension of the of the premises occupied by Mr Isaac Wilson for a further term oi U years from the expiry of the pretest lease, via, for 88 years from the present date, and offering *BO a year for the same for the term of twenty TfrfrTft. THH JfSW BOARD* The Chrirmsa explained Ms action r* the appointment of the new Board, and stated total he hod telegraphed to the Department for instructions, which resulted in the new 35 B. Moore, the Chairman's action was approved, ns ecHoossa swan. On the motion of Mr Wearing, It was decided that Maws Moore, Mathews, and Iho mover bo a Committee to examine the wreck the Jessie, sad to see if it was necessary to cider her removal; if so, to call apon her owner, Mr J. dims, to do so. ;ez ram. Mr Wearing moved that the offer of the Government ol the tome to take lie pilot navies over he accepted. He contended that Che Government had given the Board all they had asked, end he thought it would be in the lotenel of the shipping trade of Keiapoi that the service should be under the control of the Board. Mr Hum seconded the motion, which woe supported by most of the members of the Baud carried* The question of fracing was relegated to -Car Works Committee. TSX BQA3U>’S PBOPHSrr. With regard to the extension of Jeasa applied for by the Kaiapal Frodnco and Milling Company, Mr Burse moved that the application be declined, on the ground that it was peeaestore. He painted out that to set a value on the land now for six years hence waa f oolish. The properly might, and most probably would, m worth.fully £290 a year by then. Mr B. Moore seconded the motion pro /ormif pointing out that the Board had art an example by extending some of their leases. Alter a discussion the motion was carried on the voice*. miscellaheous. The question ol purchasing on engine was . not considered. Accounts amounting to *8 IBs 6d were passed for payment. The annual balance-sheet was read, but consideration deferred till the annual meeting- It showed that there wan rents uncollected amounting to £20189 Bd. TUB BKCSBXAHY. ' Mr Burse moved the notice of motion litas ding in his name, vix.—“That the redo rsi deration of the suspension oi the Clark, Mr 0. S. Dudley, be token, as no defalcations or misconduct had been proved against Mm, or even hinted at” In moving it, hs pointed to the serious aspect the action of the Board would give to the affairs, and did not coblido? it right that the Board should be guided by wbst they knew or believed to he the owe in another body. Ae a matter of fact, the-Earhour Boom accounts had bees proved comet, as they had been audited end found so by Mr J. OUirier, and it seemed that the Beard’s action in suspending the Clerk was more like a blow in the back than anything else. He looked at the damage that Mr Dudley would sustain through the public hiring the idea that the Harbosr Board’s accounts were wrong. Therefore, in justice to Mr Dudley, he had placed the notice of motion before them, rad tie was sorry he sms not present to take part Is the former discussion. Had notice been given of the motion, he would have been (.sere. Mr Deaton seconded the motion, remarktog that he had been on the Board for some time, and they had always been satisfied with what Mr Dudley bad dons, and be did cot see that they had anything before them on which to suspend him. Mr Wearing would oppose the motion as he would the adoption of the balance-sheet, which he could point out was Ineorree*. Again, the rest book was misting, rad be would auk anyone if the ledger before them had not all been made op in one day. When the time came he was prepared to go further. Mr Moore md be had been through the books, and they were In a- most disgraceful otete, Ee would not say there waa a deficiency, bet they were in a (tide auto as warranted their being thoroughly investigated lay ra expert. If the members looked at them themselves they would tee the had state in which they were kept. Mr Famham assured the Board that the resolution hod not been passed without good reasons tor the eospensioo, as what be himeelf had seen had not been satisfactory, rad lie had felt it Ms doty to support toe suspension in consequence. He nad previously asked Ur Dudley to resign, hot when be declined the only chance they had was to act as they had done. Mr Horse, la reply, pointed oat that very likely there bad been a certain amount of negligence, but the books had been kept the same way for three or four yean, and it was irt range so am had looked over them before. He still contended that It was unfair to act as had been done seeing that nothing bad been proved against Mr Dudley with regard to the Borough Council books. The motion was then put and carried Ayes: Messrs Horse, Day, Mathews, Denton nod Threlkeld. None: Messrs Famham, Evans, Moore rad Wearing. Mr Day then moved—“ That the Chairman elect interview Mr Dudley, and if the books are found to be satisfactory, he be at once e-instated.” Mr Burse seconded the notion pro formd, hot suggested that Ur Dudley be asked to show cause why he should not be suspended. The books had been audited by Mr OUirier, rad he felt sure that they were thoroughly correct. Mr Wearing hod no confidante in Mr Oilivieri# audit after what bo bad seen. He thould oppose the motion, as at the annual meeting to consider the balance-sheet, which would presently be held, he would show them something that would bo more likely to erase them to send for a policeman than to reinstate the Clerk. He could vouch for toe accounts being incorrect In various ways, derate Mr Olhrier*# audit. The motion being withdrawn, the matter cropped. , Asotal Marine. _.rr «amal meeting was then held, at done was elected Chairman Paroh.! 0 *! ,5» ******* 7**, Memo to accept of a*"** was accorded to, '** famham, the retiring Chairman. Mr tw, wt< i^AtCtMUIKK. Dsatoa proposed toal to* balanos-totct

