HARBOUR BOARD.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIX, Issue 3006, 18 December 1896, Page 4

HARBOUR BOARD.

The Harbour Board met yesterday aflornoon. Present —Messrs T. J. W, Gale (chairman), J. Jack, J, Hutcheson, J. H. Heaton. F. K. Fraser. F. Bradey, H. Beauchamp, W. Booth, Captain Kose and tbo Mavor. The 'financial statement mado by the chairman was as follows: —Bankbooks Current account, debit balance, .£l3Bl 2d; imprest wages account, nil; amount on fixed deposit, .£19,000. Payments — Accounts and wages, £4993 4s 9d; salaries for December, .£425 17s Sd; progress and final on contracts, -£5Ol 2s 4d: total, £5920 43 9d. The Chairman reported that as the amount passed by the Board at it last meeting lo provide for wages bad proved to be insufficient, he bad signed a special cheque for £2OO. His action was approved. The Chairman further reported that the ketch Liberty sank at her moorings on tbo 3rdinst. That the owner declining to remove her she had boon lifted at the Board’s expense, and that, the owner declining to pay the cost of raising, sho had been sold by public auction, and had realised £2O, of which sum £1 10s was returnable to the former owner.

The Wharves and Accounts Committee recommended -.—That the request of tho Melroso Boiough Council that the engineer to the Board report as to the levels to be fixed for the Esplanade at Island Bay, and tho advisability or otherwise of disposing of - the’ sand thereon, be agreed to ; that the seal of the Board bo affixed to a consent by the Board to a transfer of sections of tbo Hunter street endowment from Hon J. G. Ward to Mr Walter J. Nathan and Mrs A t B. Beauchamp; that tbo Board consent to a license to Sir Frederick T. Sargood to construct an .overhead bridge between sections 6 and 7 of the Hunter street en--1 dowment, subject to the Board’s solicitors being satisfied that all tho Board’s tenants on tho endowment have entered into a deed of consent thereto, and subject to the completion of a transfer of tho lease of section 7-to Sir F. Sargood and to the consent of the Board being obtained to such transfer; that tho engineer bo authorised to obtain prices for and particulars of hydraulic pumping engines from English firms, with a view to ordering a pumping plant and installing same with the existing engines' in premises to be built on tbo Board’s reclamation at Waterloo quay ; that a standing authority be given to the chairman to sign and tho treasurer to countersign, cheques for tho payment of wages in any case whore it is found that the provision made by the Board at its meetings is insufficient. Tho recommendations wore agreed to. Mr J. Chalmers’ license for a boat-build-ing shed, at Clyde quay at an annual rental of £2 2s per annum, was cancelled at his request, and one for a boathouso at 10s 6d per annum was granted instead. In committee it was decided that a small sum of sinking fund coming due for investment in January should bo invested with the Equitable Building Investment Company, in compliance with the Board’s arrangements with tho company.