HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7175, 13 February 1885, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was held in the Board-room yesterday afternoon. There were present: Messrs A. H. Rosa, M.H.R. (chairman), A. Thomson, J. B. Thomson, .T. Roberts, E. B. Oargill, ,T. Hielop, W. Eldor, ,T. Mill, and J. Barnes, N. Y. A. Wales, and Captain Duncan. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was received from the Corporation re the naming of the streets on the Crawford Btreet block, and stating that the streets had been named Jorvois street, Wolseley street, and Gordon street respectively, Mr J. M. Ritchie wrote as follows: " I regret to find that, unintentionally, I have forfoited my seat at the Board, and though I should not have taken this method of terminating my connection, I am sorry that I did not provide against it by asking for leave of absence; yet I feel that, for various reasons, it may be well that I should not seek reappointmont. I have, therefore, to-day' telegraphed the Colonial Treasurer as follows :— " I regret that, unintentionally, owing to unavoidable absence, from four meetings, I have forfeited my seat at Otago Harbour Board. Though sorry it should occur in this connection, I have the honour to ask you to accept my resignation. My other engagements havo prevented mo from paying the necessary attention to the Harbour Board matters, and especially to the duties of Chairman of the Finance Committee, in which latter I cannot but take some blame to myeolf for omitting sooner to make way for a more officiont member, and I feel that, holding as I do strong views about the operations and expenditure of the Board opposed to those of the majority of members, it i 3 imperative that I should devote more time and energy to urging these than I have at my disposal, if I would properly fulfil the duties of a member." —Received.

FINANCE COMMITTEE'S BKPORT. The Finance Committee reported concerning the provisions of the mail steamera' contracts, relative to the remission of port duos and charges for the mail steamers, that they have fully considered tho matter, and can see no prospect of any remedy except by an appeal to the House of Representatives. Thoy also recommended the Board to oppose any extension of the limits of the borough of Port Chalmers. Accounts amounting to £1281 170 3d wore passed for payment. Dock p!an3, ways and means, postponed. Mr Roberts moved, and Mr Elder seconded the adoption of the report. Mr J. Mill sciid he was getting tired of this dock question, which ought long ago to have baen pushed to a successful issue; but instead of that it was being put off from timo to time. If this was to ba continued it would be well that the matter should ba takon out of the hands of the Board, and as come members of the Board had expressed opinions against the dock he would do his utmost to have it taken from tho hands of the Board. He moved — " That a committee ba appointed to wait upon the manager of the Colonial Bank, and to bring up a report upon ways and moans for the dock."

The Chaieman said that the question of the floating of the dock loan had been submitted to Mr Cowie, and delay had been advised. Mr Elder remarked that what was remitted to Mr Cowie was not tho dock loan, but the floating of the debentures of the new loan and the consolidation of the loan. The Chairman repeated that he was informed by the secretary that the dock loan was remitted to Mr Cowie. Mr A. Thomson could not conceive that the Committee had honestly gone into the question of the dock, or they would have given the Board some idea of the revenue available for the purpose. The present dock, though it yielded only a few hundred pounds the first year, now gave a profit of £2000, and that showed that tha dock was profitable. They had that revenue, then the new dock might be expected to yield £1500. The present rents were £730, there were prospective rents that would amount to £2000, and with a total of £GOCO they ought to be able to undertake the construction of a dock costing £90,000. The Committee should have brought up a report confirming these figures or showing that they were fallacious. Mr Elder was in favour of the Dock Trust being handed back to tho Government, bo that the Government might constitute a separate body that would look after it, It waa their business to set to and mako the dock, and hand back tho Trust to the Government, stating that facilities had not been given to them to carry out the Trust, Mr Robbeis said that the position was this : that if the dock waa to be constructed it must bo no drain on the funds of the Board.

The CHAIBMAN expressed the opinion, that tho Finance Committee were sincoroly desirous of obtaining the information that was wauted, but bad not been able to get it. They had not yet got a plan showing tho extent of the endowment at Mussel Bay to bo conveyed to the Board. The correspondence from tho Admiralty had led the Committee to think it was necessary to make some alterations in the dimensions of the dock to induce the Admiralty to give a subsidy towards its construction. At the present timo he might say there was not the slightest prospect of the amount of revenue accruing from tho dock endowment being sufficient to meet interest on the cost of the dock. Ho had suggested to the member for Port Chalmers in the Housa that a clause Bhould be added to the bills of which he (the speaker) had had charge, authorising the Board to supplement out of general revenue the dock revenue, so a3 to make up any deficiency and meet the payment of interest, and then the Board could have determined about going on with the construction of tho dock. At the present time, however, it would be madnes3 for the Board to enter upon the construction of a dock to cost £100,000, when there was not any prospect of more than £3000 per annum coming in tho Bbape of revenue. Two years ago the Lyttelton dock had been opened with a great flourish of trumpets, but for the firßt 11 months there had been a loss of £5000 on that dock. Then the revenue accruing from that dock for 1883 was loos than it was for the previous 11 mouths; and taking the cost of the dock, £105,000, at G per cent,, there was a deficiency of nearly £0000. Having these facts before them the Board should pause until it forced the Government into giving endowments that would yield a revenue at any rate nearly equal to the interest they would have to pay. Until there was a prospect of the payment of interest no sensible man could advise that the work be proceeded with. Having the facts relating to the Lyttelton dock, it would not bs prudent or honest to proceed with the construction of a dock with revenues that would not pay half the amount of the interest.

