OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15856, 30 August 1913, Page 5

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Tlio monthly meeting of tho Otago Harbour Board lust evening was attended by Messrs H. ,E. • Mbller (in the chair), J. Loudon, G. B. Bullock, J. Dickson, W. Wilkinson, T. Scollav, W. Belcher, T. H. Russell, J. 11. \VaJker, A. H. Bridger,. E. 0.. Hazlett, and ■ i\ W. Platte. MOTION OF COXDOI.E.VCK. Mr Bullock said he" had the following motion; to propose:—"That this board deeply regrets the lo?.s the community has' sustained lii tho death of the late James. Hewlett, a resident and merchant of Uhis city since. 1861, and'father of our esteemed member Mr E. 0. Ha'zlett, and the bo\rd directs that the secretary, forward a copy of this minute with iin expression of tho board's sympathy with the, family of the late-Mr. Hazlott. in their bereavement."

Mr Bullock 6aid that Mr Hazlett was one of the founders of the city.'He had. come out in the early days, and by his sterling qualities had endeared himself to the whole community. He had bad'the privilege of sitting on. one body with Mr Hazlett, and his advice was always looked for and acted unon. Ho was a man of, few words, but always thought his .subject out. thoroughly, and consequently was always in'a position to givo sound advice. The city and the province had suffered a considerable lesa, and it certainly seemed hard that they had to part with men who had done so much. Mr Loudon seconded the. motion, which was carried in silence, members standing. FINANCE. The statement ot the board's accounts, laid oa the tabic, disclosed a credit balanco ot &980 4a Id.—Koted BECLAMATIOX, TBOrOSAtS The Secretary ot the Marine Department v/roto in further reference to the application made by the board for authority to reclaim 24i acres of land at Mussel Bay, stating that ho had been directed by the Minister of Marine to stato that he did not see his way to advise the Governor-m-Council to authorise the reclamation unices the board gave tho assuranco in writing that it accepted full responsibility for the effect which tho work might have upon' the harbour.

