HARBOUR BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13655, 25 July 1908, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD.

Th-i monthly nivcting of the- lnnani Harbour Board was held yesterday. I resent : Messrs. J. Craigie (chairman), ». Skinner, R. Tliew, C. Bowker, T. •: V. Young, C. N. Orbell. .1. Chi-sholm, u H. Besley, an.l : J. -W- A) milage. ._. Mr I'' IT Smith sent an apology, lie li-imr busy saving sheep from the i.uow. Mr. Maucluhu-r also s.-nt an apology. Mr. J. Eraser wrote thanking- the Board fur their Kiiolution regarding his M-i vicr* jKiL'i-ed ";it last nir-eiing. . ; The chairman Mr. Ai lining*? lo ill.- Board »» 6iiccu;.sor lo Mr. !• ia.ser, and b'.p'd that be would be ol u u> the .Boar*! in ht-> iUmu. unions. , . , \ir thanked th* chairman for his welcome. He felt that his position was- a, difficult one, as he followed a man like Mr Fraser. He would however do his best", and lie asked for consideration until lie bad obraned a. grasp of the bus.- " 'XI. lb" request of Messrs Thew and. Skinner, the Standing Committee will meetf for the i'e.si- of the winter months at 11.30 ia-tead of 11 a.m. The chairman thanked riie coimtrv members for attending so well ; <s thev bad don.', the mating* of the di»y before the Hoard meetings, and he I,,,'ivd they would, attend whenever they could find it convenient. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. Tin chairman drew attention io the >rcie:ary's half yearly letimi of the trade and i-evenue of the port. lhe tonnage of shipping and exports were less but the, imports had increased, compared with the tiist six months of 1907. The deo eases were no doubt due to -he diy tumnu r, and there was still a good deal of wool in store here —(Mr- Orhsll and -Mr Voung questional this .statement, and Mr Skinner confirmed it ; he had not sold yet), '."l'lie total trade inward and outward showed a decrease <- t 1467 tons; and ihe whariage dues* of £229 7s 9d. Some other items of revenue bad increased, and the net decrease was £167 6s Id. Seeing the unfortunately diy year for the pastoral industry, the Board " might congratulate themtsefves on the result. 'llie revenue for the past* uioiilli was £1702 16s 6d from ships' dues, and £1273 from wharfage. Attn - paying accounts to be passed tlia credit balance would fie £3156 2s 's(l. The chairman went on to say that there had been some heavy seas during the month, but no damage had been done except eome trifling subsidence here and there in Eastern Mole. The engineer recommended that these bo made ,np again with large stones as early as possible. Plans, -etc., were now ready for the new wharf, and would be submitted, with some recommendations, fiom the Standing .Commit.tee. THE SUMNER, CANAL. SCHEME. The chairman made some reference to the canal .scheme now before the; Lyttelton Harbour Board. It appeared from reports in the Christchuivh newspapers that Timar.u was being rased as a bog*y by certain people who desired to .see the canal scheme carried out. He read an extract, from one of these reports which said thao Timaru had adopted' a polity of aggression to secure •an extension of its trade, and to make it the premier port of Canterbury. This, the chairman said, might be taken as a compliment and as a good , advertisement, for Timarti, but it was not right that Timaru should be used as a bogey in thab way. The Board were not making any effort, to capture trade* from l.ytteltoii; they had a good district' to serve, and while they desired to all the trade that legitimately belonged to Tiniiiiu tliey did want to capture, trade from lylrelton. (Hear, hear). The chairman also referred to the inequality in the harbour district franchise and a ii.wtion «as carried t.s stated elsewhere. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr W. Pryor, secretary 1o the N.Z. Employers' Federation, wrote inviting l.he Board to join the local Employers' association, and he quoted some cases in which the Federation had been useful to ecni Members briefly discussed the subject. The chairman said that no other Harbour Boaid had yet joined the J'Vck-ratiuii, and Mr Thew added that no local body in this district had done so. Mr Bowker thought it would be well for all large interests to join and make a strong combination. It would have io be done eventually. Mr Oi bell supposed that it was n que-vtion of who would take the first step, and Timnru had taken a lead in o'-lier matters. Air Ai.nirage suggested awaiting developments. The chairman recommended that the matter be held over and this was agreed to. A number of letters were read that hail between tihft ltaard and the Belioid Mills Company regarding a charge lor pilotage for s.s. l'etone. The question was whftther the annual fee for exemption from pilotage should be paid for this .steamer as the mncter brought, her in without a pilot. Mr Turner objected to pay the exemption fee, which was claimed, and offered the ordinary fee as for pilotage service rendered. This had been accepted. The manager of the Gas Works asked permission to lay a gas main along Hayes Street to Parr and Co.'s, and mis wau granted. The local newspapers wrote adv'.sing that in futmre their advertising rates would be 5s per inch for each insertion, the increase being rendered necessary by the increased cost of producing newspapers.— Received.

Dr Thomas forwarded payment for use of the oil launch as Borough Health Officer.

Mr J. L. Gillies applied for refund of the whole or part of £2B expended by him in the formation of a road access to the Westport Coal Company's yard in one of the Board's sections.—The secretary explained, with reference to a plan, that the proper access to the section was from Fraser Street, and that Mr Gillies had made this road acroes another section. Mr Young contended that the Board ought to pay, as it was their duty to provide access and they had not done so. —Mr Gillies waited on the Board', had explained that the access lie had became so soft owing- 'to the heavy rain that ha had to do something or close the yard.— -The chairman said that the Board could not make a road from Fraser Street until the Railway Department had laid the siding, and this was only completed- last wt«k.—Mr Gillies having retired Mr Young moved and Mr Besley seconded that the Board pay £lO towards the cost.—This was taken as an amendment to a motion by Messrs Bowker and Skinner that the Board give the Westport Company a good road to their section along Fraser Street. The amendment was lost, only Mr Orbell voting with mover and seconder. Mr Bowker's motion was then carried, it being understood that this meant giving the company a good access, and that the engineer report on the cost of extending Uie formation, to other sections.. RESIDENT ENGINEER.

The resident eaginee:, Air IT. W. Clarke, reported on general markers, and on the Eastern Mole and pi opos -d new- wharf, ax stated elsewhere. Under the first head were the following: The late storms had done nothing ■towards tilling ihe shingle pit; rails and sleepers left in the pit had been removed. Th ; ie had been some little damage done to the Kasioin Alole, but none of the other works had suffered at all. The Fraw-r Sheet Mdin&s weiv: completed in accordance with railway reijuireinenis. 'file w'ii-a ihe filling of electric light, on Moody Wharf had not been quite, saiusfactoiy, but the conn-acton, had been hampered by wet weather, 'f'l)6 work should ba completed within a week or two. Minor repairs to wharves had been attended to; a small dray road had been made to the Westporfc Coal Company's section from Wharf Street, and a

coating-of sliingle pub-on portions- ot Hayes Street. Arrangements were being made to put three ot" the. «1H -surf. boats oft tjie; timber , ways and leave Ihem. there for', the- present.. ' :_ . The: report was adopted.' HARBOUR MASTER, The' Harbour Maiiter reporw'd the arrival of 32 siieain and i sailing vessel, aggregating 41,281 tons iii-five;l (hiring' .nine. The weather during ilia month was uilinr stormy with several h'eavv sea*. TENDKIW* The Tender of Messrs l'riest and Moldgate was accepted'for lbs supply of ironmongery, ilierlge suppli.n, eic. l'linted condition* of contract wore adopted as its standard conditions. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £8999 3s 4ft we;e passed lor pavii.ent,- anrt toe Hoard rosr- at 3.20 p.rn: