THE LATE MR DEPT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 306, 3 December 1906, Page 2

THE LATE MR DEPT.

The Chairman, in " a f«;\v n/ipi'b]>riat« 'ami feeling remarii.s, said it was the sad duty of Iho Hoard to pass a resolution or sympathy and ik-ep sorrow at the deatii or the late 'Hon. Albert :IMH. 1 v moved that this Hoard records its deep regivt at lLh« death ol the late 'All- Pitt, and espressos sympathy with the relatives ot . the deceased. Mr TalKot seconded the im-.won, md testified to 'the unfailing couijtesv and attention public bodies in 'Nelson had always rcc-ivuJ Horn the late- Mr Pitt. The motion was Urricd "nan - niously 'ami in silence. ... FINANCE. . The bank-book showed the ge™ ra account in credit at £525 and the loan account Dr. £9 15s lOd The pag ments of the day amounted to £492, ot which £200 had already been paid. The seeming debit glance would be more than covered by teed deposits fallinff duo on tho sth, and later in the month. The fixed deposits amount to The nilotage and port dues for NovemberCovfnted to "£222 15s, compared with £211 10s 5d in November IMB. The year's income was £1820 Us <a, compared with £676 9s Bd, the monthW average being £227 11s 7d, against i2 ° 9 nS C 2 OE&ONDENC E . .. The outward correspondence having been read, inward correspondence was "The* secretary to the Nelson Chanier of Commerce wrote asking tne Board to pay the guarantee of £50 towards the expenses \of representation at ChrisUhurch.— Deferred till accounts were being paid. Routine correspondence was also dMlt "sTVTE OF FINANCES. The chairman said he desired to make a statement showing the state ot the .finances of the Board. The BoajjU income was £3500 a year, a fixed amount, and it would not m" easfi till the Board's income exceeded the amount entitling it to •' Government subsidy. Since the members had visited the district and pledged the Board not to levy a rate the expenditure had increased by £200 or £000 a year. The interest on tho loan absorbed £2048 a voar and the management expenses were £977; total, £3025 The .nteres on the balance of the loan at 4 oei cent, would increase this by . £552 making the expenses of the Boaid . i«J/ a year more than its income. 11 the Board could not raise the balance at 4 per cent., and had to pay 4± per cent , he excess would be £69 over the £562 mentioned. Later on the Board s income would be more elastic, but till then the members should oe careful in adding to the expenditure of the B NELSON AT THE EXHIBITION When the request of the Chamber of Commerce for payment of the guarantee of £50 towards the expenses of the Nelson Court at the Exhibition came up for consideration with the accounts, it was stated that from all accounts the Nelson Court at the Exhibition was not a creditable display. After cussion it was resolved on the motion of Mr Hanby, seconded by Mr Bisley that the matter bo referred back to the secretary of the Chamber of Com- •■ meri'o for details of expenditure, etc., showing the Board's proportion of liability with regard to its guarantee for • "an adequate representation, "•' of the • city and district at the Exhibition, as : stipulated in the sesolution of the Board granting the guarantee. 3 REPORTS. The Resident Engineer (Mr Barrow- - man), the Dredge Master (Mr McHarg), reported on tho progress and resumpt. tion of dredging in the cut towards 1 completion. Dredging at flood tide 3 had been resumed, and several repairs to dredge, etc., had been made. The 2 dredge master recommended closing down the dredge on the 22nd Deeemf ber, and resuming on 2nd January. The Chairman regretted that the Christmas holidays (nearly 12 days in T the month) would greatly interfere 1 with the progress of the work at an s important period. Mr McKenzie said at Christmas time ail liked to get away to their re lations and friends, and it was impossible to keep a body of men together at that season without special payment. The Chairman said he felt that perhaps nothing could be done to prevent the sufpansion, but he hoped that on resumption of work the officers and men will work their utmost and avoid all unnecessary delay. He fully apl preeiated the zeal and energy of the staff, but he looked ahead and expressed his views. Now that the repairs to condenser, etc., had been done he hep- . Ed there would be no unnecessary delay. ; The Pilot and Harbourmaster (Capt. Collins) reported as usual. He said th^t when the' barque Westland in entering tho new Cut, touched owing to a 3ft swell. She was drawing 19ft 3in., and there were 21ft of. water in the Cut at the time. If the spa had been calm the vessel would not have touched. The Chairman said the captain of the Westland was delighted with the new Cut. He had said that if the vessel had come in next day she would not have touched at all. Other vessels used to touch in the old entrance, — cut their own channels — every day. The Westland had been brought in at neap tides. He regretted that more had been made of the Westland incident than it deserved, such as the publication of the information in the newspapers. Mr Hanby said in explanation that ' he had purposely caused a paragraph ' to be inserted in the papers. There was a tendency among a few to cry "stinking fish" about the city, and every little incident in connection with the difficulties of the Harbour works was exaggerated by them. There was talk among the few that there had been deliberate suppression of the circumstances, which of course was absurd. The report was adopted. MUDFLAT RECLAMATION. Mr Hanby rose to a question of privilege. He had sent in a notice of motion on Thursday afternoon regarding mudflat reclamation, but the time of receipt had not been four clear days before the date of the Board's meeting. As the matter in the motion was non-controversial merely that a committee of the whole Board be formed to consider mudflat reclamation, an enabling bill, and ways and means, to 'report to the Board, he thought the motion could be taken then if the members were unanimous. After some informal discussion, (the chairman dwelling on the lack of means to secure surveys, plans, et<;., without a rate, and members being equally divided on the question of private v Board enterprise) it was agreed that the matter be held over till next month. Mr Franklyn said the Board had on the minutes a resolution asking Parliamentary members to secure the services of a Government surveyor with regard to the mudflat ondowments. The Chairman said this was so; but there had been so much to dji that the matter- had not yet been attended to. It was unanimously resojyed on the motion of Mr McKenzie^ that the Board meet at the CouncJ Chambers at 2.30 as a deputation to ;fte Premier to ask for the services of a 'Government surveyor in connection wife mudflat re elamation. lh© Board then rose. ".