LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 47, 1 April 1914, Page 10

LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. At the monthly meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board to-day, there were present: —Messrs R. Moore (chairman), F. Horrell, J. Storry, T. D. Boag, J. J. Dougall, C. Allison, «T. R. Webb, J. Little, M. Miller, A. Kaye, and Dr H. T. J. Thaeker. Leave of absence was granted to Mr H. Friedlander. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported tbat since the last ordinary meeting the following sums had been paid into the Harbour Fund account: —Wharfage dues, £3477 4/9; pilotage and port charges, £2OOB 8/1; towage, storage, etc., £1750 10/3; total, £7236 3/1. The total cash receipts for the three months ended March 31, 1914, amounted to £.19,223 17/4, as compared with £17,157 0/10, received during the corresponditig period of last year. It was also stated that the wharfage return just received from the Railway Department, showed that the wharfage revenue for the four weeks ended February 28 last amounted to £4226 16/10, which constituted a record, being fully 20 per cent, in excess of the previous four-weekly record established in 1913. The ,bank book showed the Harbour Fund account to be in credit £597 14/-, and in addition, the board had a sum of £3161 6/7 standing to tie credit of its special fund accounts, making a total of £3759 0/7 available to provide for payment of the unpaid accounts, amounting to £3857 12/5, to be passed for payment at the meeting. During the month of March, 276 vessels entered the port of L'yttelton, with an aggregate net tonnage of 220,614, as against 210 ' vessels, aggregating 186,995 tons, during the corresponding period of last year. Four members of the board —Messrs J. J. Dougall, J . Storry, T. D. Boag, and F. Horrell- —would retire from office this month, and elections to fill the vacancies would be held in the respective districts on April 29. The chairman wished to take the opportunity of expressing the hope that the retiring members would submit themselves , for re-elec-tion, and that all the members might meet again at the table on May 6. In reply to Mr Allison, the secretary stated that the 20 per cent, increase in the wharfage revenue—amounting to i2loo—would, roughly, counterbalance the loss caused in the last month of 1913 by the strike. ' . ENGINEER JS REPORT.

The Engineer (Mr C. J. R. Williams) reported that between February 26 and March 27 the dredge Canterbury had been engaged in deepening and widening the outer channel and maintaining the depths in the open parts of the inner harbour. From the outer channel she had removed 85,540 tons, and from the inner harbour 11,830 tons, or 97,370 tons in all. Of this quantity 83,720 tons had been pumped into the reclamation into the sea two miles outside Godley Head owing to the discharging wharf being occupied by vessels landing stock. "The dredge was, laid up on the 23rd instant for repairs to boilers," continued the engineer. "Seventeen rivets have been taken out and several cracks in the edges of the plates. are . being welded, up. She will resume work about the 31st instant, I examined the boilers yesterday, and the Government Inspector of Machinery lias carefully inspected them."

The dredge Tewhaka had been engaged between Nos. 4 and 5 jetties, at No. 5 jetty, west side, and at west side of No. 2 -jetty. Ttie month's work amounted to 4480 tons lifted and deposited in the reclamation area, including some boulders which had, as usual, been used in the reclamation mole. r ? ■

The damages to the mole had been made good, the outer portion raised, and the work was again advancing, the tip head being now 1554 feet from the end-of the western breakwater. Arrangements had been made to build a rough parapet by concreting together a mound of small stones along the top of the outer face. This would probably break as the work settles, but the parts would still act like large stones as a defence against the seas, and it could be repaired from time to time. The pile driving punt was planked throughout and decked, and the calking of the vessel was about half done.

The work of reconstructing the outer arm' of the Gladstone Pier outer wharf had been commenced. A considerable quantity of the decking and floor beams had been lifted. Most of the decking was of very little value, and most of the beams were badly decayed, but in accordance with the board's usual experience all ironbark beams were still available for further use in light traffic works, and most of the caps and all of the piles were quite sound and need not be disturbed.

The report was adopted. HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS ■ COMMITTEE.

The Harbour Improvement Committee reported that it had deferred consideration, until next month, of the matter of installing electric light and a searchlight 011 the tug Lyttelton, and of the repairing, enlargement, and reconstruction of No. 6 jetty. With regard to the New Zealand Glue Company's letter —read at the board's previous meeting—complaining of the high rate of wharfage payable on "glue pieces," the committee recommended that '' glue pieces'' be classified with "pelts" at 6d per ton, under section 7 of the wharfage by-laws. The committee recommended that the commander of H.M.S. Psyche be informed, in reference to the damage to one of the raan-o '-war's boats, caused by the barque Sara colliding with the Psyche, while the Sara was in charge of one of the board's pilots, that the board regretted the oceurrance, but was unable to accept any liability in the matter.

