OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18541, 29 April 1922, Page 13

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

The monthly meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was held last evening, and was attended by the chairman (Mr T. Scollay), and Messrs T. H. Russell, A. Cable, N. Galbraith, H. E. Mollor, J. H. Walker, AY. Wilkinson, J. A. Roberts, J. M. Dickson, K. S. Ramsay, H. C. Campbell, J. M’Donald, J. Loudon, and D. Lurnuch. The bank balance showed a credit of £34,293 9s. i ho Controller and Auditor-general wrote asking what steps the board proposed to take to adjust mutters to which the Audit Office was obliged to take exception in the certificate of the board’s balance sheet now returned. In the opinion of the Audit Office, supported by legal advisers, there was no alternative, in view of the terms of the Act, but; to require a refund of the rums involved, and a request for these was accordingly made. The vessels concerned were the Taiaroa, Hatipara, and Orari. . • The Chairman said that the position was that in the case of the three steamers they had omitted to give notice of the transhipments within the stipulated time. The owners appealed to the board to waive its by-laws, and the- board agreed to do so. provided hi the one ease that the -auditor took no exception. The other two cases were not included. They would see that the auditor now stated that they would have to collect these amounts. lie suggested that they pass a formal motion adopting the balance sheet, and refer.the other matter to the Finance Committee for a report. The amount involved was £133. It was agreed to adopt this course. A request from the AVest Harbour Borough Council for a plan of building sites on the reclaimed ground at Ravensbourne was acceded to. A letter was received from the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners offering hopper barges for sale. —The letter was referred to the engineer for a report. , CHARGE FOR SALVAGE. Messrs John Mill and Co. wrote protesting against the charge for the services of the tug Dunedin in connection with the salvage of the hulk Ocean Ranger. They stated that there had been no immediate danger of the vessel sinking, and that the tug was only required for about an hour. The Chairman said that the case had conic previously before the board. The tug had gone to the assistance of the hulk when it was sinking, and the board had decided to charge £75 for the service. . It was decided that the letter bo Deceived. 'Hie Reserves Committee’s report road: Your committee recommends, with respect to the communication from the Vacuum Oil Company asking the board to accept surrender of leases of sections 10, 13. and 14, block EXXIII, or to be allowed to dismantle Buildings thereon, that their request be declined; that in connection with the communication from Messrs AA : . H. Simms and Sons, applying fpr lease of sections 60 and 61, block HXXV, as from May 1, that a lease be granted under the board's ordinary form of lease at a rental of £3O and £26 per section per annum respectively. The committee recommends with respect to the communication from the Otago Rugby Football Union, the Otago Hockey Association, and the Otago Football Association, asking the use of reclaimed ground near the Boat Harbour for playing areas, that the Otago Rugby .Football Union and the Otago Football Association be granted the use of one football ground each on block LXIX at the rear of the Cement Works and the Otago Hockey Association be granted permission to play on Lake Logan if. the ground is suitable. These arrangements to be made during the pleasure of the board and subject to the supervision of the engineer. Mr Galbraith moved the adoption of.the report. 'The committee had visited the Lake Logan area, and as soon as the reclamation was further proceeded with they might be able to push, on with the negotiations for providing a playing area for the Universitystudents. The report was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE’S REPORT. The AVorks Committee recommended, with respect to the communication from the Waikouaiti County Council asking the board to supply stone for the upkeep of wall, Lower Harbour Toad, that the board offer to supply the stone at cost price. The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE S REPORT. Tlio Finance Committee recommended, with respect to the communications from the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand (Limited) protesting against storage charges on transhipments ex Kia Ora, that the matter stand over until the whole question of storage charges on goods presented for shipment, and which remain in the board's sheds beyond the specified time, is given consideration. The committee reiiorted that the whole of the £205,000 loan had been subscribed by (he public. The committee recommended for adoption the statement of revenue and expenditure for January-March, 1922, and the payment of general accounts totalling £9198 17s sd, and dock accounts totalling £652 Is 2d. ' , ' . Mr London moved the adoption of the report. Ho said that they thought that some latitude should be made iu connection with storage charges where the boat-was not responsible. Their loan had I icon fully subscribed. The total number of applications for the loan amounted to 307. The largest amount applied for was £3600, and tlje average for the 307 applicants was £435. They had had to return cash oversubscribed of a total of £6IOO, and the amount really applied for was