HARBOUR BOARD REPORTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10033, 26 April 1894, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD REPORTS.

The following are Eumuianes si &c reports to be laid before the Harbour Board at their meeting to-day :—

The Finance Committee report that, having considered letters from Messrs R. Anderson and Co. and K. ft, Jl^jfiplnir regarding accounts for storage, they^vuulcl re*pm_e£(t thSt thfl charges •made be maintained and r,et'overeu ~ The, b:£<ard had lately, determined to .enforce Btoiags^C-arSes; and to rebate these accoupts would only tend to encourage old ;ha!;its-'an<U practices. Messrs T.. Paterson and Co. i<!idt_6 tjpjqn Steam Ship.Company claimed rebates on cerca'iu c_i£rn'!f'.ts.oi;irtjjt received within the past few months, bui; Ui committee do not Bee their way to recommend compliance with tho request. Consignees and shippers, they thought, should understand that dues should be i>aid at the board's office before the goods vfera landed or shipped, because, wero this doiidj theti anj' claims such as the?c could be investigated and settled at once, but if Consignees took advantage of runniDg accounts immediate notice, should ,be given1 when any claim for rebate itasllltelytob'emadS: , . The Works Committee reported that the inspector had ascertained that the Uoilqf attached to the 10-ton crane, now seldom required, w6Wd be suitable for replacing the present donkey boiler in dredge 222. They therefore recommended that as the boiler had doiie little .work and was in good condition.it should be used irtplttea of the donkey boiler. Regarding the application by residents at the heads for. .repairs to th6\ Maori KajH .ietty, thBV reported that the, board, had never recognisel! any reaponslbility.in regard to the jetty, which was originally erected,.by. the Provincial ■ Government, although thfiy baa under special circumstances granted a little assistance to parties willing to do repairs on their' own account. They recommended that the board pass a resolution (leoHninp, owing to their finan. Cial pcraittoDj to k,e.ej> Up what Were purely district jetties, a;fld eiprcssipS their to hanQ over the control of such jetties to tbd lopijt hodiep; also the^authority to le«y dues for their mainier/ance. The Lyttloton Harbour Board's letter re, spectipj? the proposed.charter of dredge 222 Jiad been cbflsid^cd,, RtiaVthejfollowing reply.' which had been sent pending tele Board s decbioti and 1 under the authority of the chairman, has Keen approved :—" I telegraphed you in full the resolution of this board on the 12th inst.: ' Board willing to charter about beginning of August on similar terms as formerly.' This board could not bind themselyfls to anything moro definite at present, but have glv'efl thoif ansfref in all good faith. From the very nature of the. tale tho.reply could not be more definite. First, the cha'ftef with Wellington expires on tho 9th June, but although the intention, so far as we know, is that it will not extend over that, if a day or two should be wanted to comfljeto a Work, this board could hardly refuse; Sicond, the'djedge htis.then.-to;be brought.down, docked; cleaned,.' a npw.shaft and, donkey boiler are to be put in (both feadyji, and a thorough overhaul made of all machinery.. The inspector of works estimates that the board will require;tbo dredge's Borviqesfor aboutfour weeks, but being only an estimate, of course to give a time when she would ac absolutely., ready, (pr charter is impossible. As to supplying ti now so); of buckets and links, that must depend oh the necessity for all same when she returns; but her overhaul will be thorough, I have do doubt, as it has always been a point aimed at to keep her in thorough repair.—l am, &c, John L. Gillies, secretary."