Mr Oargill had no doubt it was desirable that they should have the exact figures beforethem, and advised that it should be remitted to the Committee to prepare an exact statement of the revenue available. Very little dependence could be placed on the revenue derived from the new dock, and certainly that revenue was not a sufficient foundation to enable them to borrow money upon it. Mr Mill moved—" That tha clause referring to the dock be referred to the whole Committee to bring up a report on the question."— Carried. . The report as amended waa then adopted. Mr Mill was elected chairman of the finance Committee. WOKKS COMMITTEE, The Works Committee reported: — That Mr Brunton's offer to dispose of cortain dock plans has been declined. That Mr Davis' application for an old punt to bo used as a landing-stage is recommended to be granted on his agreeing to pay £1 per annum additional rent. Me the North Head works, it is recommended that tenders be called for constructing the second section ot the staging. The engineer has been authorised to put the New Era to work at Port Chalmers between the Bowen and George Btreet Piers. Mr R. Guthrie'a letter re charge made for a new casting for wheel broken in removal of crane. — The engineer's evidence satisfying the Committee that there was a defect in the casting of the wheel broken, it is recommended that the cost of the new wheel be remitted. Messrß Kincaid, M'Queen, and Co.'s letter re deduction of dock dueß. —According to tho inspector's report the Iron Age waa detained in dock an extra day on account of Messrs Kincaid, M'Queen, and Co.'a contract not being completed in time ; the Committee could not recommend any remission. On tho motion of Mr J. B. Thomson the report wa3 adopted, THE DOCK FLANS. The Special Committee on the dock plans recommendod the floor to be "invert"; width to be increased to 80ft; depth to 30ft, Alternotive tonders for all steps to be of stone. That the engineer be allowed the assistance of a draughtsman in preparing copy of plans, The report was adopted. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS,

The following reports wore read and received :— The Harbourmaster reported that he took soundings on the bar on the 6th inst., and found the depth at low water in the line of leading beacons to be 18ft Sin. Eighty one vessels (35,540 tons) arrived during last month, and 80 vessels (31,211 tons) departed. The Engineer, in hia usual report, stated that the Vulcan worked two shifts in the Upper Harbour during last month, and in the first shift removed 18,fi00 cubic yarda in 23 dave, and in the Becond 15.384 cubic yards in 22 days, at a cost of 2p per yard. The Bide dredge has been working at the Stuart street Wharf, and lifted 2040 cubic yards at a coat of lOd per yard, or including repairs, la 2|d per yard. Dcedgings to the amount of 28,872 cubic yards have been deposited in reclamation at Ravenßbourne and Pelichet Bay. Dredge 222 worked 12 days in the Upper Harbour, and removed 8987 cubic yards of material, at a cost of 6|d per yard, or including repairs, Sd per cubic yard. In the Lower Harbour, dredge 222 worked eight dnys on the bar during January, and removed 5013 cubic yards, increasing the depth of water to 18ft 9in, or an improvement of !?ft, On the 30tb ult. the New inland

Shipping Company's E.M.S.S. Aoracgi orosaad at half flood, drawing 21ft. Dradge 222 is nowundergoing repairs. • The staging at the North Head has been extended out to the extremity of the present contract as far aB piling is concerned, and the top work is making fair progress; and that a large quantity of stone has been tipped from the embankment. The Engineer, in a special report, recommended the acceptance of the following ten ders:—For top tumbler to dredge 222, Mossra Sparrow and Co., £75; for wagon wheels and axles, Mr Thomas Begg, £288 3s. With regard to Messrs Kincaid, M'Queen's letter, asking for return of £3 exacted from them as a penalty for the detention of the Iron Age, he reported that the Iron Age was kept in the dock for the convenience of the contractors. With reference to the Dunedin Iron and Woodware Company's letter regarding the deduction of certain moneys from their contract for supply of timber, he stated that the arrangement was that in default of the Company being unable to furpish black pine they were to substitute kauri and red pine at a reduction of 2a Gd per lOOft. Referring to the proposed increase in tho depth and width of the dock, he stated that it would increase the cost by £7000, and bring \ip the total coßt to £92,881. After the required apace reserved for the dock and wharf purposes has been taken, there will be about three-fourths of an acre suitable for leasing to tenants. INSPECTORSHIP. Thirty-eight applicationa for the post of inspector were received, and were referred to the Works Committee to select three nameß to be submitted to the Board. TENDERS FOR BARGES. Tenders were received from the following for hopper barges, tha tender in each case being for two barges :—Messrs Morgan and Cable, £5800 ; and B'lessrs R. S. Sparrow aud Co., £545S ISa Rd.—The tenders wero referred to the Works Committed.

Mr Mill moved aa an amendment —" That tho deposit cheques bo returned with thunks," but the amendment was not seconded.