about £15,000 over and alxiye. what was required. The board had decided to pay 1 per cont. commission. but about half,the loan had conic direct to the board, so that the total commission was about i per cent. The board now had a credit balance at its bankers, and the Finance Committee was considering the best way of -utilising this\ money. No interest was received from the bank unless they placed the money on fixed deposit. It. had been surprising the amount that, had come direct to the board, and it. was exceedingly gratifying to know that applications had been 1 received from Auckland to the Bluff. The report was adopted. NEW CHAIRMAN. It was decided that a meeting of (he board should be held on Friday, May- 5, at 2 o’clock for the purpose of appointing a chairman and. other officers for the ensiling 12 months. TRANSHIPMENT DUES. Mr Ramsay moved—“ That clause 9 of by-liiw No. 12 bo so amended as to provide that goods, which it is proposed to forward by rail shall pay dues at the rate of five shillings per ton.” A letter was received from Ah- W. Gow, secretary of the Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association, in connection with this business. It read: “It has come under the notice of this association that a motion is proposed with a view to increasing the dues upon goods which indy bo designated ‘ transhipments by rail.’ AVo desire to express in the strongest, way possible our disapproval of this proposal. In our opinion the policy should be to encourage transhipments at this port instead, of elsewhere, and it. does not matter whether they go forward to another port by ship or by railway, and all revenue which can bte opt tronii this source is found money.’’ Mr Ramsay said that this was the only port in the world where goods transhipped and sent by rail were charged the same rate as goods sent by sea. As regards the letter from the Importers’ Association, lie thought That they would find that the members who had to do with the letter had branches at Invercargill and Oaninru. If the goods were sent by rail, then the other harbour boards did not get any revenue. This was not a neighbourly action. Air Walker seconded the motion pro forma. Mr APDonnld said he and Mr Roberts had discussed the matter very thoroughly", and hfd decided to give every opportunity for the matter to bo brought before the committee and the board. They were actuated by the, purpose that if' the policy proved detrimental to the board it could be altered. According Pxpi minute by the secretary, there had been a loss pr £278. He did not know how that, was arrived at: The question (hey had to consider was whether the board was justified in losing this money. Air Loudon said he would oppose the motion. The sub-committee had' dealt with the matter, and had decided that it would be anomolous to charge two rates for transhipments. He thought it was misleading to say that there was such a loss. It had been pmsumed that every ounce of the goods that went by railway would have gone by sea, which was absurd. Ho believed that any alteration in the charge would affect the board very little, and considered that goods by rail was a matter of expedition and convenience. Unless it could be shown that an alteration in the charges would affect the trade of the port he did not sec why there should be any change. Mr Campbell said that the great desire of the Importers’ Association was to encourage steamers to come to Dunedin. ' Ho could sec no reason why they should differentiate in the manner in which goods which come to this port should be sent to other porta. Mr Roberts said that the amount involved was so small as not to be worth bothering about. Air Galbraith said that it, was unreasonable to assume that because 2780 tons had

been forwarded by rail there had been a loss of 2s per ton —viz.. £278. the difference between 5s and 3s. It. might be nrgited the other way—that the board had made a profit of 3s per ton (£419) by the fact of these transhipments having been transhipped at Dunedin. After further discussion, the .motion was put, and lost on the voices. THE DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN.

Mr Galbraith moved —‘ That the office o. deputy-chairman be abolished.” He said that it appeared to him that the office was not. required. There wore not sufficient, duties pertaining to the office, more particularly as during the past three years they had separate committees, with a chairman of each committee, to deal with Bie business. His most important point, however, was that a precedent had grown up that in the annual election for chairman it necessarily followed that the deputy-chairman followed the chairman. It did not, however, follow that a deputvkdiaii'man would always make a good chairman. If the deputy-chairman were abolished then the beard would be able to select any member of the board for the chairmanship. Mr Roberts seconded the motion. The Chairman said that between committees no provision would be made in the absence of the channan to fill his pla*e. Mr Walker suggested that tl>e matter could be left over till the annual meeting, and it could then he decided that no dofvity chairman he appointed for the ensuing year. ■ Mr MvDonald said that if the board wascapable of electing a chairman it was equally competent to appoint a. deputy chairman. He thought (hat the board would be poorer without a denuty-chairman. Mr Galbraith agreed to withdraw ms motion, ami bring it up again when the meeting to appoint the chairman was held. OVERSEAS! STEAMERS. UNLOADING AT DUNEDIN. 