AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7267, 4 March 1885, Page 6

AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD.

The fortnightly meeting of the Harbour Board was held yesterday. Present: Mr. G. W. Owen (Chairman),. Messrs. Goldie, Niccol, Henderson, Reid, Devore, Clark, Morrin, and McKenzie. The ; minutes of last meeting were read .and confirmed, also those of the special meeting held for the election of a Chairman fori the year. . Headings of correspondence forwarded were submitted.} ~ Financial Statement. — The . Secretary of the Melbourne Trust .'Commission Wrote, acknowledging receipt of' the financial statement of the Board for the past year.—Re* oeived. Auckland Railway Station. — The Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department, under date the 13th of February, acknowledged receipt of claim for compensation for land near the Auckland Railway Station. The claim was for £45,000. and it was declined by the Government. This was a claim for certain ground taken by the Government in Mechanics' Bay.—Referred to the Finance and Legal Committee. City Cooncil Members.—A letter was received from the Secretary of the Marine Department intimating that the Government validated the election to the Board of Messrs. W. R. Waddei, E. A. Mackechnie, A. Devore, and D. Goldie as members of the Auckland Harbour Board, and enolosed a copy of the order-in-coancil.The letter was received. ■ Port Adelaide.— Marine Board of Adelaide forwarded copies of tidal observations at Port Aiitlaide, Port Augusta, and Port Pirie. Also a notification of hulk'Fitzjames, Semaphore anchorage, Port Adelaide, to a position 760 yards ffi. by N., northerly from the present site. There was also an acknowledgment of receipt of a copy of the Board's financial statement. — Agreed to be acknowledged with thanks, and that publicity be given. Freeman's Bat.—The Town Clerk wrote that the City Engineer had reported to the Council on the desirability of defining the line of road aoross Freeman's Bay from the end of Customs-street West, to meet a new line of road proposed through the College ground to JSew- street, and to request that the Board Would appoint a committee to meet the Streets Committee at an early date to confer on the subject.—On the motion of the Chairman this was referred to the Works and Tariffs Committee, to meet the Streets Committee. Pilotage Charges.— S. Lane, master of the schooner Maile, applied for 11-12ths of the annual pilotage paid by him up to December 4. 1884, as the charge was repeated within a month afterwards.—The Chairman moved that the request be ideolined.—Mr. Clark seconded the motion, and it was oar--1 Dock.— David Gouk asked for .five days' extension of the time of the Pelham in the dock.—Agreed that the request be granted, single rates only to be charged. Northcote and: Birkenhead.,-- Mr. White, Secretary of the Ferry Company, wrote drawing attention to the requirements of a light at Northcote Wharf, a low water landing stage, and similar appliances at Birkenhead Wharf. Now that the steamer called regularly at night these requirements were urgent. He also complained that the i Birkenhead Wharf had not been clear of i timber for months, and he asked as a favour that some person should go orer with him,

