BLUFF HARBOR BOARD.

Southland Times, Issue 3153, 20 July 1878, Page 3

BLUFF HARBOR BOARD.

The Board met j*»t«rday. Pwsent T M«asri ltito-.1l (chafr). Bicnoi; McPherson, Bro£ sfelr, Maitin,Ont_bertadn;Capt. Elles, and Dr Xen-ies. ' CO-SMFOXD-K-I. ' A lette* fromthe L-ftteltonjHarborJ ßoard {a ripW toon* fromthe Biuff JT arbor Board . asking fMi aa tootha commission; -hari^dby the railway : auth«ritiea fo* coileetin* harbor feet. 'The -wcretarv ofrthe IjtulMb Board *, said that Ihe commission iwae«2tl wtroent. " ■' v •Vile tohairman explained that- the Bluff Board fhadbeen '«harged 16 pen cent,; and sohad opened communication with Lyttelton.* ll* thought that they bad a, right to demand the refunding of one half of it Two and a ' hkitApn cent was understood.to be the commission, but na definite arrangement <hadJbeen aaad., and the' Government had charged, 6: gar' oent.i takingiit . off the moneysoollected W^khe Board. , The y Government) ought to refund. He moved a resolution accordingly, ft waa iaoonded«by Mr Martiripand .arried. ■_a_M_B _M_a_.^**r . t ' . i*--*'** 'i T "A letterfrbm Ifr Arthur.V general manager bf> Southland frail way a, with re erence to the . io-^offbf overdo b«> made to 'get] them ioV i-He* intimated the feturn Aot^;f:oi»rta_tieKebl^:r'a_d tbalahced acv ./:ooi_t*^^/:&v-^ '^yAyyy-^y ■'■-*- A* s^^-lbnf ■ was-t-eceivedsfrom th # harbor master, relative to Pilot Smithes resignation. We^areJ 'cibnapelled lto ii hold it i= If was resolved to remit the letter to. the sailing direotionr? committee, and discuss it -' '"«iij»ifc«fit_i_»£<^ : '* : - ? VS -..-<• i>t ; ,aiK£ fct-Jl ' : -J^^S-, , o-A Hitter _rbi_ct'Meiars''DalgeQrj^Nioholß, -elative i^tO'Mr Gorman's -ervicee: in blasting wittPdynamiUat thei:Bluff, and- expressing |_t_tfactibn r thatthe Board? waa co satisfied withhinli The -letteirTeneldiedian invoice of dynamite, ; toibev-eceived; >. a ■-. V A letter fromithe Harhor-msster, enolo:-ing V ▼bueheiaol ! I_lotS__ith!Bßaliry. J ' * EroMDr^eniießit MvL.o;; acknowledging fbe^reoeipt'l-f'a letter 'from the Board in 4 with?' the i Government'" b;-ok«n £o-__e'tO_aulcthe atone :for r tbe sea wall at the Bluff free of charge. He promised to -jriviTthe aubja'ot : - hia earnest -attention in, the f_6uSe. V He also wrote recommending the! 'Board nbttOTmake special provision ; for pro- , 'Meeting gooda on- the wharf unlesa -ttwaa well; assured the'* Boards was legally responsible.; Makbg provision; tnighti imply responsibility, i aad from^ what ho could gather (the Board! Ural hWresjponßible;vr "si ;■ Orderedtb be received^ ; • From the Marihe- department,-: Wellington, ; forwarding' a notice to mariners <re the new ' light at Timaru- and- alao forwarding two f oopiea of the British code list. . A communication from' Mr Harvey, solicitor, enclosing a reply tb bim from Messrs Morton and C0.,. 0f the Iron Ship-building, Bbileri and Engine Works; Leith The letter had raference to a patent sUp at the BlufE, -hut lacking particulars, the firm could on y give the apprbximateprioe of the machinery— ! fromL9ooo to LIO.OOO. Full particulars as ( tb prices ef material, Ac, were asked for in -order that an estimate of the cost of thi-j ' foundations might be made. The aip would be capable of taking up an 1800-ton ship. - It ; waa resolved' tb refer -the matter to the Works Committee for a report upon it. j • ' - Mr McDonald; aignal-maeter at the Buff; wrote the position of temporary r pilot. Prom the Marine department, Wellington, '.in reply to a letter; from the Board asking whether Bir John Coode's report on therßloff ' : Harbor had been received, and- if so, would ~ ri thb 'Government forward a copy, of it to the Board. The Government said that . Sir i ohn - Coode could not supply a report until he was rfjiaeed in possession of the information asked for in the anclosbd memorandum. The chairman held up the 'memo.' in qu-s---tion to the view of the members. It comprised BUS* »lo»»ly-— Tf»itoi»p«go» of frolnnap, nn.H am *he remarked, involved an entire ana close survey of the harbor. Mr Brodrick moved, and Mr JNichol seconded, that the 'memo' be referred to the Works Committer Carried. ' ; From the Harbor-master. He