HARBOUR BOARD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5349, 29 August 1895, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD.

An ordinary meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board waa held at the Christchurch office this afternoon; present— Mr F. Waymouth (in tho ohair) and Messrs F. C. Schumacher, W. Langdown, T. O. Hay, E. G. Wright, I. Gibbs, P. Cunningham, W. Dunlop, F. C. Graham, D. M'Millan, Captains Parsons and G. M'Clatchie. chairman's beport. The Chairman made the following report : — Since our last meeting the following sums have been paid into the Board's account :— Wharfage £1051 0s 3d, rent JE3I2 10s, pilotage and port charges £707 19b 2d, towage, storage, &c. J8176 10a 9d, transfer from fixed deposit account J84060, total .66308 0s 2d. As it was necessary to remit by last mail so as to do so at the least coßt, the .£6OOO required to meet the half-year's interest due on our debentures in London on Dec. 31 next, I arranged its remission by a ninety days' draft, and in order to do so the Board's current account had to be overdrawn to the extent of about JB4OO odd. Accounts amounting to the sum of £1583 lis 2d, which have beeu examined by a member of the Finance Committee, will be laid before yon for payment this afternoon. Departmental reports from tho Harbour Master respecting Elizabeth Graham and s.s. Tainui, and the collision of the s.s. Hauroto with No. 2 jetty, are on the table. Also from Inspector Derbidge regarding repairs to Burns's jetty. Tne towage, dredging and storage returns for the past month are before you, as well as the Harbour Improvement Committee's report. The following letters will be brought under your consideration to-day : —From Sumner Borough Counoil regarding building a boat slip inside breakwater near Bell's baths. From Sumner Borough Council with respect to causeway near the cutting at Sumner. From Sumner Borough Council in reference to abandoning strip of land — about seven perches— of esplanade opposite Cave Bock. From the Government Department of Agriculture 1 referring to terms for cool storage of . butter during ensuing season. From j Auckland Harbour Board with reference to steam life-boat. The question of fixing a date for the Board's monthly meeting will come up to-day. REPORTS. The HarboUr - master's report, which dealt with the grounding of the Elizabeth Graham and the Tainui, and. to the damage done to the wharf by the Hauroto running into it, and also to the widening of the Blip for the fishermen's boatß, recommending certain* additions, was dealt with and adopted. Several repairs to Burns's jetty, suggested by Inspector Derbidge, were authorised. The report of the Harbour Improvement Committee recommended that the question of procuring a dredge should be postponed nntil after the expiration of the existing charter of Dredge 222. The committee were of opinion that at no distant date a Priestman dredge would j be required for working alongside the | wharves. It was suggested thatthe offer j of Mr O'Connor to do the dredging by ' contract should be declined for the present, iln reference to the application of the ' Lyttelton Borough Counoil for a bathing- ' place in the inner harbour, the committee j was of opinion that there was no suitable place in the inner harbour. | The report was adopted. MISCELLANEOUS. The Board went into committee to con- ' eider a claim from the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association in respect to damage said to have been busj tamed by some wheat in the Board's store ' in Lyttelton, and upon resuming it was 1 reported that a resolution had been carried \ to the effect that the Board could not * accept any responsibility in the matter, j Accounts were passed for payment, leav- . ing a debit balance at the bank of .£417 lis 3d. | It was decided to decline the application of the Sumner Borough Council for land ; for a causeway near the cutting, to be vested in the Council. ! The same body asked for timber for building a boat slip near Bell's baths. The Board decided to accept no responsibility in the matter, but to offer no opposition to the Sumner Borough Council erecting the slip itself. i The Board agreed to the abandonment by the Sumner Borough Counoil of a strip of aeven perches of land alongside the esplanade. In reply to correspondence from the Department of Agriculture, it was decided to reply that the Board would receive ' produce into its cool stores on the same terms as last year. ; An application from Messrß Scott Bros., for the use of the Harbour Board workshop and machinery for a short period was declined, and it was decided to put the lease for a term of years up to public tender. The Board then adjourned until Sept, 26, at 2 p.m.