MOTUEKA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 27 February 1939, Page 4

MOTUEKA

HARBOUR BOARD MEETING WAGES TO FRUIT STACKERS IFrouj Oi Owu Correspondent] The monthly meeting of the Motueka Harbour Board held yesterday afternoon was attended by Messrs C. H. Maekay (chairman), D. L. Drummond, P. B. Calder, L. B. Robinson, A. Rowling, R. P. Rowling and Horatio Everett, FRUIT STACKERS' WAGES The chairman reported that the subcommittee appointed at the last meeting of the Board had conferred with representatives of the Waterside Workers’ Union on the question of wages to be paid to export fruit stackers. After a long discussion is was agreed that ; the men concerned be paid £5 10s per week. It was resolved, Messrs Robinson and Calder, that the committees action be endoi sed. Arising out of the harbourmaster's report it was decided, on the motion ! r-f tlie chairman and Mr Everett, that ] | Beard members inspect til? sandbiikj at the entrance to the harho *r on Satur- j I day, 4tl Mai th. OVERSEER’S REPORT Me C E O’Brien, overseer, reported for the period ending 24th February as follows:

Breastwork No. 2 Job: Eleven concrete piles driven to required depth. In six spacings concrete slabs had been placed between concrete piles to the depth shown on plan, 14 feet below bottom of concrete deck. Part of the old breastwork had been removed, the depth of wood slabs in the ground was from 13 to 15 feet below the bottom of the concrete deck. Ninety feet of temporary retaining wall was in place. Thirty feet of temporary retaining wall had been dismantled and filling replaced. The 40ft pile frame and engine have been placed on beams running on rollers and are working satisfactorily. Twenty-seven yards of shingle have been screened at the Motueka river and carted to the works; 24 yards of crushed metal arc also on the works. SEA WALL REPAIRS Sea-wall Repairs: Where the slabs carried away profiling has been placed between the concrete piles, and will be concreted when the punt comes to hand. The remainder of the slabs that were working in slots have tightened up, one end of slab sinking only. The scour ut der the wall has been stopped. The slabs are now on the old main bottom and there is now no water running under them. Number of men employed, 6. CORRESPONDENCE The State Advances Corporation of New' Zealand, writing in regard to Harbour Channel Restoration Loan, £SOOO, stated that as well as obtaining the new Ordcr-in-Council varying the determindions of the • xisting authority it would be necessary for the Board to communicate with the Treasury and obtain the consent of the Minister of j Finance to the cancellation of the existing debentures, and the issue of the ; new debentures in lieu thereof. The Secretary to the Treasury wrote stating that it was understood that a

;um oi £520 way available in the sinking fund to be used in reduction of the j loan (Harbour Channel Restoration Loan 1936, £5000) from the Slate Advances Corporation of New Zealand, and advised that arrangements were now being made to issue an Order-in-Council in respect of £4480 upon the terms required by the Corporation. The Secretary to the Treasury also forwarded an extract from the New Zealand "Gazette” containing a copy of

the Order-in-Council varying the determinations in respect of portion (£4480) of the Harbour Channel Restoration Loan £SOOO. On the motion of Messrs Robinson and R. P. Rowling the chairman was authorised to interview th* 3 Board’s banker on the subject with a view to reaching finality. The secretary, New Zealand Harbour Boards’ Employees’ Union, acknowledged the Board's letter re the w-ages and conditions of employment for men employed by the Board handling fruit on the wharf, and in reply staled that he was agreeable to the rate of £5 10s until a new Waterside Workers’ Award was made. The writer agreed with the Board that weekly wages should be provided for in the Waterside Workers’ Award, but pointed out that the work covered by the award was definitely stated, therefore if weekly wages were not provided then the rate of pay for waterside workers should be paid, namely, 2s 8d an hour. The secretary, Motueka Waterside Workers’ Union, writing in connection with the fixation of wages to be paid to export fruit stackers stated that the question of retrospective pay had been mentioned, and that it had been generally agreed that this would be paid; but had not been embodied in the resolution. The Board was requested to give favourable consideration to this matter.