was prepared to attend the Board at any tie > c when the sailing directions ca*i.e on for discussion. He also intimated that Kir John i oode, with '-Hie concurrence of Mr Blackett, the colonial ; autrine engineer, fully approved of a floating - light at the Black Buoy instead of alight on the Triangle Rock. In another communication the Harbor-master enclosed a notification relative tb the position of the floating light, to be tacked on to the sailing directions. It run as follows :— lt is intended to place at an Nearly date a floating light, bright all round, at.theVßl.ck Buoy rock. The. following bearings are from the light : -Burial Point, 8. by E.,, 2 cables lengths ; Triangle Rock, 8 8 E, three quarters of a cable length ; red light on east end of jetty, west, 3 cables length. Further communications from the' harbor master were received. He explained that Captain Joss when at Newcastle, received :; a, telegram from Mr Henderson, telling him to "come quickly, situation harhor.'. Captain Thomson assured the"Board that hie had not authorised Mr Henderson ,to communicate with Captain Josv, it was not likely he would do, and ao commit both himself and the Board in the matter. However, when Captain Joss|arrived he told him thatfhe mi«ht, if he liked act as pilot during hie, Captain Thomson's illness. Ordered to be received. . A petition from Mr J.L. Mecdonald and several other residents of Riverton, and the Western District, pointing out that. tbe trade „ with the Bluff had attained some dimensions, . and was rapidly growing, and praying that - tbe Board woald provide for the reception and despatch of freight, by erecting a shed for its reception on the Bluff wharf. The matter > waa referred to tbe Works Committee ' o L ; n From theVmanager of tWe JNational Bank, r, -. asking, for ceriaih particulars to enahle him to frame a .tender for transacting ttte finan- •: oial businesa of the Board.. Ordered lb be received. ■:-.y (.{ X... >■! .;••; , BWOBW. .' ;.■>-, ,y. i^,^m_^[M9P^jf',^P^^^^', recommencjifdtedv the.constr,uction~of a reservoir oh the hUI at the back of "Campbelltown^ for supplying the shipping. h Mr. •Pu^bertaon moved-the-adoption of the r teporf, ,and believed it waa the best plan! to i V i ineist; the difficulty Thb couldjbe : -: supplied, and in the event of flre.ttherewopid i !{^^ : ]L^'^^'' ia^ lete!i.^ -ThereT q ,|tftwaaadopWd. V ; ' ! ? : V -'-'Jf a--^ "• -x-i \-■ ' i_l£|j Suling : f Dirbctibn Cbmmittee reported , „s '•OJnSerl— y'r'T '^ "*'\ ■u % ■'■■ ■■ \„' -„..:; Report, af %he, Committbe 'appointed; tb V, ' : '*; conaider theSa^g^Directibna jfor ;' ll! n V rtt t_a Bluff liirbo^ m ■_«.,-.■. l jiS-. B aai_a|._- butabf^Klot - ;i3 , q Sin^jCMe r ': ; :v.-'^.^«V.Lv.- s ■ V- lyVYour Comnuttee beg to report; thatjon «ocount ofthe diM^tjJfy J?oint at night, it is not desirable, te xr offer-any inducement for yeaaela to epitor|the Harbor at that time, and'therefbrafdo Mot i^i_-b(^;|^^h^a|^mMi; to be kept, jbutas it _a very J proDabfe th^ m lsbtj - ar^e * Ppinttimniediatelv after dark, by not having calculated the distance --•■' ; -prOperlyj toV save Vday light,: we therefore, to ineetsauol- bnnieme y Harbor^Mast«.to^appomt alternately one of - the bbal^s creir t to keepa look out format lisaat ftwohonra after dark/ereryi night. ~y y X H*A ohanges^lnlthe , \ I^.s«tyj^jandrof CapUun'Themson's sug- " ' '->■ ■'. ,!JO &

__M__M_a-W_W-M-M*»-M*-^'-—^—^gg^g*!!! gettion of allowing the first pilot to occupy IheJE-arbor Master's present dwelling house, your tto-nrnlttee- would " recommend - that - Captam * Thomsbtt* be 4 lowe&W sayi£3o /per anttuin, in lieu, of hou?e,aooonamodation, and. also fuel, if such allowance* was taade io him under' his original agreement with the Government. l ' * ' ' > 3/ This 0 jmmittee consider $hat present traffic on the wharf doeajnpt justify the Board in employing ,a man as wharf ? attendant,.but 'that a fmh contract, should be entered upon for lighting of tempi for 6 months as at^re-, 'sent, after which it may be desirable to keep a_ permanent wharf attendant. ! _, Tbat in the meantime it ia hot necessary ,to employ a coxswain as recommended by 'Captain Thomson, but thut tbe second pilot ' should embraoe^feh-t of coxswain as hitherto. 