Tlio Secretary of the Marine Department also wrote in regard to the proposal of the board to rookim certain areas in the.harbour, stating, by direction of-tn'e Minister of Marine, that after further consideration of tho matter the Minister was prepared to recommend the Governor-in-Council to authorise the reclamation of both areas at the. head of the harbour—namely 79 acres and 23.4 acres on condition that the board made'satisfactory arrangements with the Drainage Board to overcome the objections of that body. Mr Walker moved that the letters, which were taken , together, be received and referred'' to the Standing Committeo for report. He thought the engineer should give them some idea of what the expenditure Was likely to be in the reclamation of 24j acres'. Mr Bullock seconded the motion. . Mr Belcher said that his opinion was that tho reclamations proposed by tho board should be carried out without any further reference to standing or other orders. There was no getting away from the fact that so.far as the reclamation of the harbour was concerned certain works had to be done, and it was for the board to say whether it was going to carry out its reclamation or not. Either let them go right on with the work or I'hrow it on one side. Tt had been suggested that tho engineer should be asked to report, but he was getting tired'of the engineers' reports' and of the engineers who had been brought in from outside to report on matters connected 1 with their, harbour. He was going to use his common sense in connection with the matter'in the future. The,board should decide in open board and in the presence of the press what it was going to do. They had had several conferences, on the subject with the Drainage Board, and now they were told that they had to make- their peace with that board before anything could be done at all. So far as ho was concerned, ho had nothing more to dj with tho Drainage Board at all. > The motion was carried. Mr Belcher dissenting. ' REPORTS. The Standing Committee reported as follows:—With'respect to the remit of letter from the Dunedin and Suburban General Carriers and Coal , Merchants' Union of Employers asking for construction of coal dump at Rattray street wharf, it is recommended that the. engineer's report, as submitted, bo received, and that the provision of a coal dump, as recommended therein, be considered in. connection with next year's estimates. It is ako recommended that the cr.gineer's report in re wood-blocking approaches to Rattray street wharf bo received. It is recommended that the minute of the board dated April 4, 1907, relating to sick leave, bo made to apply to all departments of the board's service, and that in future all cases of men away on sick leave for over one week be reported to the board. It is recommended that an accounts committee, consisting of Messrs Bridger and Wilkinson, be set up. with another member to be appointed each month, to examine accounts. It is also recommended that Mr Loudon bo the associated member for September, and, further. that a. comparative statement of tho finances be presented monthly. With regard to a letter from the Town .Clerk, Dunedin, as to a reduction in tho dues on coal, it is recommended that the letter be replied to,.stating that at present the board's finances do not permit of any reduction 'being made. It is recommended that a letter from the Union Company offering £250 in full settlement of claim for salvage of tho Kowhai be received. It is recommended that the letter from E. F, Duthie- with reference to importing goods to Dunedin via Bluff be received and referred to a committee to. be set up to revise any anomalies that exist in the dues. Tho revenue for the month of July amounted to £9410 16s lid, and the expenditure out of revenue-to £9929 Os M. The expenditure out of loan amounted, to £2891 Ik During. July' six vessels were docked in tho Otago dock and five in the Port Chalmers dock, the charges amounting to £G3O Is 6d. The revenue in the dock account for July amounted to £527 Os 4d, and the expenditure to £1050 4? sd, leaving a debit balance for the month 1 of £523 4s Id, and for the 11 months ending July 31 of £1713 18s 3d. General accounts totalling £8903 lEs and dock accounts totalling £607 Is 9d have been examined, and are recommended to the board for payment.—ln connection with the clause referring to sick leave, Mr Plattg'moved—"That the clause do not apply to the harbourmaster's staff." He said the men on the harbourmaster's staff had special duties, and took special risks, iind should therefore, receive special consideration.—Mr Scollay seconded tho motion, but it was lost on the casting vote of tho chairman.—When tho clause' relating, to the salvage of the Kowhai came under consideration Mr Belcher stated that tho matter had been before the board on several occasions, and he considered it was time some finality was reached. Merely receiving the Union Company's letter did not settle the question. In his opinion they should setlle tho matter at once, and he was going to move that the sum of £250 should be Oacceptcd in settlement of the claim for salvage.—The Chairman: There is at present a motion standing on tjic books that the sum be £500, and it will be necessary for you to give notice to rescind that motion.— Mr Belcher: Well, I will give iiotiee to rescind, and a.lso that the claim for! salvage be fixed at £250.—1n reference to the letter from Mr Duthie relating to the importation of goods to Dunedin via Bluff, a committee, consisting of Messrs Loudon, Bridger, arid Hazlett, was set up to go into the matter.—The other clauses of the report wore adopted without discussion. ■■ Tho report of the secretary with reference to the sixth Harbour Conference was laid before members and received,: duedge 404 The Engineer submitted the following report with respect to the hire of dredge 404:—"I bbg to rcpo.-t that I have inter-" viewed the Minister of Public Works, Victoria, alio, the Engineer-in-charge of Ports and Harbours, with respect to the hire of tho, abovo dredge. The Victorian Govcrnmerit, is prepared to hire the dredge for a period of two years at a rental of £125 per month. It is desired that this board should undertake the work of fitting out, insuring, and bringing the vessel to Melbourne, and if need be back to Dunedin, the. cost, if sat'sfactory, to be bonis by the said Government. I would recommend the board to accept tho offer and instruct me to take the steps necessary in connection with the hiring of the vessel."

Tlio Chairman suggested flint the report alwuM bo adopted, and that the chairman, tlio deputy-chairman (Mr Bullock), and the secretary (should bo empowered to make tlio necessary arrangements for dio chartering of the dredge. Mr . Platts moved, and Mr Russell seconded, that this be done Mr Belcher asked why 'the dredge had been acquired in tlio first instance at all if they wore going to eond her away now. ■How was tho harbour going to get on in the meantime? The harbour machinery was getting down "to the bed-rock,'level of ineptitude," he said, cud there were certain things lie knew about dredge 404 mid drcdeo 222 that would short'y givo tho community some, opportunity for comment. Dredge 404 was when tho board bought her, and ho advised them to sell her if they could. . Mr Walker said ha thought the engineer

should have furnished a report stating the reasons why lie could have dene without the dredge,' and also what the alteration would mean. To bring up such a bald statement ,as he had given them' was not treating members altogether fairly. No doubt the engineer thought that the loss ot dred<jo 404 would not interfere with dredging in the harbour, but it was right that members should know that, if it were so. It should also be shown how many men would be discharged as the result of the departure of the dredge. The Chairman said the engineer had brought up a report on the matter at the last meeting of the board, stating that she would have to. be laid up if she were not chartered.. As for "Mr Belcher's remarks, the dredge was a tip-top machine, but it had (lone its work here, and as the board needed to guard its finances this waj, a step in the right direction.