It was resolved, Messrs Robinson and Everett, that the fruit stackers at Port Motueka receive retrospective pay for last export season at this season’s rate of wages. The Nelson Harbour Board acknowledged with thanks a copy of the annual return of exports of produce from Port Motueka for the year ended 31st December, 1938. The secretary. New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board, in reply to the Board’s letter, forwarded a statement showing the quantity of fruit that was received at Motueka from 24th January to 11th February, and a brief statement as to what happened to that fruit. The writer said that “from this you will see that we have been endeavouring to clear our stocks daily, and so avoid the holding of the early fruit in wharf sheds.” It was also stated in the letter that Cor the small quantities offering, direct shipment to Wellington could not be arranged, and the consignment by the Nelson ferry to meet overseas shipping requirements incurred less expense than transhpiment. to Nelson ferry by scow.

- Motueka cool store, it was mentioned, was not available for the fruit forwarded to the Stoke cool store. It was shown from the statement that of 4805 cases received 2437 cases j were carted overland. FINANCE Accounts amounting to £265 18s lid were presented and passed for payment, leaving a debit balance of £799 Is 5d in the general account. The Harbour Board Channel Restoration Loan Account showed a debit of £lll9 7s 9d ior a total overdraft at the bank of 1 £l9lß 9s 2d. STACKING CARGO Mr R. P. Rowling drew attention to

Ihe fact that when cargo was discharged from vessels at night invariably it was thrown into the sheds in one heap, necessitating additional and unnecessary sorting the following morning. It was resolved (Messrs R. P. Rowling and Robinson) that the harbourmaster be instructed to exercise his authority to see that cargo discharged from vessels at night was properly stowed in the sheds by the waterside workers.

JETTY AT KINA Mr Robinson reported that a small jetty had been built by a private person on the Harbour Board’s endowment at Kina, and asked if permission had been given to erect the structure. 1 The secretary explained that the party concerned had approached him on the matter, and he had referred him to the harbourmaster. He understood the ; staging was used in connection with a launch, but was there for the conveni- ■ ence of others if so desired. HARBOURMASTER’S REPORT The harbourmaster, Mr P. C. Mof- . fc‘tt, presented the following report for the month of January: The total amount of revenue received was £135 14s compared with £l4O 3s lOd for the corresponding month of last year, or a decrease of £4 9s lOd. The quantity of fruit shipped, calculated in computed bushel cases, was 2482, compared with G 398, or a decrease of 3916. The number of vessels entered and left the port for the month was 24, with a total registered tonnage of 2104, compared with 32 vessels, with a total tonnage register of 2688. It may be mentioned that the number of cases of export fruit shipped from this port up to the present time, for this season, has been 16.859, while for the same period of

[ l «st year the quantity was 31,255, or . a difference of 20,366. Reference should . be made, however, to the fact that ow- . ing to the production of an abnormal quantity of fruit, suitable for export, last season the shipments were correspondingly high, while, it is generally thought that owing to adverse weather conditions, etc., the production will be possibly subnormal this year and shipments of both export.fruit as well as , fruit to other markets will be seriously affected thereby. Regarding present conditions at the main sandbank and the sandspit, no very appreciable alterations have taken place as far as navigable conditions of the outer or middle channels arc concerned. Although the depth of water has slightly improved at the southern ouler channel entrance. It is quite obvious, however, that very considerable improvement has been made at the locality known as the northern channel entrance, where the sand has reduced to the level of about L.W.O.S.T. While referring to the latter circumstance. 1 would strongly suggest that it would Prove of very considerable interest to your Board, if arrangements are made for all members to pay a visit of inspection to that locality, at about the lime of low water, or before 5 p.m. of the spi ing tide on Saturday, 3rd March.