6. That this Committee recommend that a floating light .vessel bep'aced at, the Black ' Buoy rock to cost about L-00, and to be from 15 to 20 tons register, to be .atrongly.moored,, \ to have a man living on board, who shall keep upjthejight, and receive a salary of LIOO to Ll2O -per annuo). - . 6;*Th_t this' Committee recommend -that . Cap' an_ Thomson, be requested to draft a memorandum to be attached to the Gs-elte Sailing directions of 7th July, 1876', stating a light vessel fs about to be placed on the Hlack Buoy Bool*, "with proper direotionr for passing it," and Vthati 600 copies of the to amended sailing directions be printed, of the sij-e of the NewJ Zealand Pilot page, for general'circ_latiomi. : I .';, >.; /.•■; ;1 c 7. That -though it is desirable that a pilot cutter should at an- early period be purchased to cruise'in Eoveaux Strait, ior when not: so employed to 'lie, at the^ outer. ianohorage outside Starling Point, and .when ia vesseLis signalled ei< her to the eastward or westward, she. should at once go out to meet her, and put a Pilot on board, jour Committee would not re"coWmend' that' the great expense involved m- such; an undertakiris should be incurred ; until the trade of the Port is still larger than at present. r '■•■-' ■-■"■'■ Thos .Bhodetok, Chairman of Sub- ; V: Committee ."' ' JOHK R; CpTHBKBXiSOK ! A. J.'EiTEBS-' W. McPhehson. Bluff-Harborcßoard Office, Invercargill, 17th July, 1878. . Mr,B-b^nck^mbvedr''iuid'' : Mr Cuthbertson i seconded the adoption of the report. V __r Cuthbertson said that great pains had been taken with : the report, and he be'ieved' i^l^q;, be thoroughly accUratß and Teliable. With reference to the dismissal" so termed, of Pilot Smith, a great deal of gross misrepresentation bad been made in certain quarters. -Facta bad been deliberately warped and the truth sut pressed. It was well known that Pilot Smith had voluntarily resigned and that the Board had simply accepted his resignation. It was a'so well understood that eertan p-rties had delibe ately perverted the truth, >nd th»t ?mith had not been arbitra- [ rily or unjustly dealt with was pretty clearly I demonstrated by the fact of his not hay ng demanded any investigation into his conduct. He had quietly accepted the position. He '(tbe speaker) had thought it necessary to put the matter in its true light, inasmuch as it had i been foolishly, possibly ignorantly , and be • feared, wilful y misrepresented to tbe •public. The report was adopted. ' * -OCOUBTS. 'The following accounts were nasaed for payment :— Dalgtty, and Co., £90 ss; W. Craig and Co. £17 10s; J Edwards, £6 8s; J; Smith j £1; and McQuarrie, £28 10s. MIBCBtLAN_OT7S. The chnirman informed tbe meeting that tender* for the transacting of the Board's financial business had been invited from the various banking' institutions, and' were to have been sent in by the 17th inst. None however were received till two days afterwards, and tben only t* o came to band. Mr CutJhW--- r-or-* *■}--_ — *•"-- _.>ir t>wd communications, and both sent in after rate, they were not to be regarded as legitimate tenders; and should be returned. It Was was most advisable tbat as many tenders as possible should be received. He moved that the tenders be returned and fresh circulars sent round to the various banfeinf-j institui ■'-_ oris, stating that tenders would be reoeived up to 11 a.m. on the 2?th. Mr McPherson seconded tbe motion, which was carried. The chairman informed the meeting tbat £50,000 worth of debentures had been made out and were waiting to be sealed. According to the standing orders the seal must be affixed by the chairman in the presence of one of the members. Be asked for one of the members to attend on some day to be named. On the motion of Mr Cuthbertson seconded .by -Mr McPherson, it was resolved that Captain Elles should assist the chairman. It was moved by Dr Menzies, seconded by Mr Martin, and carried, that the acion of the chairman in temporarily appointing Captain Joss to the position of pilot till September Ist be confirmed by the Board. The Board then adjourned to Friday next