THE HARBOUR BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 6

THE HARBOUR BOARD.

WHARF WAITING-ROOM.

DIVIDING "' THE EXPENSE.

NO CHARGE- TO WORKERS.

Tuft Harbour Board met yesterday, Mr. W. E.. Hutchison-'.; (deputy-chairman) pre- j siding. ■ .:■ There were also present: Messrs. I'. Virtue, E. W. Alison, A. J. Entrican, H. H. Adams, J. H. Bradney, John Fisher, ft;S:" Bond, G. R.' Hutchinson, and W. B. Leyland. ■ , ' • , '. A\ discussion ; arose in connection " with the charge the- board .proposes to make in connection with the', waterside workers' waiting-room on the Queen's Wharf. The Waterside Workers' Union had, protested against being asked to pay £15 per month for the use of the room, and the matter was referred at the last -meeting to the board in committee. The committee 'now recommended, That a reply ,'be sent that the board is willing to pay half the out-of-pocket expenses for the wages of the caretake?, etc., provided the Shipping and Stevedores': Committee and the union find the other half between them."

; •Mr! Bradney moved as an amendment, "That the board take the whole responsibility of the cost of the room as heretofore." It was 'not the custom in other parts of the Dominion to charge , tho waterside workers with the cost of such rooms, and the ' Auckland , board could well afford the expense. If the charge were made there would be a lot of discontent amongst the men, who would probably not go to tho room at all, in which case they might become a nuisance on the wharf. It was not right, Mr. Bradney declared, to "bleed every shilling out of these men." Mr. Alison seconded the amendment pro forma. The deputy-chairman said that up to the present the board -had borne the entire cost of the waiting-room. Mr. Entriean thought a belter way out of .the difficulty would be for tho board, to pay half the expenses and the shipping companies and stevedores the other half. Under the waterside workers' agreement tho men must be engaged' in the waitingroom, and he thought it only right that the employers should pay a proportion of the cost of the room.

The deputy-chairman said tho Shipping and Stevedores' Committee had in a letter ■Xa\ the boat i practically admitted their liability to pay part of the expenses. Mr. Bradncy's amendment was put and lost, only, the mover and seconder and Mr. Adams voting for it. - Mr.' Entrican then moved as, a further amendment that the words in the committee's recommendation "and the union" be deleted. This would mean that the board would pay half the cost of the room and the shipping companies and stevedores the other half, and thatHhe union would not bo called upon to pay anything. Mr. G. R. Hutchinson seconded this amendment. ',"■!.. . Mr. Alison said it would be an imposition that was not justified to charge the employers. Mr. Bradney concurred in this view. Mr. Entrican's amendment was' carried, Messrs. Alison and-Bradney dissenting.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES.

HARBOURMASTER'S REPORT.

. The harbourmaster reported that during the fortnight ending May 14 the arrivals in port consisted of two British warships, two mail steamers, eight large cargo steamers, seven intercolonial or Island traders, eight coastal vessels.', the' New Zealand Government steamers Hinemoa and Tutanekai,andtheTokomani for bunker supplies, an aggregate of 112.386 gross tons and 72,528: net torts,-together with 259 local coasters of 41,980 gross tons and 22,308 net tons,. making a grand total of 154,366 gross tons and 94,836 net tons. : The departures consisted of two mail steamers, seven large cargo steamers, eight intercolonial or Island traders, seven coastal vessels, one sailing vessel, the New Zealand Government steamer Hinemoa and tho Tokomaru after . coaling, an aggregate of 102,300 gross tons and 64,215 net tons,' together with 254 ' local coasters of 41,914 gross tons and 23,795 net tons, making a grand total of 144,214 gross tons and. 88,006 net tons. ■',

The pilot's services were engaged by 10 vessels of 39,551 net tons inwards, and by 10 vessels of 36,291 net ions outwards. The Auckland ' Dock was engaged by-four vessels of 1279 tons , for nine' days. The Calliope Dock was engaged by three vessels of 11,361 tons for 12 days.

