THE LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8376, 2 October 1890, Page 5

THE LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD.

[BY TKfjKORAPFI.—PRESS ASSOCIATION'.] Christchurck, Wednesday. At the Lyttelton Harbour Board to-day the warehouseman's report stated that he had since last report put out some 15,000 bags of grain, principally by non-union labour, which was, he regretted to nay, both expensive and unsatisfactory. The best men he could obtain were unfitted for the work of urain-carryiog, and they were daily shifted about by the secretary of the labour bureau, and thus fresh men were put to work daily. They were very willing, bufc it would take almost a season for them to get used to the work. Since the 10lh September 1386 tons of grain, etc., had been put out, and the cost was as near as possible Is \hd per ton ; the same work could be done by ordinary casual hands at a cost not exceeding 7cl per ton. The cost was considerably increased owing to having to pay the men full day's pay, though in some cases they only did four or six hours work. Mr. C. VV. Turner said that he wondered that men could be found to carry these bags of grain at all. They weighed from 240 to 'ioOlbs. He would prefer to see the American system of cental adopted, and hoped that one reeult of the present labour agitation would be to get this evil remedied. Mr. Graham said the Chamber of Commerce had been for years trying to get the size of the bags lessened, but farmers were opposed to this, as by the present system they obtained a gain in railway carriage The report was adopted. The Board then considered the cool storage plans, which were estimated to cost £7000. Mr. P. Cunningham said that ae they would have a steamer leaving weekly he did not think that a cool chamber would be used at all. He did not think the expenditure would be justified, and moved, "That the consideration of tho matter be postponed till next meeting." The motion was adopted.