THE HARBOUR BOARD AND THE FROZEN MEAT COMPANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7915, 6 April 1887, Page 6

THE HARBOUR BOARD AND THE FROZEN MEAT COMPANY.

THE BOARD AGREES TO SUB-LET-TING THE RECLAMATIONS. AT the meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday the vexed question of the Frozen Meat Company's reclamations cam© up on the following report of the engineer and a motion by Mr; Lamb :—The engineer reported that ho had measured the Frozen Meat Company's reclamation, and found the measuremenf*as follows :—The quantity of filling in C and D was 175,166 cubic yards, and in the triangular portion E (the property of the Board), 9120 cubic yards, making a total of 184,286 cubic yards in the block. The surface' dimensions of the block were 424 feet 7 inches frontage to Railway Wharf, 479 feet * along north water frontage, 773 feet 3 inches along eastern water frontage, and 588 feet 4 inches frontage to Quay-street, containing an area of 6 acres 12 roods : 18 perches, and without E 6 aores 1 rood 1 perch. • The land had been reclaimed to tho level of the Railway Wharf decking, with slopes of 2 to 1 over the north and eastern frontages, and the mean depth was 17 feet S inches. The slopes were protected with blue metal pitchings, but show signs of settlement in several places in consequence of the stones being laid on soft material, some of which had been washed out from the pitching. The top surface of reclamation generally had settled very little below the finished level.', „ Mr. Lamb moved, "That the resolution adopted at the mooting of tho Board held on the 29th June, 18S6, in reference to the New Zealand Frozen Moat and Storage Company's leases be now rescinded, and that the following resolution be adopted :—' {a) That the New Zealand Frozen Meat and Storage Company be relieved of all obligations in reference to Block A, mentioned in lease dated 17th July, 1883, and that snob. Block A be reconveyed to the Board, (b) That upon the company undertaking, by deed, to pay to the Board tho sum t>f £250 per annum, payable half-yearly, as a ground rental for Block C, the company be allowed to sub-let and deal with Blocks C and D mentioned in the leases, and subject to the conditions theroof, in such manner as the company may deem advisable' " He said he thought they would after discussion arrive at a fair proportion of what they should bo paid by the Freezing Company, and put an end to the troubles that had been brought on between the Board and tho company. The motion ho proposed would settle the difficulty, and be a fair equivalent for what they had done.

In reply to Mr. Niccol, the Chairman said the resolutions proposed would bo in striot legal accord with their powers. Mr. Clark seconded the motion pro forma. In compliance with a request of Mr. Devore he had to raise the following points of order : It should be first considered before the resolution was moved, Whether it can be moved, becauae it seeks to rescind a resolution that had been accepted by the Frozen Meat Company, and he did not see how they could rescind (without their consent) what the company had accepted and claimed performance of. So long as the company's resolution declining subletting exists, and compensation was claimed by the company, nothing could be done by them in the direction sought by Mr. Lamb in his motion. Mr. YVadd&< said the outcome of that position would place the Board in a worse position than they were before, and proceeded to contend that the point was this : That if the company never approved of the offer of £23,000 in June last, then he could give no sympathy to them. To carry it out a loan would have to be raised by a bill passed through the House, as the general account would not stand it. In regard to the old dispute about the sub-letting, the Board might reply,—as had been Btated by some persons,—they had said that, if the right was allowed, the half of Queen-street would be to let. They were now granted that concession. The motion of Mr. Lamb was a very great concession to them, and one which they could hardly expect to improve, and one, indeed, which they could hardly expect to have offered to .them again. - Mr. Clark regretted that the motion had been brought forward before Mr. Lamb had obtained the consent of the company to the proposal. He suggested the withdrawal of it till such opinion was obtained. Mr. .Lamb said he should place himself in the hands of the Board. He would not withdraw it unless by the vote of tho Board. He did not believe in the Board going to the company and saying, " Will that suit you Mr. Niccol supported the motion as being the lessor of two evils, but he objected to the £259 as being too small, and would move that it bo increased. He moved as an amendment, " That £250 be struck out and £500 inserted." Mr. Stone seconded the amendment, and referred to a milling company that had offered £600 for the same site as they were now asking £250 for. Mr. Button supported the motion, but considered that they might be even more generous to the company. Mr. Phillips could not agree to the motion as read, as £250 was far too small, and thought the motion should be referred to the Finance and Legal Committee. Mr. La Roche : No, no. Mr. Phillips continued, and held that the Board had some claim if they relieved the company of its expenditure upon Block A.' The Chairman, in order that the fullest information might be at the disposal of the Board, said he had obtained the letter of the company forwarded in ISB3, offering to take the site and reolaim tho land and face with scoria. Mr. Clark proceeded to refer to the whole position aa a member of the Board. The Chairman : As a member of the other side as well as the Board. Mr. Clark objected to the construction placed upon it by the chairman. He looked at it from a public position only, and not aa a member of the company. Ho believod in fostering the company in the interests of the prosperity of the city. The chairman had hinted that the company had mado a trap. The Chairman : I did not.

Mr. Clark : Then, I am glad it is not so. The position taken up by the Board in refusing the power to sub-let was an irreparable injury to the company, which could never be compensated for, and which the company had suffered what could never bo paid for. He did not agree with Mr. Lamb's motion, as the company's consent had not been obtained. Mr. Niccol'a amendment amounted to a repudiation of the Board's offer. Mr. LaHoohe thought that the rental amounted to a very small amount par foot, and was about equal to tho sinking fuud asked for by the company. He regretted the discussion evoked by Mr. Clark, as it was an under current which should not have oropped up. Mr. Stone proceeded to reply to Mr. Clark, and said that at the time referred to he was Chairman of the Board, and ho thought that the Board should now do their utmost to get the best terms they could. The company was having a concession granted to them which was of vory great value. Mr. Lame replied to the objections raised, and said that he was unaware that £600 had been offered till now. He knew, and they all were aware of it, that if the mutton had realisad the expectations in price, every aoro would have been used. Why, they would have been paid only Id per lb for their butter this season but for the purchases made by the company. Mr. Button prooeeded to contend that the Board was acting altogether upon wrong lines in the discussion that had taken place. Tho Board was refusing what every right-minded landlord would do. They were seeking to make a source of profit out of what was really not their's to do it with. Mr. Phillips rose to a point of order, on the ground that Mr. Button had already spoken to the motion. On the amendment being put, it was lost by the casting vote of the chairman, Who, in explaining his reasons for voting for the motioD, said that the position of the matter was now on a different footing. They could not now let the ground for 20a per foot. It was, he thought, the best means of getting the company out of the reclamation, and' thus relieving them and the Board of a difficulty. The motion was then put and oarried. the voting being as follows: — Ayes (6): Tho Chairman, Messrs. Lamb, Clark, "Winks, Button, and Morrin. Noes (5): Messrs. LaRoche, Phillipps, Stone, Henderson, and Niocol,