and see what was required. In respect to this there was a similar application from Mr. G. N. Brassey for a lower landing stage, and lamp at North cote.—Referred to the Works and Tariffs Committee. Hydraulic Machinery.—Mr. J. E. De Jersey, agent for Sir W. Armstrong, Mitchell, and Co., wrote, asking whether the Board proposed to take any farther step* in regard to a proposal in respect of which correspondence had taken place in 1882, relative to a proposal to adopt hydraulic machinery for the loading and discharging of ships on the Auckland wharf. It wis agreed to reply that the Boaad at present did not- intend- to take any action in this direction. ",' _ Impediments.—Mr. R. O. Clark, - Jan., wrote asking to have a quantity of brickbats, &c, lying on the beach,from J'gger and Parker's mills removed, as they were very injurious to vessels discharging.—The Chief Harbourmaster reported .that the statement was quite true, but drain pipes formed a" large proportion of the material referred to; Not long ago he had to send the Harbour Board boatmen to clear the Hobsou-street Wharf landing steps of these pipes, and be bad reason to believe that they belonged to Mr. Clarke, but could not positively swear to it, otherwise legal steps would have been taken.—lt was agreed to instruct the Harbourmaster to have the beach at the land* ings cleared. Fish Market.—Robert Burrow and Co. wrote that having noticed by the Herald that an enterprising party of fishermen from Scotland had reoently arrived, with proper appliances for deep-sea fiihing, intending to establish a fishery at Auckland, they begged to remind the Board of a resolution passed some nine months ago to grant a space on the reclamation adjoining the dock, for the purpose of a wholesale .fish and oyster market. They trusted the Board would hasten the matter as much as possible.— The Chairman said a similar application had been made by Mr. Hoag, and referred to the Works and Tariffs Committee.—Mr. McKensie thought a site should be granted in a place where abundance of salt water was available.—lt was agreed to allow the matter to stand over until the report of the Works and Tariffs Committee was brought up. Birkenhead. —Mr, Haisman offered his services as caretaker at Birkenhead Wharf. —It was agreed to inform the applicant that applications would be called for when required. Plans and Specifications.—Mr. W. Ferguson, for the Wellington Harbour Board, asked permission that certain plans and specifications of extension of Queen's Wharf might be exhibited in the Board officer. The request was complied with. Calliope Dock. — Mr. W. Errington, C.E., Dock Engineer, wrote as follows : In preparing plans and specifications for machinery and plant for Calliope graving dock, may I ask if it is the wish of the Board that such machinery shall be tendered for both in England first, and if so, whether it would be desirable to submit designs for machinery and pumps, caisson, &c, equal to our requirements, and to take delivery in Loudon, f.0.b., by an authorised agent, the Board paying shipping charges and freight, and then erecting machinery here nnder another contract, or whether the contractor should manufacture, supply, erect, and maintain the whole of the machinery and appliances in a period of, say, six months.—Referred to the Dock Committee. Shoal Bay Mr. C. Hooker wrote re the proposed reclamation of Shoal Bay, and enclosed a report from Dr. Stockwell that if the swamp was reclaimed, the refuse would be swept away by the tide, and the health of the district would be affected. He offered certain suggestions.—lt was agreed to refer the letters to the Devonport Road Board. Reports.—The Harbourmaster reported that it would be necessary to have the buoys and beacons cleaned, and it was agreed to call for tenders for the work. The Wharfinger reported that the master of the a.s. Arawata had landed bananas on the wharf against the instructions of the Wharfinger. The Board had passed a resolution that no loose bananas should be landed on the wharf. The Board must sustain the hands of their officers. The resolution of the Board on the subject was read, and the consideration of the letter was deferred until the report of the committee was brought up. Finance and Legal Committee.—The report of this committee was brought np. Accounts were passed for payment, and the following statement was submitted Payment of Accounts : General account, £263 12s sd. Statement of Funds— Account : To balance in bank, £11,855 5s 9d; cash in hand, £116 2s £11,971 7s lid ; accounts to be paid, £26312s 5d ; to balance, £11,707 15s 6d. Loan Account : Balance in bank, £1699 13s 3d; cash on fixed deposit, £122,000. In regard to the application of the Gas Company and New Zealand Timber Company for permission to reclaim the outer portion of their' allotments : It was agreed that the matter be deferred pending agreement between the leaseholders. Re letter from Parnell Borough Council requesting the Board to convey, to them a piece of land in St. George's Bay for the purpose of widening the road : The committee recommended the Board to agree to the conveyance of the piece of land referred to.—The report was adopted. Works and Tariffs Committee.—Re the railway station reclamation contract: It was agreed that the Engineer be instructed to prepare a longitudinal plan and section, with estimate of cost of concrete strengthening wall shown on plan. Re Mr. Prince's letter about the electric lights : The committee recommend that if Mr. Prince guarantee the cost of working the electric light as suggested in his letter will not exceed £50 for one month, the experiment be proceeded with. Re the letter from Mr. Eaton and others requesting the Board to permit the landing of sound bunches of bananas on the wharf: The committee recommend that the resolution adopted on the 20th January, prohibiting the depositing of loose fruit, especially bananas, on the wharf, be rescinded, and that sound bunches of bananas be allowed to be landed at the discretion of the Wharfinger, and that no wharfage be charged on fruit unfit for ftonaumption. Re Mr. Hoag's and other applications : The committee recommend that Mr. Hoag and other applicants be allowed temporary occupation of the reserve at the corner of Albert and Quay Streets, at a rental to be fixed by the Finance and Legal Committee. The items of the report were taken seriatim, and, after some brief discussion in regard to the electric light expenditure, Captain McKenzie moved, " That the expenditure for the test proposed be not entertained," and Mr. Goldie seconded the amendment, both stating that they could get all the information, they required from Lyttelton.—The amendment was lost, and the clause of the report was adopted, and the whole report was subsequently adopted, it being added that unsound fruit should be removed without being deposited on the wharf, and it was agreed to send a copy of the resolution to the Wharfinger. Steam Tenders for the services of a steam tug had been called. The Secretary stated that only one tender had been received up to the time fixed, twelve o'clock, i but a second was received at five minutes Sast one o'clock. On the motion of Mr. oldie the latter was not opened. The tender received was from Alexander Dewar, to supply a steamer at £30 a month. The tender was accompanied by £5 deposit. As the amount was above that estimated, it was referred to the Engineer to report. Committees. —The Chairman, in accordance with notice, moved the following series of resolutions, all of which were carried except No. 4, which was deferred : —l. That all existing committees be discharged. 2. That Messrs. Clark, Devore, Morrin, Mackeohnie, tf ioool, Reid, Winks, and the mover be appointed as a Finance and Legal Committee. 3. That Messrs. Waddel, Mays, McKenzie, Henderson, Winks, Goldie, Niccol, and the mover be appointed as the Works and Tariffs Committee. 4. That Messrs. Clark, Mackechnie, Niccol, Waddel, Winks, and the mover be appointed as the Office Committee. 5. That the Dock Committee consist of the whole Board,