OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11796, 27 July 1900, Page 7

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of the Harbour Board, held yesterday afternoon, was attended by Messrs A. 0. Begg (in the chair), J. Carroll, A. S. Paterion, W. Barclay, T. Ross, and Captain M'Kinuou. An apology. wiij received for the non-attendance of Mr J. T. iuaekerras. JIXASCIAL. The bank boo*, vv-iicu was laid _ou the table, snowed a credit balance of x! 2003 i'Zs Id. It was explained by tne secreiary. time ihia mcluuej zjoWI received from tne local sale oi bciids, and which had to tie paid tor. in London. This meant that there was practically a small ucdic balance. Colonel Webb wrote thanking t-'.e board for their prompt attention to tne moving of tho magazine milk, and also the good job made oi it.

The Secretary of the Marine department .wrote: —" Witii reference to the collision which took place between the s.s. _L Jlucky and the Taiwui near me export wliarf at Port Chalmers ou the 15th ult., 1 have tiie honour, by direction of the Mmisier of Marine, tv point out that it would appear that the acciuenl would probably iittvo been avoided if timely warning had been given by either or both vessels by the steam wnistle, and 1 am to suggest taat it we met be advisable that tiie board should make a regulation providing -that steamers leaving me wharves shall use their whistles to warn ap-' proaching vessels."—The secretary was instructed to see that tho recommendation was carried out. FINANCE. ' The Finance Committee recommended that accounts totalling £2550 7s 9d be passed for payment; also, that it lie a recommendation to tne board that the option allowed to holders of bonds oi No. 3 loan to convert to bonus of the 5 per cent, consolidated loan No. 4 at par be withdrawn.—ln moving the adoption of this report Mr Barclay said'that botn bonds were at the same price—5 per' <:eiit.,—but one was terminable in 1921 arid the other in 1934. The option was a privilege—not a right. His own opinion was.that the board should fix a small price and let the holders have the option by paying the board a premium. While the stock was' nt 84 in London there was no desire on the part of holders to exchange for the consolidated,' but as soon as it rose to 105: in London and 108, here they wanted to get in.—The report was adopted. EXTENDING' THE EEETHAGE. The Works Committee announced that the engineer's monthly report was approved and referred to the board; also, that the engineer's proposals re Lower Jetty street wharf were forwarded to the board with n. recommendation that they be approved. The report above referred to was as follows: —So as to provide for the increasing trade .of the port, I recommend t-at -the Lower Jetty street wharf, below the tongue wharf, be made available for berthing the larger boats, and that a'cargo shed 20l)ft by 40lt be erected alongside. To carry this out it will be necessary to face pile about 500 ft of the ■wharf to prevent the stone facing from slipping down into the fairway as the extra depth required is dredged out. I recommend that tenders be called for the supply of piles, and that the driving be carried out by the board. The shed could be deferred until near the commencement of pile driving. I estimate the cost as follows: — Piling, £2050; shed, £1350; total, £3400.

The Chairman moved the adoption of the report.

Mr Carroll' seconded the motion. He said vessels'could not now. berth at the place indicated, owing to stone dribbling down, and this would be worse when the berth was dredged deeper.

■ Mr Barclay would not oppose the motion, but he thought it unfair to the board, to tisk them to decide offhand a question involving considerable expense.

Captain M'Kinnon thought it only right the board generally, as well as the committee, should know about such pro-' posals.

The Chairman: it is before the board now, and you can pass any motion you like. Mr Ross supported tho report. He thought it was a necessary work.

Mr Paterson agreed that that was the case. The extra berthage would be very acceptable to merchants, and relieve the congestion that had taken .place. At the same time he sympathised with Mr Barclay's protest, and thought that a week's notice, or at least three days', ought to be given so as to enable, members to vote intelligently. ■

. The' Secretary said that he would be happy io give notice in future, if desired, regarding important motions. He .proposed to simply call for tenders for the piles, and probably the, expenditure for,the other... part ..would .riot como in this year's figures. ... ... The report.was adopted .. :„ ... ENGINEER'S'REFOET. : ~.-..:

, The Secretary and Engineer reported;as follows: —" Dredging work is still being carried on in the steamer basin,, 222 dredging to 18ft at low water spring tides opposite the cross wharf, so as to give good access to the d,eep berth at the widened wharf, and room for swinging, large boats. The material: lierß is of a hard nature, restricting her work to one load a day. The dredgings have all been dumped by the tongue wharf, and pumped by.the Vulcan on to the reclamation. The. Vulcan has also had an additional 40ft of piping fixed on the punts, so as to enable her to cut away more of the shoal ground around her, when a load is not available. During the month of June about 28,000 cubic yards were dredged and pumped on to the reclamation, at a total cost for wages, stores, and repairs of about 6d per cubic yard. About half of the piles of the cross wharf have been idriven, and a few bays have had the caps fitted, and stringers laid. The framing of the new shed is. erected, and a start is to be made with putting the iron roof trusses together. The sundry works on hand include repairs to 'wha-rves; caulking, tarring, and repairing punts; raising embankment across reclamation below the overbridge, and taking to pieces the framing _of old derricks, so as to .use what timber will work in for the repairs to'Portobello jetty. On the afternoon of the 11th inst. a fire brake out through a defective chimney in one of'the board's.cottages at the heads; but, owing to the prompt assistance rendered by the pilot boat's crew afcd tho Government warders and the Permanent Artillery, it was extinguished before much ■ damage was done. I have arranged with the insurance company affected to carry put the necessary repairs. The state of the lower end of Rattray street and Stuart street has bean very bad during the late wet weather, ajid I recommend that tenders be called for 300 cubic yards of broken metal."

The report was adopted, and on the motion of Mr Barclay the secretary was instructed to thank the Permanent Artillerymen for saving the board's property. .THE WOOL-DUMPING PLANT. THe .board'considered Captain M'Kinnon's anotion to cancel the leases of the wool-, dumping plant at the Victoria wharf, and the mover withdraw the motion, stating that he, saw: there would be only two votes in his favour. ■ ■ . • . . ' . . .