HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9194, 14 August 1891, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD.

A meeting of the Harbour Board was held yesterday, and attended by Messrs H. Gourley (chairman), J. Carroll, G. M. Barr, M. Joel, W. Barclay, W. Wright, E. G. Allen, A. Thomson, J. T. Mackerras, and Dr Drysdale. FINANCIAL The bank book, which was laid on the table, showed a debit balance of £4511 Is lid. MB DONALD BEID's LEASES. The following letter was received from Messrs Stout, Mondy, and Sim, in reply to a letter from the secretary of the board re Mr Donald Reid's lease :— With reference to your letter forwarding the report of your committee's (finance and leasing) in the matter of Mr Reid's application, we hava to state that, in our opialon, theboard has no power to carry out the recommendations of the committee. If tbe board accepts surrender of Mr Beid'e leases under the power conferred by clause 11 of " The Publlo Bodies Leaseholds Act 1888," then the land eomoriaed in such leases would ha™ to be offered at public auotion. It seems to us that the board has no power whatever to accept surrender of the leases and then to grant a leisa for a year, aa proposed. We are further of opinion that it is not competent lor the board to arrange as to the value to be placed on Mr Heid's buildlogs, inasmuch as ever; lease granted by the board must, except where express provision is imade to the contrary, contain the provision set forth in the BObedule to the above act. and the act flxeß the mode by whioh the valuation of the buildings is to be We regret wry much that the resolutions cannot be given effect to in their present form. We think that the board can, under section 11 of tbe above act, mnko allowances tu tfr Held for any rent due or that may become dua in reipeot oF the lands leased to him, and that this is the only relief he can obtain. We return the papers.

Mr Babb suggested that a copy of the letter bs sent to Mr Keid.

i The Chairman said it seemed to him most extraordinary that a letter like the one that had been read should come from their solicitors after the decision given in the Supreme Court. If he understood Mr Justice Williams' decision, it simply was to this effect: that the board had power to take a surrender of these leases and grant new leases for 12 months at the old rents; and after that the leases went np to auction in the usual way. He thought that the matter should be referred to the Reserves Committee to make further inquiries,

Mr Cabboll moved—"That the matter be referred to the Reserves Committee to report, and that a copy of the letter be sent to Mr Reid."

Mr Baeclat: Might I ask if any other applications have been made of a similar character. The Secretary; Not official applications. Mr Carroll's motion was eventually agreed to. LAND AT PELICHET BAT. Mr T. C. Maltby, resident engineer, wrote stating that he was instructed that the Railway Commissioners had agreed to lease from the board the piecea of land at Pelichet Bay at a rental of 103 per annum. The Secretary stated that he had sent the following reply:— This matter wa» sett'ed by the Hallway Commissioners and the chairman of the Harbour Board, and a lease is being prepared in accordance with the agreement entered into. I retain your sketoh for future use The piece to be leased ii the triangle or a piece on which stands the stfttionrrmter's house, not the strip to the south of the school playground. I regret that the local department should raise a question already settled. The reply sent by the secretary was approved. DEEDOINO AT PORT CHALMERI PJEJIS. The following letter from the Railway Commissioners was rtad:— Head Office, Wellington, 6th August 1891. Sir,—With reference to your letter oi Dlh July, the receipt of which I had the honour to acknowledge on 13th ult., respecting the proposed dredging at Fort Chalmers to deepen the btrthage for the Home Bteamers, I am now directed by Ihe Railway Commissioners to inform you as follows :— 1. That the George street pier will not permit of any deeper dredging, and that it will lequire to be reconstructed, at a coat ot several thousand pounds, to admit of a depth of 26ft at lo v water alongside. 2. The Bowen street pier, if strengthened at an estimated cost of Beveral hundred pounds, would admit of dredging alongside to a depth of 26ft at low water.