Mr Dickson: Is tho harbour in such a condition that we can dispense with dredge 404 for two years? Tho Chairmofl: Yes. Mr Dickson: That is very satisfactory. ~ Mr Wilkinson stated that the whole question had been threshed out before, and it had been decided to lay up the 404 dredge, as dredge 222 was capable of doing tho work. If, however, some revenue could bo derived by hiring the dredge, ho thought they should do so. The machine.was not worn out, but was in excellent order. The Chairman said it was the intention of tho engineer to place as many men off the dredge as possible on diore positions, while some of them would go across to Melburn'o witli the dredge. In connection with some, very old servants pn the dredge, a recommendation would come before the board with regard to them later on. ' To work dredge 222 during tho night as well as in tho day would be more expensive than to keep dredge '404 running. Tlio motion was carried. ■ ' THE IEITH FLOODS.

Tho Engineer, submitted the following report with regard to the recent floods at the mouth of tho Leith:—"On tho night of Wednesday, 13th inat., ■ the flood 'waters of the Leith overflowed in the neighbourhood of Harbour terrace, and roec above tho floor levels of 22 buildings to depths varying from jin to 24in. Prompt steps were taken by the board's'staff .to permit of the escape to the harbour of the overflowing waters. Breaks were mado in.tho banka recently formed round.Lake Logan, and the accumulated water allowed to discharge into the lake. With the falling tide' the waters subsided. On the 14th inst. an opening whs mado .in the south eido of the board's' conduit as a precautionary' measure. Bag walls.were also erected along the low banks of the Leith adjacent to Harbour terrace and at the ford. Tho rain continued, to fall steadily during tho night' of the 14th and during ail day on the 15th, but no further overflow took place. The board's staff also kept the waterway of the footbridgO i at Harbour terrace clear of the collecting debris brought down by the flood. Owing to my absence from Dunedin, I have not been' able as yet to go exhaustively into the matter. On completion, however, of the necessary plans and data now being prepared. 1 propose to submit to the board a full and exhaustive memorandum dealing with all questions relating to the overflow." Tho Chairman suggested that the report bo received, and that a snecial meeting of the board be held to consider the matter a fortnight hence. That would give Mr Mason time to furnish all particulars. Mr Wilkinson moved in these terms. Mr Bridger seconded tho motion Mr'Loudon'moved as an amendment that tho special meeting of the board be held in a week. These wero a number of claims against the board, and the sooner they, were settled the better. . Mr Dickon seconded the amendment. Mr Walker said that if the engineer could have his report, ready by next Friday the meeting should be held then. The- Chairman said that he doubted whether the engineer could have his report rcadv by that time. ■ Mr Belcher said that from hw own observation during the time the Leith was in flood-, he felt that some mistako had been made in building the square, abutments leading tho water into the new cut. The City Council should have been asked to build a wall'alongside the Leith at tha. point to obviate the risk of flooding there beforo the board commenced its channel. Tho amendment was lost, and the motion was carried..

• GEOROK STRKET PIER. > The following report was submitted by tno engineer with reference to the-deepening of the berth at the George street pier:- Hie deputation appointed by the hoard to wait on the Minister of Railways with wferenco to the provision of wharfage at Port Uialino» for deeper draft vessels waited on the Minister of Railways, the Hon. W. H. Hemes, on the -Ist'inst. The-deputation pointed out that owing to the inadequate depth at Port Chalmers piers largo, oversea' steamers could not berth or make. Port Chalmers their final port of departure. It was suggested that, to give some early relief, 'the- George street pier might be widened on the east side eo that the board could deepen the berthage to 33 feet at lowwater. The Minister, in reply, stated that ho was not in a position to authorise expenditure this year in lengthening _t.no Wharf (estimated at -£30,000). He- advised that the- board got from the ehipping companics an. expression of opinion as to the neceesitv for deeper berthage. As tho widening the wharf would be a much less expensive matter, lie would bo pleased to get one of their engineers to examine into the proposal and, consult with .the board s engineer.- I have been informed by. the district engineer (Mr Macandrew) that he has been instructed to consult _ \vith. tho harbour engineer and report. . To expedite tho matter a plan has been prepared of the necessary additions and alterations to tho Gccrgo 'street pier to attain tho object in view, and forwnrded to the nislrictwgincer, together with an estimate of cost." Mr Platte moved 'that the report be're ceived.

