THAMES HARBOUR BOARD.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XI, Issue 3126, 26 September 1878, Page 3

THAMES HARBOUR BOARD.

A special meeting of tho Board was held yesterday afternoon at the Borough Chambers. Present: MessrsDavies(chairman), Price, Mennio, Sponcer.Kilgour, Bagnall. The chairman said ho had called tho Board together for tho purpose of considering a proposal from the Borough Council re the unemployed. They had a number of men -about 80 he thoughtemployed ; but there wero a large number besides who wero not employed, and tho Borough Council offored to ■ advance money if the men were employed by tho Harbour Board. Tho money could bo repaid whenever tho Board had funds. He would like to hear tho opinion of members on (his subject.-The Mayor approved of the proposal, and thought the Board had moro permanent work than tho Borough. The Borough had really no work for the men, and merely employed them in order to keep them from starvation. Tho Mayor thought a difficulty would ariso as to whether the Borough or tho Harbour Board should have tho control of whatever work tho men would bo put to.—Mr Bagnall said thoy wore in a rather difficult as if they employed the men and obtained monoy from the Borough to pay them, any money which might come to tho Board would bo " tabooed" by the Borough. As far as ho could see, all the money duo to the Board was anticipated. If tho men would be set to work to deepen the water at the Goods Wharf he would acquiesce in tho proposal.—Some discussion ensued, in tho course of which some members said th,o offer of the Borough was a very liberal oue, and the following resolution, moved by tho Mayor and seconded by Mr Bagnall, was agreed to:—"That if the Borough Council will place a sum of money at the disposal of the Harbour Board for the employment of men out of employment, on harbour works, tho Harbour Board will accept it, on the understanding that the money will be returned." DfiEDaE.—Tho Chairman said that he was appointed at last meeting to ascertain the cost, &c, of a small dredge; and since then he had been engaged in looking into the matter, and had come to the opinion that the time had not arrived for a dredgo to be constructed, lie did not think the men could deepen the water ; at the Good 3 Wharf nearly so well as a dredge.—A good deal of conversation took place relative to deepening the water, at tho Goods Wharf. Some members thought Curtis' Wharf should be taken down, and utilised in the construction of silt works from the Goods Wharf nearly to Shortland. This would employ a large number of men, and keep the silt from filling up the harbour. The matter then dropped.

Reclamation Scheme.—A letter was read from Major Murray, stating that in the evont of reclamation being entered upon or allowed, by the Board on the foreshore, ho would respectfully recommend the adoption of a general and comprohonsivo scheme of sea wall or breast work, one which would allow of the different allotments and streets boing filled in without the extra and unnecessary expenditure which would be required if each reclaimed portion had to be protected by a separate sea wall. He made tho recommendation as more particularly referring to tho proposed parado ground applied for by him; but ho thought tho question was one which affected largely the whole of tho foreshore reclamation. The letter was received.

It was resolved that the first work to bo undertaken ■by the unemployed is the filling-ill under the Goods Wharf, and a committee consisting of the Chairman, Messrs Price and Mennie, was appointed to see to the carrying out of the work.

Deputation.—Tho Chairman and Mr Spencer were appointed to confer with the Borough Council to-night re - the unemployed. The committee was ap« pointed at the request of the Borough Council.