HARBOUR BOARD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18583, 9 December 1920, Page 9

HARBOUR BOARD.

LYTTELTON. The monthly meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board was held yesterday, the boarid meeting for tho first time in its new offices in Cathedral Square. There were present:—Mr H. B. Sorensen (chairman), Dr Thacker, M.P., Messrs H; Munro, W. J Walter, S. K. Sleigh, H. Holland, R. Moore, R. Macartney, R. Galbraith, T. A. Blackley, J. Storry, T. D. Boag end F. Horrell.

Tho treasurer stated that since the board’s last meeting the following sums had been paid into the Harbour Fund Account: Wharfage £BB6B 19s lOd, pilotage £1382 15s 4d, port charges £llßs Bs, berthage £3lB 18b Id, towage, warps, fenders, and electric light £474 10s, dock and slip dues nil, storage and cold storage £407 4s 2d, sundries £134 12s 2d; a total of £7783 5s 7d. Tho receipts for the first eleven months of the year totalled £75,637 100, as against £73,441 19s lid for the corresponding period of last year.. No further money had been received for ths purchase of debentures in the ooard’s £150,000 loan, and there seemed very little likelihood of any further amounts being received under present conditions.

The engineer reported that during November the dredge Canterbury had been engaged working with the cutter principally on the hard ground opposite Gollan'a Bay, and had removed a quantity of 84,612 tons, the whole of which had been pumped into tho reclamation area. The dredge obtained coal on November 3 and commenced dredging on November 4, but was not able to work properly until November 8 owing to the poor quality of the coal. The grab dredge fewkaka had been engaged at the inner end of the berth on tho east side of No. 2 jetty, whence she had lifted 560 tons, , mostly large stones, of which five truck loads were sent to the reclamation wall, and ( the remainder deposited at sea. The cast side of. No. 2 jetty was practically finished to within 100 feet of the outer end. Tho rails were laid throughout, except for finishing off the ends of tracks and tho traverser at the outer end. A commencement had been made with tho erection of the platform on the west side. The strengthening of the outer face of the reclamation mole had bceu continued. A strong south-west gale and sea on November 4 caused slight damage to the mole, but it was made good in a few days. At the outer wharf, Gladstone Pier, two mooring niles had been driven at the outer end of the pier to facilitate mooring large vessels in bad weather. Plans were being prepared for the reconstruction of the remaining 270 feet of No. 5 jetty to make it available for berthing small steamers up to about 200 feet long. The repairs involved would be extensive, and it would be necessary :o widen tho jetty about nine feet to allow ’or the proper railway clearances. A schedule of license feeß was adopted for outlying jetties with an amendment, suggested by the engineer, that the fee for the first ten tons should be 50s per ten, for the next ton tons ss, and for each additional ton Is. Mr Williams stated that the amendment would meet tho case of vessels like tho Cygnet end John Anderson, which only used the jetties for excursions. Tho license worked out at about Id a head of excursionists. In the caso of the Cygnet it would be £32 4s. ne against £ll2, and m the case of tho John Anderson £2B 11s as against £75. Tho Harbour Improvement Committeo reporting on the proposed, iepairing and recommissioning of No. 5 ietty for small vessels, recommended that so booh as No. 2 jetty was completed, No. 5 jetty should be repaired by the board’s own staff and used for small vessels. The committee also considered the alleged difficulties of vessels berthing at the cattle jetty, and recommended that the board's engineer be asked to report. Tho report was adopted. Tho Sailors’ Home Committee was authorised to purchase a billiard table at a cost not exceeding £75.

It was agreed to invite tenders for a new grab dredging bucket for the Te Whaka. In connection with, an application of the crew 0 of tho dredge Canterbury and the electrio light attendants for an increase of pay it was resolved that all such applications should be considered by the annual meeting. The Woolston Borough Council wrote declining to moke an offer fir the material in the 6mall jetty near Heathcote bridge. The engineer stated that he had read a report that Sumner waa prepared to make en offer provided ■permission was given to cut the piles off at low water, but this permission could not be given. The piles would have to be pulled right out. Letters from tho Dunedin City Council and

Gisborne Borough Council relative to the raising of local bodies’ loans were reoeived. Referring to a complaint from Kinsey end Co. that they could not obtain the board's tug. on November 4 to take tha medical officer out to tho Fultala, tho engineer said that the complaint was not made until November 28, when the harbourmaster was on leave. A roport was being received, but he oould not understand the complaint, as ho c<mld have been telephoned to at a moment’s notice. . It was agreed to pay half the. wages of the caretaker at the Coronation Hall.

Captain J. Ault, of the magnetic survey yacht Carnegie, wrote thanking the board fox the freedom of the port during the vessel's ■•ay. ' '