3. Before proceeding with any of these works, or the dredging, the Government will have to be approached with a view to its finding the funds. Will you, therefore, ba good enough to give a detailed statement of tho works the board propose to execute in the hsrDaur to admit if vessels of large tonrißge, and requiring 261b at low water in the berthage at Ihe wharves, so that it may be submitted to the Government with the request for the funds if approved.—l have, &0., B. G. Filohkr, SeoretMy.

The. following memorandum, dated 12th August, by the harbourmaster, was read: — In reply to the Railway Commissioners' letter asking for a detailed statement of the works to be executed by the boara with the view of vessels leaving this harbour drawing over 26ft. At present vessels drawing over 2411 are leaving this harbour every month, and when the dredge which Is at uresent ernuloved deeneuing the chaimel through the tank off the ,Hud%l> lo a depth of 22ft at low water (at present there is 18ft 6in at low water) bns completed the work, which will be shortly, then the only obstruction to vessels leaving Port Ohalmurs drawing 2Bft will be the depth of water at the approaches and wharves of Port Chalmers. With reference to deepening alongside the wharves, the railway authorities state that the George rtreet pier cannot be dredged to 26ft without being reconstructed at a large cost, but that the Bowen pier oan bs dredged to that depth at a coßt of several hundred pounds. Ihe former pier is more suitable for large steamers and easier of acoeaa than the Bowen pier, there baing more room to handle large vessels. If it were widened on the south side and lengthened 200ft it would give ub two good berths (and the extra accommodation is reqaireu)and could be dredged to the required depth. The Bowen pier Is far too narrow for much traffic and if-dredgedto 26ft the piles would have very little hold of the ground; and I qnestion if a length of 460ft could be dredged to 28ft without coming in oontaot with the rocky bottom. In my opinion it is unsuitable for the larger olajj of steamers. The Inspector of Works reported that the dredge was getting on very well with the channel. The depth astern of the cut was keeping first-rate; and although the sand was making np a little ahead, it was nothing to speak of. Some time ago he had to report that the aea had washed away a large quantity of sand from the beach between the spit and the staging. With the recent south-west weather it had again made up as much as before. Mr Bare said he wished to confirm the statement of the harbourmaster as to the impossibility of dredging to 26ft at the Bowen pier. At a less distance than 450ft or 460ft from the shore the rock was as near an 16ft to low water, and the cost of blasting the rock and increasing the depth to 26ft would certainly, exceed any expenditure that would be required at the George street pier. With regard to the George street pier, he wished to point out that when it was proposed by the Public Works department to construct it, the board, at the instance of their then engineer (Mr Simpson), objected to the proposed style of hearting; and Sir John Coode, to whom the matter was afterwards referred, confirmed the objection that was taken, so that it was on record that from the first the pier wa» constructed in its present form in,direct opposition to the views of the Harbour Board. Another point which might possibly come home more to the commissioners was that, with the hearting as it was, stones became loose and fell down to where the vessels lay at the pier, and if a ship settled ou a atone it would mean a hole in her bottom and a liability of £6000 or £7000. He contended that it was not necessary that the board should, submit a statement of their proposed works, and urged that it was unfair that the board should be placed in the position of being handicapped as compared with the other ports. Mr Alien thought that the object of the commissioners in writing and asking what the board proposed to do was with a view of cooperating with them. The Chaibman endorsed Mr Allen's remarks, and stated that the new system of dues adopted by the board had resulted in a falling revenue. It struck him that they wonld of necessity be compelled to curtail their expenditure as much as they could, always keeping in view that their main object was to keep the harbour as open as possible. . Mr D. Thomson believed that if it could possibly be managed the pier difficulty should be expeditipusly dealt with. The financial position of the board would be materially affected, because, if Port Chalmers were made the final port of call for Home steamers, the coal carried away by them would have to be shipped there, and the board would obtain revenue in that way. He maintained that, so much money having been spent in sweeping away the bar, and in removing the difficulties between the bar and the piers, it was all important that they should overcome the difficulties lit the piers without delay. Dr Dbtsdale thought that Mr Barr had somewhat unnecessarily assumed that the Railway Commissioners had, in the matter, taken up a position hostile to the board. The Chaieman said that the position of the Commissioners was that they were willing to do this work, but they must be armed with sufficient information to warrant them in applying to the Government for funds. Dr Deysdaib said that was his understanding.