be adopted. With Mr CHivier** sigartar. to it, II would be ft disgrace lo ftOJ institution lo dispute the correctness of it. . , _ . Mr Wearing Bold the brianoe-shoet was to him very umatisteetory, ftlihoagh Mr OUirier’*signature was there. «•!»«•«« Hs Mid ho found that tow* wot* only two •mount# paid into umg the wm 16S2—tii.T Jra. M, £l3 •» 8d» Mid April 18, £« It. He pointed out th# lime when theamounts *D*to« OP to the Clerk, ftsd al« that tho item *49 lo chould h»r» been *BO 10, according to iho •mount* received. Th* nest deposit wbo on Jan. 10. 1883, whoa *l7 17# wft# paid in. On further examination he found fch»t 0. H«u»o bad paid oath, on June 11, £6 110 2d, of which no noth* was taken. It had not been paid into the Bank, but hi# ftoeonnl wa« •kown to home been credited with that •mount, and It wae not accounted for in any way. Another item of £3 So, paid by Mr Into Wilson for rent, had not been deposited. These and other item# made him object to the baknce-iheet, and ho contended that bad Mr OUirier conducted bio audit properly, some of the dfeerepaneiee would have been found. Again, how waa the Board lo know what rente were paid and what were not, seeing that they had not the rent book before them? They had certainly a rent account at the end of the ledger, but that had been evidently entered up in one day, and was not what was wanted. The hooks must be properly investigated before they could adopt such a balraos-sheat as the one before them. He had only spoken of moneys {Mid during 1882. He could not •sy anything respecting previous yews, but the main point was the fact that certain moneys had not been credited to the Board. Mr Benton pointed out that the signature at the foot of the balance-sheet was from the hand of one of the ablest and noblest and best men that Canterbury ever produced, and they could not dispute it. Mr Moore opposed the resolution, no matter how absurd it might look, but he considered (hey must have an expert to look through the accounts. He was satisfied,-from his own investigation, that they were not as they ought to be, and he considered it his duty to see their money properly protected, aud he should always do his duty without regard to other persons’ feelings. He felt sore that the gentlemen on the Board who appeared so anxious to hare the balance-sheet passed would be only too glad to hare the accounts examined. Mr Wearing had pointed out certain discrepancies, and he himself had seen sufficient to raise his suspicions, as Mr Wilson's rent had either net been paid, or had been used in another channel He did not wish to raise a question against the Clerk or the model auditor, but it was little use shutting the •table door after the horse was stolen, and ha would certainly oppose the balance-sheet till something more was known of how the accounts really stood. The Chairman pointed out that Mr Moore was out of order in referring to the auditor. Ur Moore contended that he was speaking with regard to the' balance-sheet, and having the auditor's certificate it was quite regular that his action be subject to criticism. Mr Wearing pointed cut that he had not been shown where the amount mud by Mr Hansen had gone to. He himself could not trace it. Ur Horse remarked that that was no proof that it was not all right. It was not an offence at all, and though there might be something irregular about it there was nothing to show that the money had not been properly deposited. Mr Wearing could distinctly prove that it had not, as be had not only examined the book, but had inspected the bank deposit ‘•lips. Mr Moore remarked that the fact of the money being os (he books wai quite sufficient grounds for him to oppose the balancesheet. Mr Evans said he should oppose the motion, as it was shown that this money was received on July 11, whereas it was entered in the hooks os July 18. The adoption of the balance-sheet was then put to Hie meeting and lost -.—Ayes: Messrs Benton, Bay, Mathews and Horse. Noes : Messrs Wearing, Pamham, Moore, Evans, and Threlkeld. Mr Evans moved—" That an expert be employed to examine the bocks for the last three years.” Mr OUirier bod only certified to such accounts as bad been placed before Mm, and he reminded the Board that it was quite regular for them to re-investigate the accounts as for as they liked. The Glasgow Bank accounts bad been examined for several yean previa** to the crisis taking place. Ho thought the Board should do this to satisfy themselves and the public. Mr Threlkeld seconded ike motion, suggesting that the Board should make the appointment at once. Mr Denton suggested going back to the commencement el the Board’s existence. If there were mistakes, they thould all bo sifted to the bottom, and it would be a disgrace to the Board, if there were any found, for having passed them. Mr Moore considered that, in the interests of economy, three years would be sufficient to go back. The motion being carried, Mr B. 0. Macdonald, of Sancton, was appointed to examine the books, at a cost not exceeding *6 Bs, Messrs Wearing and Bay being deputed to assist Mm in making the investigation. WOBZB OOKXITXIK. The former Works Committee was appointed to attend to the river, and provide each stores os the Pilot required, and the Board adjourned at 10.15 p.m.