HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10618, 13 March 1896, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD.

The ordinal'; meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was hold in the board's office' yesterday afternoon. There were present—Messrs H. Gourley (chairman), J. Carroll, D. Pinkerton, M.H.R., J- T. Mackerras, W. Barclay, J. Kobin, N. Y. A. Wales, J. Thomson, and Captain M'Kinnon. The bank b.ok was laid on the table, phowing a credit balance of £8030. • cobkespondence. Intimation was received of the reappointment to the board of Messrs Pinkerton, Mackerras, Robin, and Wright. The Town Clerk of Invercargill wrote thanking the board for. certain information supplied at request of Invercargill Municipal Council. A letter was received from tbe directors of the Agricultural Hall thanking the board for its assistance in connection with the site for the proposed hall. A second communication was forwarded asking that the plans of the building should be inspected and passed.—Referred to the Works Committee with power to act. The Secretary of the Star Football Club asked for a renewal of permission to use the same ground as.last year.—Granted.' ■ ■ VVORKij COMMITTEE; The Works Committee's report wss divided under two headings. First, as to licensing boats for biro, the committee recommended that a by-law be prepared aud the necessary i steps taken to give it the force bf law, to the : effect that no boats will be licemed unless tbey j have air-tight tanks affixed to the bow and stern, | "Snd;in any other part of the boat suitable, and properly protected from liability to damage, and as required ,and directed by.th* harbour- \ master. That, when passed, a copy be served lon the owners of all boats at present licensed, ; so that they may take steps at once to have the j-b) -law complied with. That tbe Minister for Marine be written to recommending suoh legislation as may be necessary to bring privatelyowned boats, either rowing or sailing, under the same conditions." The second part of the report dealt with the sand pump. . The schedule of expenditure oh the dredge Vulcan showed that contracts, pumps, pipes, aud ball joints came to £1518 3s; extras chargeable to fitting, kc, aad extra work, £325 6s sd; docking and works connected with hull, £284 8s 9d; punls, slipping, aud repairing, £209 17s—total, £2337 15s 2d, to which might b_ added engineer's commission, £160 19«, inclusive- of patent right: Tbe item £320 6s lOd, working expenses, had a set-off of work done and general experience all round. "Although fair work has been done' considering tho severe weather that has been txperienced, the committee aro making investigations as to whether more cannot be got oot of the machinery with slight alterations or additions. The experiment, although not new, is so to all connected with the workiug, and therefore it may be reasonably expected that improvement will follow with experience, and possibly to get best reeults a new boiler may be required, the subject being still under investigation. The chairman has been authorised to get a joint report and the advics of Mefsrs Higgins, C.E., and Mr John Cook, superintendent engineer of the .Union S_«am Ship Company's steamers. Six powerfnl authors have been found no more than necessary with the weather that has been experienced Since starting, aud these cannot be moved with a limited crew without the expenditure of a considerable amount of time."

The Chairman said tbat io compliance with instructions received he had obtained a euDplementary. report from Messrs Higgins and Cook, which would be considered in committee. He hid also obtained a report re electrical plant from Mr Jones. This would also be considered ih committee. Along with Messrs Pinkerton, Higgins, and Cook he had visited the dredge, and found the machinery working in a satisfactory manner. The outflow pipe was discharging Urge quantities of solid matter, and the practical men were quite satisfied that excellent work was being done. He moved that the report be adopted. Mr Pinkerton remarked that Mr Higgins estimated that the pump wss discharging 300 tons of solid matter per hour. Captain M'Kinnon: How muoh of it will come back aguiu ? Mr Pinkerton : None. The report wa? adopted unanimously. FINANCE COM3IITTEE. The Finance Committee reported As foi- ! "lows :—'■-.;. Treasurer's returns foi-February':' It is gratifying to Uote that the receipts for the month not only maintain last year's increase but exceed it by _2_B_ 19s 4ii. Collecting accounts : A slight improvement has followed tha report of last month, but 'there is - Still a tendency to put off to the end qf the month, thai is after thb 20th, wheu all accounts for dues should be paid, all others j being payable as soon as the work is done.: The treasurer's closest attention ha 3 been- given to this., Messrs W\E. Reynolds and Co.'s application for^ijebate on malted wheat has been referred to .'the'secretary ta ihi>ke inquiry, with power to'-'aKW^-Mcssrs Scoular Rros. and Co.'s plaim that manufactured.paper bags be classed with woblpacks and-bags aiid riot with paper and' stationery .is recommended to be declined. Timaru Harbour Board: Refund of pilotage and port charges on dredge coming to dock and repiir i§ recommended in accordance with foi'mer practice. ' Union Steam-Ship Company re storage ion bales of cornsacks, £3 3s: Under special circumBtailces of the case, .recommend that it be remitted.. .Dispute ,as to. date from which the Rotokirib's annualpuotaee should date, December or April: R^coilimehd tht-tiU t_.l_.i_ undo.s.ood to be the last of the disputed dates the board agree,'solely on that ground, to meet tbe views of the company as to the Rotokino, it being now put beyobd doubt that either th. certificates must be renewed at one date annually, or .in the event bf the certificate being allowed to expire on auy Vessel she will on arrival have to pay an inward pilotage in. addition ■to the annual pilotage before obtaining ,a renewal of exemption. Insurance, of effices: Chairman' to act, it being agreed to transfer fromthe Standard to the New Zealand, tho latter being-the board's tenants. Agents Lysight and Ooi's claim rr damage to iron ex Mamari: This matter-in another form h-is been before the board as well as the committee, when the . ( wharfingqr's reports., and receipts showed that no claim could pc liigde against the board. Recommend responsibility.be disclaimed. Bank letters, London .advices.: Recommend small matters of executive.detail be remitted, to chairman of Finance .Committee, to arrange.

On the.motiou of Mr Mackereas, the report Tt&a adopted without dissent.

.. , ;■ committees. The following committees were elected without - opposition :-^Works Committee—Messrs Robin,.Carroll, Wales,; and Allan; FinanceMessrs Mackerras,, M'Kihnon, and Barclay; Reserves—Messrs Pinkerton, Dawson, Thomson* and Joel. This chairman of the board to be ex officio a member of all committees: , The Chairman remarked that it wonld bs necessary for the, Reserves Committee to revalue the sections, and to rejsort at the next meeting of the board, ;,.

The board then went into committee.