HARBOR BOARD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 716, 26 July 1878, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

A special meeting of the Board was held this morning, at the Harbor Chambers There were present Mr. G. Sumpter (Chairman), the Hon. H. J. Miller, Messrs. Shrimski, Reid, Borrie, Meidove, and Lemon. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward

correspondence was read and approved. The report of the Standing Committee was read, dealing with a letter from Mr. F. Dunlop, complaining of partiality being shown in the loading of the Pelican. The Committee reported that • the letter had been forwarded to Captain Sewell for his explanation.—The report was adopted. The Committee appointed to consider the particulars of a Biii for increasing the borrowing powers of the Board, reported recommending that the Bill should be a borrowing Bill solely, and that the questions of the constitution of the Board and the vesting of the endowment in the Board should be allowed to staud over, in view of the probability of the Government dealing with these matters in a general measure. The Committee therefore recommended that the members for the district should be requested to introduce a Bill at the ensuing Session providing for an extension of the Board's borrowing powers by LIOO,OOO. The Hon. H. J. Miller said it would be necessary to furnish members with full information as to what had already been done, and the works. upon which the money to be borrowed was to be expended.

The Chairman asked whether, as Sir John Coode had not reported as promised before leaving the Colony, it would be advisable to telegraph, to him, asking him to furnish the Board with his general opinions before Parliament mot. The Secretary said lie had drawn up a report of the Board's transactions for the past year. Thi3 report, which is of too lengthy a nature for us to publish in our present issue, was then read and adopted, and ordered to be printed.

It was resolved that the members for the district be requested to introduce and support a Bill for the purpose of increasing the borrowing powers of the Board to the amount of LIOO,OOO for the following purposes :—Extension of -the Breakwater by 450 feet ; return of the Breakwater by 200 feet; wharfage and reclamation.

An application from Mr. Shaud, the pilot, for an increase in salary was read, and was accompanied by a memorandum from the Harbor Master in favor of the increase, and suggesting the advisability of levying pilotage dues. It was decided that the bye-laws now in the hands of Messrs. Hisl<;p and C'reagh should be brought into operation as speedily as possible, and that Mr. Shaud's salary should be increased by L 23 per annum at once, and that so soon as the.pilotage dues are in force his salary be fixed at the rate of L2OO a year. It was also resolved to increase the salary of Mr. Peach to L2l per mouth. The Secretary having intimated that Mr. Williamson, the lighthouse-keeper, had resigned his position in consequence of ill-health, it was resolved, "That the Board have learned wi;h much regret the cause of Mr. Williamson's resignation." A letter was read from Mr. Conyers. Commissioner of Railways, stating that he had carefully perused the tariff for haulage on the Breakwater line, forwarded to him by the Board, but declined to recommend their adoption, as they were too low. He therefore insisted upon the tariff which he had previously forwarded to the Board.—The letter was referred to the Standing Committee to report upon at the next meeting. An application from Mr. Alex. Kerr for a level crossing to his property in Plumber and Clyde streets, leased from the Board, was ordered to be complin., with. Accounts to the amount of L 241 lis having been passed for payment, the Board rose.