The committee had considered a recent judgment by Mr E. W. Burton, S.M., bearing on the question of liability of harbour boards as wharfingers in respect of goods landed, but uot tallied into their custody, but it had no recommendation to make on the subject. The committee recommended that the Government Marine Engineer be asked to report on the boilers of the dredge Canterbury, with a view to ascertaining to what extent the contractors failed to comply with the original specification, and to assess the damage that the board had suffered, or might suffer, in consequence; and that a claim' be made in accordance with the board's solicitor's opinion, dated March 17. The recommendations were adopted. FINANCIAL MATTERS.

The Finance Committee recommended that the monthly accounts, amounting to £10,952 8/5, be passed for payment, and that cheques for the accounts, amounting to £3857 12/5, be drawn on the harbour fund account. It

also recommended that the chairman's action in remitting the sum of £3000: by a sixty days' draft at f per cent, discount towards payment of the halfyear's interest on the board's 6 per cent, loan, due in London on June 3Q, 1914/ be-confirmed, and that the balance of £3OOO be remitted by a 30 days on demand draft, at the'chairman's'discretion.

The committee reported that it had received a letter from the Heathcote County Council, offering per cent.* debentures, with a currency of 32 years, maturing on February 1, 1946, and it recommended that the County Council be asked what price it is prepared to accept for the debentures. The recommendations were approved. SUPERANNUATION SCHEME. A report .was received from .Mr Geo. Leslie, actuary, on the proposed superannuation scheme for the board's em-\ ployees under the Local Authorities Superannuation Act. The report substantially bore out the Government' Actuary's contention that a ©entribu-"' tion from the board 80 per cent, would be necessary to make the scheme ■ v solvent. The matter was referred to the' Superannuation Committee. SUMNER MATTERS. ' '

The Secretary of Marine wrote that v the Minister had sanctioned the discontinuance of the signal station at Sumner. The Sumner Borough Council had been advised that no signals would be shown frojn, and no look-out man will be in attendance on, the signal station after April 15. - The . Sumner Borough Cdunj&l wrote that-the board's offer to hanuover the life-boats at Sumher to the council wasbeing considered, and that the council • was in communication with the Marine Department regarding the maintenance' of the signal station at Sumner. Another letter from the Sumner Bor- x ough Council asked the board to discontinue the practice of discharging dredgings near Whitewash Head, at the entrance to Sumner Bay, as the practice might have a prejudicial effect upon the Sumner foreshor¥ in the y future. 1

The engineer stated, with regard to the latter matter, that - the discharging, had re r ally been too miles out at sea, although it might have looked nearer-to the people on the shore. Instructions had been given that the discharging should be done where it would not alarm, the people of Sumner. There was no danger to the foreshore . . ' ' A reply to this effect will be sent. CHRISTGHURCH-LYTTELTON - RAILWAY. . v

Mr Little moved:— I 'That the secretary be instructed to write to the Minister of Railways, asking if it is the intention of - the Government to electrify ' the Christchnrch-Lyttelton railway, alid if so, when! is it probable that will be : effected.'' * = •

This was seconded by Dr Thacker. Mr Horrell considered the board would be foolish to keep harassing the Government over this matter. The chairman took a similar view. The board had already brought' "the matter before the Government, and; un-' less it were being neglected, the board should not keep worrying the Government. , . •• ••••-'

The motion was defeated, onlyMessrs Little and "'Allison and Dr Thacker voting for it. * GENERAL.

The only teaser .received for the supply of uniforms for the • harbourmaster 's staff was submitted by W. Strange and Co., Ltd., it was accepted. v ; '

A letter was received from the secretary of the Transport Strike Commit- ; - tee, thanking the board for remitting the harbour charges on the s.s. Te Anau.

The Lyttelton Borough Council v wrote expressing its appreciation of the valuable services rendered by the tug Lyttelton at the recent fire at Diamond Harbour.

The North Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board asked for per-. mission to remove a truek load of shells : from the beaches, to be used on asphalt paths at the consumption sanatorium.' It was decided that a present of a load of shells should be made to the Hospital' Board. \ ..

Mr J. Little moved that the resolution passed by the board at its previous " meeting, reflecting on members asking subordinate officers for information, be rescinded. This was seconded by Mr Allison, but the motion was defeated. The statutory annual meeting,-for the election of a chairman of the board, was fixed for May 6.