TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10654, 15 May 1895, Page 3

TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD .

The monthly meeting of ths Tlmaru Harbour Board wan held yesterday. All the members were present, and Mr Talbot presided. The Secretary was instructed to take tbo necessary steps before next meeting for making a levy upon tho local bodies in the harbour district for £6OOO towards the interest on harbour loans. The question of renewing tha policy taken out last year with tho New Zealand Accident Insurance Company to relieve the Board from liability under the Employers’ Liability Act, was discussed. Last year tha Board paid £SO premium for the fullest benefits offered, and deducted 4d in the £1 from wages paid,paying Id in the £ itself. Some members objected to renewing the premium on tho ground that it was illegal to make deductions from wages. Eventually the Chairman was authorised to pay a premium of £lB 15a to insure the barest risks of tho Board only, provided that such policies were now being issued, la this case no deductions will bo made from wages. Some correspondence with the Lyttelton Harbour Board regarding the hire of the tug Man a was read. The applicants considered the terms (£IOO per week, with all expanses and insurance) too high. A resolution was passed that the tug should remain on tho slip for another month, for inspection by possible purchaaera. Plana for the laying out of tbe Board’s reclamation south of the breakwater into store sites, with railway sidings and road, were received from Mr Burnett, reeldent engineer, accompanied by a description and a rough draft of some of the conditions of a mutual agreement between the Board and the Railway Department. Consideration was deferred for a month. An apulicatlon by Messrs Guinness and Le Cron for a site behind Messrs Mill aud Co’s store, 330 feat by 40 feet, at £2O per annum, was refused. The Harbourmaster’s report stated that 6400 tons bad been dredged between April 8 and May 11. The net wharfage return for the four weeks to tho end of March was £625. Accounts amounting to £835 10s were passed for payment. The report and recommendations of Mr Maxwell, consulting engineer, presented siacetha previous meeting, were then considered. The Chairman invited discussion, and most of the members spoke of the report aa satisfactory. The Chairman pointed out that the report was ableparture from all tha professional advice previously given to the Board, »s Mr Maxwell advised that tho shingle should bo allowed to go round the breakwater and then be dredged out of the way, whereas all previous advisers said that if the shingle was allowed to go round, it would block up tha entrance. Mr Manchester and other members said that they were prepared to accept the engineer’s assurance that it would not block "the entrance. A resolution was carried, without dissent, that tha report should be approved and the recommendations adopted, and tho Chairman was authorised to see tha latter carried out. Chief among them is the placing of Mr W. Gaw, tha Board’s foreman, ia charge of the dredge, with, instructions to soo that it is worked to tho best advantage.