MEETINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 752, 30 July 1886, Page 22

MEETINGS.

WELLINGTON HARBOR BOARD.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the Wei- - lington Harbor Board was held yesterday week. Present—Messrs E. Pearce (chairmariV-J. Chew. Wheeler, J. Petherick, J. Dransfield, W. Booth, J. Duthie, Captains Bose and . Williams, and his Worship the Mayor. ACCOUNTS, A statement of accounts was laid on the - table by the Chairman, from which it appeared that the liabilities for existing contracts were £6582, and it weuld be necessary - >to reduce the deposit acconnt from £48,500 to £42 500, in order that the final payment of £4661 conld be made for the outer tee of ' the Queen’s Wharf. Authority was subsequently given for thu payment, and also for - the payment of wage 3 and salaries. TENDERS. In referring to the tenders recently accepted by the Board, the Chairman said it • was somewhat iccmvenient that the publicshould be informed, throngh the Press, of the results of the tendering before the contractors - themselves knew, and before the Engineer - had had an opportunity of considering whether | th 9 tenders were in order or not, j Mr Duthie said he had seen three contractors recently waiting outside the office after the tenders had been considered, and comparing notes, and he had spoken to them on-, the matter. He considered there was an Unnecessary amount of mystery ab.ut these - matters. SH'PMEST OF OXTTLE, The Secretary laid, on the table a memorandum giving the results of an interview he had--had with the railway authorities in referenceto the shipment of cattle. It was thought that a bogie truck and race could be provided for the purpose. > OLD SHEDS. The Secretary was authorised to call fortenders for the purchase of the old Bheds on. the Queen’s Wharf. WELLINGTON HABBOB LEASING BILL The Chairman announced that this Bill had. passed both Houses of the Legislature with a slight amendment in clause 6, referring to theleasing of the foreshore. Mr Duthie said there had been a misapprehension by the Press about the action of the members of the Board in this matter. There had been no intention on-the part of members to interfere with Oriental Bay, and there was nothing in the clause, so far as he was aware,-that would enable them to do soThe Committee who had assisted.to draft theBill had followed the lines of the Otago Act, and felt that they ought to get power for providing for ship-building yards. The members of the Board had been referred to as Goths and Vandals without any reason. No one had sought to steal a march on the public, and if those interested in the bay had thought the Board intended to interfere with it, they ought to have brought the matter under the notice of the Board,

Captain Williams said the public had been misinformed altogether. He was prepared to prove that the trade of the port would be benefited by making provision for shipbuilding to be carried on outside the city. fe Mr Pearce was not at all sorry that Mr Duthie had referred to the matter. Having seen the articles in the newspapers, he intended to get a copy of the evidence he gave before the Bills Committee in the House. He was quite sure, with Mr Duthie, that no member of the Board had thought of injuring Oriental Bay. At the same time he thought that in the future the requirements of the trade would necessitate some provision being made for shipbuilding sites. The Board had merely desired to have the ternu of leases fixed at 14 instead of 50 years. The Mayor, as a member of the Committee who assisted the solicitors in drafting the Bill, said it had been drawn up on the same lines as the Otago Act, the provisions of which had been copied. They certainly had no thought of interfering with Oriental Bay. THE PRICE OF GAS. The Secretary read a reply from the City Council, expressing their willingness to cooperate with the Board in an endeavor to have the price of gas lowered. THE ENDOWMENT QUESTION. The Secretary read a number of letters from public bodies in answer to the Board’s circular embodying the correspondence ■■between the Board and the Government in reference to the Board’s claims for endowments. The replies were generally of a sympathetic character, and urged an appeal to the Legislature. The letter from the Government offering the section of land adj lining the Lion Foundry (1 rood 12 perches) and the right to reclaim portion of the harbor north of the Railway Wharf, in final settlement of the Board’s claims, was then considered. The Chairman thought the Board might deal with the proposal as one of a final settlement in respect of the land taken by Government for a printing office, if the of the section occupied by the Freezing Company, and held by the Board under a 42 yearn’ lease were thrown in. He had spoken to one of the members of the House, and he thorght there would be no difficulty in getting the Government to assent to that. He (the Chairman) moved that the Secretary be authorised to reply to that effect. . Mr Booth seconded the motioD. With regard to endowments, Mr Dathie thought the Board should not go to the Government any more, but should bring the matter before the Assembly through its members. The motion was carried. Mr Duthie moved that the city members be requested to bring before Parliament the question of harbor endowments for the port of Wellington. He thought they, would receive more consideration from the hands cf Parliament than they had from the Government. Mr Petherick seconded the motion. The Mayor moved as an amendment that Parliament be approached by way of petition, and that the City Conncil be asked to join the Board. He thought if this were done the Public Petitions Committee would give something like a verdict as to the Board’s claims. Mr Wheeler thought it was inopportune to go to Parliament now, as the session was about to close. Mr Dathie did not think it too late, and

-withdrew his motion in favor' of the amend-■-Blent, which he seconded. .. Mr Dransfield supported the proposal, as it -would enable a report to be got from the -Committee as to whether the Board a claims were entitled to consideration or not. The Chairman said the Board had been preparing the way for appeal to Parliament by having all the correspondence circulated amongst the members, who could not therefore say they were not prepared for the qnes- " The amendment was then put and carried unanimously. WHARF CHARGES. A letter was received from the threilarge steam shipping companies trading to the port with reference to the charge made for discharging at night, . The Secretary was instructed to make in- • qutries in other porta as to night charges. This yvas all the business.