TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 1682, 31 May 1919, Page 4

TIMARU HARBOUR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING., ,/J'he monthly meeting of the Timaru •I-lnrbonr Board was held yesterday. Present—Messrs F. J. Eolleston (chairman). G.N. Orbell, .1). C. Turnbu'.l, •]. Bitchener, T. B. Garrick, R. Skiunsr, J. K. Chiles. G. W. Armitage. J. McKeown; B. 33. H. Tripp, ixnd AY. -llayman. An apology for a'csenco •was received from Sir J. M. Tripp who is ill .Wellington, where he represented the Board at the Town Planning Conference.

' CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. Til® chairman said it was gratifying to find that the wharfage revenue had got back to the thousands again. For too long it had been down in the hundreds. In April the wharfage amounted • to £1338, and in May to £1126 Next month promised to be equally satisfactory. Tho Whakatane should be here next week, and sli© would be followed by the Waimarino and the Katon, the former to take 3572 toais, and the latter 0000 tons. The Port Sydney had bc-?n here during tho month and had taken a. record num■bo of carcases of frozen mutton — 116,349—fr0m Pukeuri, Pareora, Timaru, and Ashburton. The previous ro-ord was taken by the Rntor.ua in 1915, w'leu she had taken 91,806 carcases. The cargo handled by the Port Sydney amounted to about 4000 tons: ■here'-were no delays; and the ship's agents were pleased with the despatch which; • the vessel had received. The credit balancs at the previous meeting stood at £2OO, and the receipts since then totalled £3442 5s lid. made up rs . foHows: —Ships' dues £597, war Idari certificates £B, rents £145, water r.pp I led to fishing boats £2, hire of Mipway £1 16s, wharfage paid by fishing boats £6," other wharfage paid in v uvil £1338,. in May £1126. hire of 10-ton crane £2B, sale of old timber £S3 ...use of electrical c'usterii £29, accident insurance refund £ls, contractors' deposit £lO, Timaru Harbour sinking fund' commissioner l } : '-S5 10s, interest on' fixed deposits (war, loan bonds) £l2 .10s, sale of oilrl £9 10s. The accounts to be passed that day amounted to £3709, a.nd there would he a debit balance of £66 -fter paving tlie.se. The rateable value on which the Timaru Borougli Council •'.-ould |>»v rates to the Board had in-

—•cased by £8720 as a result of increas■d values: The committee set up to ■ro into the question of erecting grading, stores mt Timaru had held one 'fleeting, when they had discussed the

'-natter with a Mr Anderson, of Ash'nirton. who knew a good c?eal about •t. and had promised to obtain more ■•lformation for the committee, '.-Before lie Board embarked on any scheme i.-f the kind 'they should secure a' guarantee that the Companies would •hip through the stores at Timaru, in■tead of through those at Lytteltoii. "Mr Anderson said that the Companies ■'light erect ,the stores if the Board • ould give them the facilities, and as->ir-fc them financially. This might be 'h* -best course to follow,, as if tho '*• ••itinnnies had a proprietary interest : <i the stores they wculd "be sure t6 '•'n all their produce through them. T 'l\? committee were now awaiting further- information from Mr AnderHe b«d unable so far to ;•"» Mr J C. Kiufj in reference to ; a '" ."IPJVal....of the Board's, lease of . the

- traniline which... runs -through '""■fr King's property. The elpction of

• rt!prp«°ntatm> on the for the ha.'' been contested, and the cost Jto the Board was £49 16s Bd, the .'Woiireh Council charging them one---'Y»ntli of the. total cost of the mnni•:iinl elections—-P.348 There had btwn •"i .r-nntppt for the Waimate seat-, hut Poarrl were charged £ls 13s. 6d, i-Ms having to be prepared whether <1a P ,. 0 W ns an °i"ction or not.

T n reply to Mr Orb ell the chairman that TYnimate charged ■f the total coat, to the Board. THE RATE. " Mr Skinner proposed, and Mr Bit--l.cner seconded, that the rate for the oar should ha one-eighth of a jjenny in the £. Mr Arm it,age inquired' whether' this would be sufficient. The chairman said' lid thought it Mould be. Mr Orbell said it had been sufficient in the darkest days of the war, and it should be ample now. The Board had in power to rate for more than their actual deficiency. He would oppose rmv suggestion to increase the rate. Mr Bitchener said so would lie.

