AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9404, 10 January 1894, Page 6

AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD.

An .ordinary meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board was held yesterday, when there were present: Messrs. Crowther, M.H.R. (chairman), Devore, Porter, Houghton, Witheford, Wright, Farrell, Niccol, Henderson, and McCabe.

' Deep Water Berth age.—On the minutes of the last meeting being read Mr. Witheford explained that when he had seconded Mr. Napier's addendum to the deep water berthage report, conditionally on the understanding that the dredging of the Queenstreet wharf was to be done as required instead of its being done before the three jetties were erected, otherwise he (Mr. Witheford) would not have seconded the motion. He had thought the alteration would have been made. ...

The Manchester Ship Canal.— circular, dated November last, was reoeired from the Manchester Ship Canal Company, stating that the port of Manchester would be opened on the Ist January. Seagoing merchant vessels arriving in Manchester during the year 1894 will not bo charged any ship dues. Bibkenhf,ad Wharf. — Mr. Seaman, town clerk of Birkenhead, wrote asking if the Board would raise the land end of the Birkenhead wharf from 18 inches to 2 feet, and running the slope on to the wharf to the distance of half a chain or 40 feet, the object being to enable the Council to fill up the road at the end of the wharf, and thus improve the grade of the approach thereto. The Chairman said the foreman of works recommended that the raising be by three feet. The estimated cost of this would be £30. Ifc was agreed that the request of the Birkenhead lCouncil be complied with, the work to be carried out under the supervision of the Board's foreman. •

Wharfage.—Messrs. Ireland Brothers asked that the wharfage on bark be half thab hitherto paid— Is per ton, as the bark was simply landed for transhipment to Panmure. The Secretary said that Panmure was in the port of Auckland, and therefore, there could be no transhipment. The matter was sent to the Finance and Legal Committee. Bridging the Waitemata.—Mr. W. F. Sadler sent to the Board a paper on the bridging of the Waitemata—a mosb desirable thing, and called attention to the letter on the subject from Mr. Hammond, C.8., which appeared in the Herald. The letter was received.

Gas Charges.— Gas Company intimated that a reduction had been made to £7 16s per annum for all lamps on both sides of the harbour.

The Dredger.— A telegram, dated 21st December, from the Lyttelton Harbour Board, in reference to dredger No. 121, was read. This stated that the committee of the Board recommended the postponement of the question of hiring the dredger for two months, to enable further inquiries re dredging plant to be made. Statement of Funds.— balance in bank, £8574 13? 2d; cash on hand, £29 5s 7d: total, £8603 18s 9d. By accounts ordored to be paid, £6101 {is 7d; bo balance, £2499 188 2d.

Tolls on Queen-street Wharf.—Mr. Napier had given notice to move, "That the Finance and Legal Committee be instructed to consider and report upon the desirability of increasing the port charges on vessels to 6d per ton, the amount charged at the other chief New Zealand ports ; and also upon the desirability of re-imposing tolls on vehicles going on the, Queen-street Wharf, whereby the Board's revenue may be increased by the sum ot £2500, formerly abandoned by the Board." Mr. Napier wired saying thab he was detained elsewhere professionally. The motion was therefore postponed to the next meeting.