Mr Scollav seconded the motion. Mr Bullock stated that since the last meeting of the board Mr Platts had issued to members a circular showing a list of vessels that since January 1 had made Wellington their first nort of call. He. had asked them to note tint not one of those vessels could arrive, sit Port .Chalmers with a, full cargo. His information .was, however,, discounted by the face that on June 11 the. Otak : , with a draught forward of 26ft Win and aft of 25ft 6in, had come up to Port Chalmers. That was a heavier draught than was the case with any of the vessels referred to by Mr Platts. lie did not know why that should have been done or why Mr Platts should belittle Port Chalmers. '

Mr Plaits said that no doubt Mr' Bullock was an authority on shipping matters, hut ho believed the "harbour master's; stafF also spoke ■with authority on that subject. H ; s information had tome from it and from the Wellington, Harbour Board. . It was not quite true that the Otaki had come alongside the wharf at Port Chalmers. Them was a point in connection with that matter that he would not mention in public, but there .was eomo divergence-of opinion on tho matter. .

Mr Bullock: I take exception to .Mr Platts's remark. There is no. divergence of opinion on this question. The 'Otaki had actually come up to Port Chalmers on her draught as he. had stated it-— . . Mr Pialts: Sho came up on her draught, but she.lav i" the mud during low water. That is Nvhirt happened! Mr Bullock:. Vessels with a draught of ,25ft 9in, and of a.bigger draught than that could arrive at Port Chalmers.

Mr Ha/.lctt said there were some inaccuracies in Mr Platts's circular. Several of tlio vessels he had mentioned as making Wellington their first port of call had not dona so.

Tho motion was carried. GEKEBAL. Mr llussol] moved—" That the motion of the Standing Committee to increase the wages of A. M'Lean and T. Hondereon be rescinded." lie. stated that the board was unable to go into tho wholes question of increases for its staff and further than that,- ho believed there were plenty of men who would lill tl'.o position at the present rate.—Mr Bullock seconded the motion.— Mr Scollay stated that in Irs opinion the whqlo # question of'tho wages of the men on 'dredge 222 should bo considered.—Mr Belcher stated-that he was going to oppose Mr ■Russell's motion, as in the event of the captain's atance it was necessary for one of these two men (who held mates' certificates) to ta.ke ohargc of the dredge. On account of that increased responsibility their wages had been increased, and rightly so.--Mr Bridgor said that under the present conditions the captain of the dredge was being worked for 16 hours a day. Ho also thought tho whole question of the staff should bo considered.—Mr Dickson said that the captain was paid for overtime, and he hid never objected to tho long hours.—The motion was lost by. six votes to four.

Mr Belcher moved—"(l) That all resolutions (if any) prohibiting men employed ■ by the board approaching members of the boaivl t,i ventilate grievances; and (2) that all notices condemnatory of this practice be removed from the dredges or any other portion of the board's works."—The Chairman 'ruled tho first motion out of order, ns no such resolution stood on the books.—Speaking to tho second motion. Mr Belcher raid he could not understand why if there were no such motion on the hooka,, certain notices had been posted on dvedges'222 uiid 404, stating that any porson in tho board's om-

ploy would bo subject to in'stant dismissal ill the event of his being seen speaking to a member of the board. Apart from the fact that there were a dozen old friends of his on those dredges, wlio should bo at liberty to speak.to him if thoy wished, tho men should liavo the right wlien they choose t-)' exercise it of appealing to members. It was altogether wrong and improper to have those notices posted.—Mr Scollay seconded the motion.-rAt this stage flic Chairman read one of the notices, which ran us follows:— "Otago Harbour Board: Employee* are hereby notdied that all communications or complaints with respect to their work or duty must tome through and bo.made to their immediate superior officer. Any cmployeo infringing this rale will be dismissed.—(SiKiied) J. Bunt Mason, Engineer."—After considerable discussion tho motion was lost, Mr Belcher declaring h : s intention to tear the noticed dawn whereover they were posted. Mr Hazlett moved—" Tiiat the engineer be instructed to report on the question of equipping the board's tug Duncdii; with wireless telegraphy." In support of the proposal lie dated that all the members .wore aware that wireless telegraphy had become an absoJulo necessity, but ho considered that it was advisable to ask tho engineer to give an estimate of the cast of a moderate plant, royalties, etc. The necessity of having a wireless plant installed here had teen taken up by Mr Scollay, who was endeavouring to get a, low-power plant erected. The installation of wireless on the tug would savo a great deal of time in connection with the arrival of steamers.—Mr Platte seconded iV.o motion'. Scollay stated that there was no plant here at all, and it meant that tliis iport was being unfairly handicapped.— Messrs Bullock, IM-son. and Belcher also supported tho. motion, which was carried.