BIRKENHEAD WHARF ROAD.

LIGHTS ; AT DEVONPORT.

The question of the dedication of the road approach and the reservation of a strip of land adjoining the Birkenhead Wharf ■ was settled ;on the recommendation of ; tho board in committee. The decision made was that the board reserve as' a landing a- strip of land 22ft wide, adjoining the wall on the western side of Birkenhead Wharf, from the end of the presont concrete landing to the cliff, and that the balance of the area be dedicated to the Birkenhead' Borough Council as a road, to be maintained by the council as a road, with free access at every part between the'road and the waterside.

' In response to representations from the Devonport Borough Council regarding the lighting of Victoria Wharf, it was decided to instaltwo Tights under the verandah of the ticket office on the wharf. A former resolution that' no action be taken regarding a scow landing at. Devonport was rescinded, and it was agreed,to erect ono landing only.

DREDGING WORK REQUIRED.

COMPLAINT OF SILTING.

A complaint: was received from the WaitematarCounty Council that the new wharf at. Riverhead was . inaccessible, owing to silt.-: The matter, was referred to the Board in Committee, the harbourmaster to report. ' ; At the request of the Franklin County Council it was agreed that the Board ;in Committee should receive a deputation from that body in support of its proposal that the channel to tho Waiuku Wharf should. bo edged. ; • It.was decided to carry out urgent dredging work at the Albert Wharf. MISCELLANEOUS. ! ] CONSIDERATION OF TENDERS.

!'' Four tenders, were ■ received for tho pimply of insulated copper • cables for tho j Queen's Wharf, as follows :—Turnbull and Jones, £765 12s-6dj'Lawrence and Hanson; £650:10s '3d; National Electrical 'Engineering; Company,' £607 6s; Richardson, McCabo.and Company . (Wellington), £560 3s 6d. The tenders were referred to the deputy-chairman and engineer. ; Better arrangement* in .connection with I the • handling- of. cargo ■- at the Onehunga« Wharf had previously been applied for by! theOnehunga-Manukau Chamber of Commerce! ,: It was; decided to reply that the board had - the ':'. question of providing further wharf accommodation under consideration; and.that.the attention of the •Railway Department be drawn to the obstruction to cart .traffic. - :.<' i. The Takapuna' Borough Council wroteasking the beard to insert a clause in its Harbour Empowering Bill to vest in : the council the control of tho beaches in the Takapuna'borough. ■ It was further asked , that the board, should,teceive a deputation; in .regard to the subject. The matter was referred- to :lthe; Board in '_ Committee, the j deputation to-be ieafd. '»','■ * ■■■'i..--.,.::. .'■■-.,.- . I

• Notification was received from. the Department of Internal Claire : :that it. was proposed to prepare V clause for .insertion in the "Washing-up" Bill: next session to give effect to the board's request-forme exclusion of a' portion of the Northern Wharf from the city.boundaries.. - The : General Carriers' ; Union . recently asked the board to .provide permanent stands for leader horses. On the recommendation of the Board in Committee, it was decided to allot two temporary stands —one on the eastern side of the Auckland dockyard, and the other on the reclamation between the Northern and Kings Wharves; both to be laid down in concrete. , . i The Roman : Catholic Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Clcarv) wrote objecting to the erection of the" proposed septic tank on the beach at Northcote by the Borough Council. Dr. Cleaiy urged . that this action would prcjuclically affect his property adjoining tho proposed site. Ine matter was referred to the Board in Committee. .' .'„ The engineer of the Reniucra Road Board forwarded for* approval a plan of a heat-slip and crowing proposed to.be erected over the sewer at Hobson Bay. This was referred to the Board in Com mittee/the engineer, to report. •The Panmuro Boating Club asked that the channel of the Tamaki River bo buoyed. The matter was referred to the Board in Committer, the harbourmaster I to report. ' '