Mr Orbell said the ratepayers were onite prepared to pay a necessary rate, hut the.v should not be asked to pay a rate for more than acrtual requirements.

Mr Chiles asked whether the proposed rate would allow for necessary improvements?'

Thp chairman said they could not a+P for that.

In reply to Mr Garrick the chairman sm'd the rate brought in £Booo—about nlf their interest charges. Mr Rolloston added that the Timaru Harbour Roard were an exception in imposing •' rate ; onlv two other Boards in the Dominion—Napier and Oarn aru—im-r-wpd n rate, and ih« aim of the Tirriru Board should be to eventually nV>lish tho rate. (Hear, hear.'* Th» motion was then put and carried unanimously.

SICK BENEFIT FUND

The Board spent some time discussing a proposal to establish a Sick Benefit Fund fen- tiheir employees. The proposal was sympathetica!ly discussed by all members, and on the motion of Mr Chiles, seconded by Mr Bitchener, it was unanimously decided that the Board should establish a Sick Benefit Fund, on the same lines as the 011 c established by the Timaru Borough Council, provided the men approve, the Board to start the fund with a payment cf £25. CORRESPONDENCE. The Timaru Borough Council wrote offering to supply the Board with 200 cubic, yards of metal for Fraser Street, in bins at the Council's quarry, at 7 s (id per yard. The price was considered high, and 011 the proposal 0;f Mr Bitchener it was decided to ascertain at what price metal could be obtained from Port Chalmers. Mr Bitchener said the Geraldine Countv Council obtained their metal from Port Chalmers, ana tney got it- cheaper than it could be got locally. , , Tt was decided to apply to the Gerald i 110 County Council for full information, and to call tenders for carting the metal. . _ ' The Timaru Cold Stores Company npplied to lease from the Board tha unused portion of the section adjoining the one already held by the Commatter was deferred till next, meeting 'ov which time it is expected that the Board will know what is to bp done in resrard to the erection of grncl'in" i.tare« here. _ . Mr P. Bradley was given permission to add to his building on the north mole. HARBOUR MASTER'S REPORT. The arrivals and departures during April were 23 susam vessels, with an aggregate of 19.556 tons, and the' departures were 25 steam vessels and one sailing vessel with an aggregate tif 91 -410. ,+c-QHi.,. Th°... lnrgcs.t-

of frozen mutton tliat has ever'left the port of Timara was lifted by the steamer Port Sydney this month, her total loading • equalling 110,349 carcases. O Armstrong, who was injured on the wharf whilst mooring a steamer some time a,go. has now so far recovered as to be ahle to resume light duty and started as night watchman, of Dredge 3-50 on tho 26fch inst.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. As Dalgety's firm . are requiring traction engine access to their new buildings, I am making the permanent roadway from the Cool Stores to Dalgety's, which will also serve the thret intervening sections The road foundation is being made with surplus stone gathered from the root of the extension ;;nd an-.applioa.tion has been made to the Council for 200 cubic yards of metal, and they have offered same at 7s 6d per yard. Installation of motor and haulagfe gear for No. 1 slipway. —The wiring of switch board and;motor house is completed, and the motor and gearing It ted in place.. The installation is now in working order, so that the revised charges for slipping can operate from this date.

Another. 1500 feet of tho wiring to the beacon *t the end of the mole has been carried out, and this complete the renewals of the mains ~to this li.gfit. The wiring, from the switch board to the end of' the concrete v>r?akwater lias also been renewed ha places, and th» who!*? refa^tened. • The South Canterbury Development League invited the Board to attend a meeting on Wednesday next, to consider what further steps should b% taken to push on the! matter a consumption sanatorium' for South Canterbury.

Mr Trippj'was appointed to representthe Board/ ' Six members of the Harbourmaster's staff applied for'an increase in their par. ' ' . . Tho Harbourmaster ' supported the application,./and recommended an •' increase to each man.- -

On the .motion of Mr Chiles, seconded by Mr Tripp.-the'recommendations nf the. Harbourmaster were unanmiously adopted. Mr Metson; clerk in the office, was given an increase of £lO per annum. ACCOUNTS. . Accounts' amounting to £3709 (iududing £2500 to the sinking fund commissioners) were passed for payment..: • :. . ■