Harbor Board.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 99, 14 June 1895, Page 3

Harbor Board.

The Harbor Board met on Tuesday. Present: Messrs Maxwell (chairmat.), Ward, Smith (M.H.R.;, Sarten, Black, McLean, Shearer, and Davies. ENGINEER. A letter was received from the Public Works Department, stating that the Government had instructed an engineer, Mr Hay, to report on the harbor.—The Chairman said that this was in accordance with the Premier's promise. Mr Hay had been here, and examined the works, and would furnish his report in due course. DREDGING. The Chairman explained what he had done with reference to the dredging question.—Mr Smith thought that the correspondence relative to asking the chairman to call a special meeting to discuss the letter from the Prison Department, and the advisability of sending, the chairman south to see about a dredge, also the correspondence sent by the secretary to the chairman and his replies, should be read. Messrs Davies and Bluck thought that the Board should rest content with the chairman's explanation.—The Chairman said there were matters in his letter to the Government that it was not desirable to read. —Mr Bluck moved, That the letter be not read. —Lapsed for want of a seconder.—The secretary then read the correspondence between the chairman and secretary with regard to calling a special meeting.—The Chairman said the whole of the telegrams and letters would have to be read to show the whole question clearly.—The whole of the telegrams and letters were then read.—The Chairman said they would see from the correspondence what was the prison question. The Board was requested to withdraw all reference to prison labor in their advertisement for tenders, and he gave the directions to the secretary to do so, as the Board had no option. He did not see the necessity to call a special meeting. If he was wrong he was willing to receive the censure of the Board. The other question for which the requisitionists desired a special meeting was to consider the question of his going south to Timaru-in order to see about a dredge.—Mr Smith said that the reason he asked for the correspondence to be read was that in the chairman's letter he s*ated there had been side influence at work to move the Government in the matter of the prison labor. He wanted to know if the chairman referred to him as the side influence ? —Mr Maxwell: I decline to discuss the point. The letter was a private communication from me to the secretary.—Mr Smith said he had never communicated with the Government on the matter, and lie maintained he had a right to defend himself, even if he had to go so far as putting tho matter in tho hands of his solicitor.— The Chairman refused to explain what he meant by side influence.—Subsequently a motion was moved by Mr Davies and carried, in effect that the chairman's explanation for not calling a special meeting wa3 satisfactory. LAND REVENUE. Tho Treasury notified remittance of land revenue (£3282 18s lOdj to March 31st, being 25 per cent of tho revenue accrued within the province. The Board adjourned at 1 and resumed at 2 o'clock. The Board, on resuming from committee, accepted the tender of B. Pool, of Fielding, for quarrying and putting stone over the seaward side of the mole at 2s 3d per yard. REPORTS. The Harbormaster reported that the dredge during May had made 37 trips, taking to sea 4480 yards of sand, working 14 days.—The foreman, Mr Gillbanks, reported that 424 cubic yards of stone had been quarried and put over the face of the mole ; also that 440 cubic yards of sand had been cleared off the permanent way ; and that one damaged section of the breakwater had been repaired. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee made recommendations with respect to the payment for the position of secretary and collector.—The report was held over from the last meeting.—Mr Smith enquired if it was not an instruction to the committee to confer with the secretary as to the terms on which he would retain the offic?, and if the secretary did not agree then tenders were to be called for the positions.—The Chairman said that the committee were to recommend to the Board, who would offer the terms to the secretary. The report of the finance committee was as follows: That £IOO be paid as secretary ; and 2-J per cent as collector of rate, to include all expenses except compiling rolls, advertising, and rate law expenses ; and that if the rate be less than £BOOO, on which the estimate is based, the percentage be in proportion.—Mr McLean moved the adoption of the report.—Mr Ward moved as an amendment, " That the remuneration for the secretaryship be as heretofore, but that the percentage for collection be reduced from 3-J-d to 2-Ad." He explained his reasons for moving tho amendment.—Mr Smith seconded the amendment. He said that while receiving an apparent large sum in the past, the secretary had a lot of expense, and what was"to be taken into account was what the secretary actually received after deducting the expenses In consideration of the past services, of the secretary, his intimate knowledge of the Board's affairs, and with the belief that they could not get a better man, he would support Mr Ward's amendment. He trusted the members would accept the amendment.—Mr Davies said if Mr Ward would alter his amendment to 21 per cent for collection he would vote for the amendment. —Mr Shearer was of the same opinion. Mr McLean said that the committee thought that 2 per cent would have been sufficient for collection, but in view of Mr Rennell's long service they had added another £■ por cent. —Mr Rennell said that 2{- per cent on £BOOO

j would produce uiSO. ]!■- h: dio p:srciuise rate books, and then there was a. charge of £2O for post cards to notify the ratepayers, and replies had to be sent. If a notification for the instalment we!" mudc there would be an additional £2o.—Mr McLean : But you would only have to stamp any receipt over £2. —Mr Rennell : That is free ; the cost is incurred in notifying the ratepayers by post card, which is compulsory by law. Mr Rennell continued that he had to purchase rato books, receipt books, and thousands of envelopes. Tho reduction proposed would not be appreciable to the ratepayers, nor would it favor the landholders in any way. The committee asked him to accept the reduction, and if he refused them in the alternative the Board would call for tenders without giving him any warning or remuneration for his long service in the Board's employ. He had been connected with the Board from its inception, being first auditor, and subsequently secretary, under eight different Boards, iu which capacity he had given general satisfaction.—After further discussion, Mr Ward's amendment was altered to read, That the secretary be paid as heretofore, but the per cei.tage for collection to be reduced from to 2J per cent, the Board to bear the expenses hitherto borne by the collector. —Seconded by Mr Smith, and carried on a show of hands. PRISONERS" CARRIAGe. A letter from the Prisoners Department was read intimating that the Railway Department would no longer carry the prisoners free, and requesting the Board to make airaugeiaents for the future.—Mr Smith said it would bo as well to know whit it was intended to do with the prisoners before the Government were approached on the subject of a concession. —Mr Maxwell said it was underst )od that in the event of a teuder being accepted the prisoners would be put on to clean the quarry up, &c, and after that was don'e he did not know what use they would have for the prisoners.—Mr Smith said that was the answer he had expected. He was of sufficient intelligence to know that in the acceptance of a tender the prisoners would be dispensed with. Under the circumstances he would not bother his head over the matter.—Mr McLsan said it -was a question of cost. If the prison labor cost more thau it wis worth to the Board it was no use keepi ig it on. It was a question of getting a reduction.—lt was decided finally that tho chairman and Mr Smith, when in Wellington, should interview the Minister of Railways with a view to a reduction.—Herald. *