OTAGO DOCK TRUST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12419, 31 July 1902, Page 2

OTAGO DOCK TRUST.

The monthly "meeting of the Otago Dock Trust was held at Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon, and l attended by Messrs J, Thomson (in the chair), J. A. Park, N. Dodds, and the Hon. H, Gourley. Mr Campbell, the dock engineer, reported that during the month the pumping machinery had been employed in pumping the dock for four vessels, tho machii -ry giving every satisfaction; that the boilers and machinery in connection with the pumping plant had undergone the annual inspection by tho Government inspector everything being to his entire satisfaction.— Received.

The Finance Committee recommended the l ,a j fiin g of accounts amounting to £751 16s Bd, and reported -that there was a credit balance at the bank of £735 3s 3dAdopted. Formal notification was received from the Marine Department, Wellington, of the *PPomtment of Messrs E. G. Allen and J. A. Millar, M.H.R.'s, to be members of the trust.

r the question of a new dook. The secretary of tho Dunedin Chamber of Commerce mote; "Your letter of.the ath inst. requesting the chamber to assist your .tifust in its efforts to obtain financial assistance from the Government to enable it to prooeed with the construction of a new dock has been considered by my committee," and , I am instructed to inform you that as the matter is one of such importance it lias been decided to bring it forward for discussion, by members .at the annual meeting to be. held on Friday, August I. Oil that occasion a resolution will be proposed dealing with the matter, and I will at once inform you of the result."—The letter was received.

The scorotary of the Trades and Labour Council wrote, in answer to a similar com- , inunic&tion, thafc tho council had decided to comply with the request to urge the Governincnt to provide financial assistance for the construction of a new dr* - dock, and that a letter to the effeefc imuratcd had.been forwarded to the Acting-Prcmier,—Re-'ccived.

a similar communication, the YVaikouaiti County Council wrote that a copy of the following resolution would be forwarded to tho Acting-Premier:-"That ■the council agrees to co-operate with the Utago Dock Trust in urging on the Governlhont the necessity for a large new dock at Port Chalmers to accommodate the large vessels visiting the port."~Keceived. Mr Park taid the City Corporation were going to do .what they could to further tho object of securing it neiv dry dock, ami tho town clerk and himself had been ap ; . pointed to rnrryout a proposal; but.'before the orthodox resolution was 6ent backing up the trust, ho intended to swinly himself with further particulars, eo that" something better than a common resolution might bo achieved. It was thought by the .City Council that- the movement was a proper particularly so as the Port was so situated for a dock, having tho area and the atone, and the labour market was free ju»t now, and a good many hands weto looking for employment. Only that day ho had heard of one vessel that would have been docked at Port Chalmers if there had been a larger dock, and she had left ±>14,000 at Lyttelton. It was a most important matter for tho whole of OtJigo this quoation of a now dock.

Mr Gourley said tho sympathies of tho public should be enlisted, and they should bfe made aware of the advantages that- Dunedin and all Otago would derive. It was the duty of members of tho 'trust to'mo every legitimate means in their power to induce the Government to grant them sufficient endowments to meet Ilia interest that would have to be naid. There was no doubt they had a just claim on the Government for endowments t-liey had had taken from them, and, if the trust had still retained _ these endowments (for which thoy got* nothing), in his mind there wan no doubt they would have had sufficient funds to meet the interest on the money required for the' dock. They had a just claim on the Government, who should be made thoroughly aware of it. His idea was that the Mayor of Dunedin should take steps to <rot- the support of the City Council and people .of Dunedin, and them would be no harm ill deputationising the Government. Tho Chairman said that Mr Allen and Mr Miliar could be relied on to do all they could as members of the House, and no doubt tho same could be said of the other Dunedin members.

Mr-"Park' said that though the. members cud all they could fliat would lie of litfle mo unless ha-eked up by the nvinions of the people of.' the district. People were not alivo to ihe'importaiieo of the matter and must be wakened up. ' Tho discussion then dropped, and the trust went into committee.