OAMARU HARBOR BOARD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 3 December 1880, Page 2

OAMARU HARBOR BOARD.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the Harbor Board was held to-day, when there were present,—Messrs. Sumpter, (Chairman), Hassell, Gibbs, Aitken, Duncan, and the Hon. H. J. Miller. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward correspondence was read and approved. It having been ascertained that the contractors for the supply of cement would not have shipments for the Board for a fortnight or so, and that the present supply would only last for a few days, it was decided to purchase 500 casks in Dunedin, to enable the work to be carried on.

The General Manager of Railways telegraphed that he had no objection to the contractors using the railway line before eight and after five o'clock, as a temporary practice, which, it should be understood, must be stopped should the traffic demand it. If any extra expense was incurred in controlling the traffic, the contractors should pay it. Mr. J. H. Lowe, by instruction from the General Manager, wrote asking the Board to direct the contractors for the harbor works to do their blasting in the quarry contiguous to. the railway, either before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m., as a precaution against accidents or obstruction to the railway. The Secretary stated that he had arranged, by suggestion to the contractors, to have the blasting done during the hours mentioned. As a rule the blasts were fired shortly after five o'clock. The Chairman said that as the Engineer was held responsible for the proper carrying out of the work, the letter should be forwarded to him.

It was determined to send a copy of the letter to the Engineer. A quantity of correspondence between the Engineer and Mr. John Anderson, with reference to the account for the scoop dredge, was referred to the Standing Committee for report. The tender for the manufacture of the scoop dredge was L 75, and the account amounted to Ll?s.

Accounts to the amount of L 346 9s 2d were passed for payment. The Secretary stated that the Board's credit balance at the Bank was about L 53.000 exclusive uf LII,OOO worth of debentures unsold. The revenue during the past two months had shown an increase.

Mr, Aitken thought the Board should he furnished by the Engineer with monthly reports upon the state of the works.

Mr, Xtancan thought the reports should go further and state what was to be done during the following month. The Secretary stated that the -certificates for progress payments contained some amount of information on the subject. After a little further discussion it was decided on the motion of Mr. Aitken, seconded by Mr. Duncan, to request the Engineer to supply monthly progress reports.

The Secretary suggested that the Board should endeavor to make arrangements for a supply of water at the cement shed near the railway station. The water in the well at the railway station waa nearly exhausted.

The matter was referred to the Standing Committee with power to. act. The Standing Committee was empowered ta make arrangements with Mr. Mill as to the position in which he should temporarily place his machinery for dumping wool. The Board then rose.