'The Otago Importers and Shippers’ Association wrote that information had just reached it that it was intended to discharge the Cornwall, now clue, at Port Chalmers, instead of Dunedin. This ship had. the association understood, some 1400 tons for Dunedin, and apart from the loss of clues the board would sustain, the matter was a very serious one for the consignees. If it were true, as the association was credibly informed, that the low water depth of Victoria Channel was 19ft 6in, and at present the tide rise was from 6ft to 6ffc 6in, thou why could this ship not be brought, up on a draught of 24ft fiia.? Also, what prevented the Tainui being brought up, seeing she was only drawing 24ft bin. An early reply was asked tor, and a request made that tho matter be brought before the board. 'lhe Chairman said the letter had only arrived that afternoon, and ho had not, had time to got a report from the harbourmaster, wbd stated that it would bo unwise to take ,up a steamer on 24ft bin. It would not leave a margin of safety. In regard to this ship staying at Port Chalmers, that could not be blamed on the Harbour Board. Tho board in recent, ..years made a special effort, and expended considerable sums of money to make |thc harbour available for big steamers, and was still deepening the Victoria Channel. There was only a small fraction of that channel that did not have a depth of 23ft at low water. The/ trouble seemed to be beyond the jurisdiction of tho Barbour Board. Mr Walker said that the other bodies interested were moving in the matter, and the Harbour Board should act with these bodies to see that those vessels which came to Otago wore brought up the Victoria Channel. Importers should not. be put to the extra expense at Port Chalmers when the vessels could be brought ‘ to Dunedin. Ho was sure that the board would willingly act with tho other bodies to use' influence and see that, the boats .which could como to Otago came to Dunedin. Mr M'Donald said that if the importers saw to it that their goods were to be delivered in Dunedin they would get ivcr the difficulty. Tvlr' Campbell said that the Drayton Grange had been brought to Dunedin when she was drawing 22ft bid on an even kqoi. Mr Galbraith said that there was one thing that they as a harbour board should join with the Importers,- and that was to try to get reinstated the old monthly service of cargo boats, making Dunedin their list port of call. Mr Campbell said, that the Taiaroa had. left Dunedin direct from London to Dunedin with general cargo. Air Walker suggested that a committee should be set up by the board to meet the other bodies. Ho moved that the ciicirman, tho deputy-chairman, and Messrs London, Roberts, and Galbraith be appointed a committee to confer,with any bodies that might be taking up this question. Air Larnach seconded the motion. Air Campbell said that sometimes a period of 30 or 32 days elapsed between a vessel reaching Wellington and her arrival in .Dunedin. The importers in Wellington iad thus been able to got their stuff to Dunedin and_ have it sold here, before ihe Dunedin importers could get delivery. 1 Tlie motion was carried. ' ’ LIGHTING OF THE HARBOUR. The Chairman stated that the engineer had been asked to report upon the practicability of lighting tho Upper Harbour with electric light. Mr Wilkie had gone into the matter to a certain extent, but before going further ho wanted to get the board's opinion upon the-matter; It was resolved that Mr .Wilkie report to the Works Committee; that* committee to report to the board. SHIPPING RETURNS. The following arc the shipping returns foi; the month Arrivals: Coastal, 50 vessels. 17,833 tons; intercolonial, 7 vessels, 17,295 tons: foreign. 8 vessels, 33,402 tons; —total, 45 vessels, 68.530 tons. Departures: Coastal, 55 vessels. 20,424tons; intercolonial, 8 vessels. 24.906 tons: foreign, 5 vessels, 28,476 tons;—total. 47 vessels, 75,806 tons. HARBOUR DEPTHS. The harbourmaster reported as follows on tho depths of tho harbour; North Channel, 40ft, 100 ft wide; Bend, 33ft, 360 ft wide; Deborah Bay, 30ft, 300 ft wide; Victoria Channel (centre) 19ft, (sides) 18ft, 140 ft wide. ENGINEER’S REPORT. • The engineer (Mr M’Gregor Wilkie) reported for the month ended April 22: During tho month of March, dredge 222 lifted 19 loads, equal to 15,827 cubic yards, of spoil from the Victoria Channel between piles 23 and 24. the whole of tho material being deposited at the Vulcan. r J ho last soundings of tho Victoria Channel show considerable improvement, due partly to dredging and partly to the effect of halftide wall. During the month of March the Vulcan pumped into Dike Logan reclamation area 15.827 cubic yards of spoil received from dredge 222. For a period of four weeks ended April 7, 945 eubic yards of spoil were deposited on tiic half-tide wall, making a total of 9610 cubic yards to dote. The repairs to foundations of sheerlegs and the lengthening of tho holdingdown bolts and the levelling-up of the machinery have been completed. Mole Light; Dredge moorings were laid at the mole end, and on the 20th inst. the dredge was moored in position and all moorings tested. The necessary gear for the structure was loaded on punts and towed to the Spit., so that advantage may be qui(*k y taken of favourable weather. Waterside Workers’ Room: A start has been made with the building of a lavatory. Owing to the requirements of the Healtli Department the, cost will be considerably more than was estimated. The report was adopted.