Me Wright suggested that another doputation should be despatched to Wellington to interview the Government on the subject.

Mr Aixen approved of the suggestion to widen the George street pier on orje side, and lengthen it, so that pedestrians might have more space to use the wharf, which was, he said, highly dangerous at present owing to the network sf rails with engines and trucks. It was decided to supply the Railway Commissioners with the. information desired.

NAVIGATION OF THE HAEBOUK. The following letter was read : — Marine Department, Wellington, sth August. Sir,—l have the honour, by direction of the Minister having charge of thlo department, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Ist May last, forwarding copy of a report by the board's Inspector of works and plan of soundings referred to th9rein, embodying certain suggested works for the improvement of the navigation of Otago harbour, with the view of getting the marine engineer's opinion on the proposals, and, in reply, I am to state that the acting marine engineer, to whom the matter has been referred, reports that In his opinion it would be a risky proceeding to place the groins in the position Indicated by the plan «übmitied, as if constructed and maintained Intact for any considerable length of time, they ' would be more likely to cause sand to accumulate and form banks in the channel near the cites of the groins than to direct the current! in such a way as to Increase the depth of water in the manner desired j and if they were demolished by the aotlon of the waves and ourrents they would only furnish material to fill up the deeper and wider parts of the channel where the scour is weakest.—l have, to, Lewis H. B. Wilson, Assistant Secretary.

Mr Baeb held that a system of groins never could, and never would do what was wanted in the harbour. The unfortunate thing was that the board had spent so much on what, it was at first said, would cost nothing, and now that it was confessed that the system would not be self-supporting, but would want more costly works to keep it going.

The letter was referred to the Works Com' mittee.

TTOBKS COMMITTEE'S BEfOHT.

The Works Committee reported that Dredge 222 had been steadily engaged deepening the cut at the entrance to the harbour with tbe exception of SJ days, during which she was engaged erecting the shear-legs at the dock Port Chalmere. A letter had been received from the Railway Commissioners relative to work that would be required to be done to tbe wharves at Port Chalmers before it would be safe to dredge the proposed depth of 26ft, and the harbourmaster had been asked to report on the work required to be done in the lower harbour, with a view to supply the commissioners with data for the Government. The Inspector of Works reported Bhort delivery of piles lent to the contractors for the shear-legs at the dock, and recommended tbe board to take the value of the small balance not returned in cash, if price could be agreed upon. The Marine department replied to letter in regard to groins as proposed in the inspector of works' report of 15th April last, and the committee referred the matter to the board.

On the motion of the Chairman, the report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE'S BEFOET. The Finance Committee had laid before them a list of tbe export dues now outstanding, which were few in number, and obly three or four persons that might be required to be proceeded against The treasurer's return for July showed a slight decline in revenue, partly on account of altered mode of paying port charges in consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court. A memo, from the clerk of the dues department re operation of new bye-l&ws re export dues had been received and laid on the table for future consideration. The monthly return of import dues showed only £49 153 outstanding, A schedule had been prepared in connection with the resolution re rating. Further information on the matter was being collated, and consideration thereof hau been postponed.— Accounts amounting to £107 2s had been passed for payment. Mr Allen moved the adoption of the report, the motion beiag seconded by Mr Weight and carried without discussion. RESERVES COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Reserves Committee reported on remits as foHows:—(1) Sections block LVl.—Resolved to recommond that sections fronting Crawford street, block LVI, be grouped to that each may have the one at the b&ck forming the approach to the bridge, and that in that form they be submitted to auction at an upset pi ice less 20 per cent, than that now shown on the catalogue dated June 1890. (2) Warren's case. The secretary submitted a full statement of the facts in connection with Warren's tenancy, which had been examined with the board's records and found as set forth. Mr Allen had also visited the ground. The committee see no roaßon for altering former decisions.

Tha report was adopted on the motion of tho Chairman.