LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9534, 5 May 1909, Page 3

LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD.

The Lyttelton Harbour Board met to-day; present— Messrs H. Friedlander (chairman), J. Lambio, J. Richardson, F. Horrell, J. Wolfe, G. W. Russell, M.P., M. J. Miller, C. Cook, R. Moore A. Kaye W. Dunlop, J. Hay, F. Storrv, T. D. _3oag and Dr Thacker.

The chairman reported that tho statement of receipts and expenditure for the quarter ended March 31 showed that cash receipts amounted to £14,760 lis 9d, as against £15,368 9s 9d for the corresponding period of last year. The cash receipts, however, did not disclose to members the actual revenue of the Board for comparative purposes, so he had had a further return prepared which showed the actual earnings for the period to be, £15,183 9s 9d, a .slight decrease of £171 13s 9d compared with 1908. Considering that the loss of revenue from the reduction in wharfage rates amounted to no less than £933 Is 4d during the past three months, this must be considered highly satisfactory. The expenditure during the same period was £16,422 /15a, being £2887 odd in excess of that of last year. The .expenditure on harbour works and dredging alone amounted to £6475 17s Bd. There was £24,498 6s 8d standing to the credit of the general account, and there was also a special renewal fund of £31,087 10s. The wharfage dues collected on goods passing over the wharves during past three months amounted to £6337 lis, a decrease of £1429 15s 2d as compared with the same period last year. This was largely ' due to the reduction of wharfage rates. The tonnage of goods passing over the wharves showed a decrease ot only 2667 tons. Tlie* new railway regulation regarding the measurement or goods was mainly responsible for this slight falling-off in tonnage. Ihe pilotage and port charges collected during the quarter amounted to £5624 5s Id, being an increase of £724 6s 2d over that of last year. Since last month's meeting the following sums had been paid into the harbour fund account .-—Wharfage £1944 4s 10d a pilotage and port charges £2800 9s 6d, towage, berthage, etc., £894 Is Id, total £5638 los sd, as compared with £3878 0s 5d during the corresponding period of last year. The current account was in credit £9448 2s Bd.

In reply to Mr Russell, the chairman stated that of the £24,000 standing to the Board's credit, £14,500 was on fixed jdeposit at 3_ per. cent. He had been informed by the Railway Traffic Manager that the* alteration in the method of computing the railway charges, substituting weight' for measurement, had meant a decrease in revenue of £13,000 per annum, this marking the amount of concession to the public. •

The chairman read Mr J. A. Frostick's resignation from the Finance Committee, and said he desired to put the matter more fairly before the Board than had been done by" Mr Taylor at the previous meeting. Mr Tay|pr was reported as saying, and he did say, that Mr Frostick liad taken this step because he resented the action of the chairman in refusing to accept Mr Frostick's withdrawal from the committee when the appointment of the committee was before the Board. He (the chairman) had asked Mr Frostick if this was correct, and he had replied that it was not, and that Mr Taylor had no authority to make the statement. Ho (the chairman) thought that Mr Frostick had left him with the opinion that he (the thairmau) could not have acted otherwise than he liad acted.

Mr Frostick said that he could not be held responsible for Mr Taylor's opinion. The opinion he had expressed on tho subject was not right. He thought the Board understood why he wanted to resign from the committee. The chairman moved — " That Mr Frostick's resignation be accepted." Mr Richardson seconded tho motion.

Mr Russell asked if notice of motion of the 'personnel of the committee had been given as is the usual parliamentary practice. The chairman said that notice of motion had to be sent out that committees would be appointed. x Mr Moore said that no exception had been taken at the time to the procedure in the matter of notice. He contended that a member nominated to a committee could not withdraw before election, but could resign afterwards. Dr Thacker said that he had taken exception at the time to the manner in wnich the committees -had been appointed, but he had been promptly squelched by the chairman. Mr Kaye said that in the good old quiet days (laughter) when the chairman took the chair and announced his committees there had been no discussion.

The motion was agreed to. Mr Kaye moved— " That Mr G. W. Russell be appointed to the Finance* Committee," and said that Mr Frostick had resigned in order that Mr Russell, who had shown his ability as a financier on another body, should be appointed to the committee.

Mr Frostick seconded the motion. Mr Hay moved— " That Mr Miller be appointed to the committee." Mr Dunlop seconded. Mr Kaye said that he simply desired the appointment of Mr Russell on account of his ability as a financier. Mr Frostick asked if the chairman had nothing to say on the matter? The chairman said that in a conversation with Mr Frostick he (the chairman) had asked him to retain his seat.

Mr Frostick: "Did you not undertake to move Mr Russell yourself ?" The chairman : " I did not." Mr Frostick: "I am sorry Mr Scott is not here."

The chairman: "I said that I had no objection to Mr Russell being on the Finance Committee."

On division the amendment — that Mr Miller be appointed — was agreed to by 9 votes to 7. Ayes : Messrs Horrell, Wolfe, Storry, Boag, Russell, Cook, hay and Dunlop. Noes: Dr Thacker, Messrs Frostick, Miller, Kaye, Moore and Friedlander.

The Harbour Improvements Committee recommended that anyone who inight be granted a free pass to go out in the tug, including Press reporters, must understand that in granting such permit the Lyttelton _ Harbour Board did not hold itself in any way responsible or liable for any accident or misadventure to such passengers, and that an undertaking should be given by them or by their employers to the Harbour Board to that effect, also that a notice should be posted up on board the tugboat to the same effect. The committee recommended • the adoption of the report of the engineer and acting har-. bourm aster, recommending the appointment of a certificated mate, who should also be leading deck hand, at a salary of £16 per month. The late leading deck hand's wages had been £12 10s a month. The committee recommended the adoption of the engineer's report of June 5, 1908, that a 300-ton Priestman hopper dredge, at a cost of £12,000, be obtained, also that tenders for building it in the dominion or elsewhere be advertised for.- The committee had opened the tenders for improving the boat slip at Bell's Baths, and the tenders for constructing a lifeboat slip at Monck's Jetty, and had accepted H. and A. Gee's tender of £57 4s for the former, and H. Green's tender of £48 10s for the latter. The committee recommended the acceptance of the Blackball Company's tender forthe supply „of coal for the ensuing twelve months. The committee had opened the tenders for the supply of general stores, and also for oils, waste, etc., and recommended the acceptance of Robert Forbes and Company's tenders. The committee had deferred

consideration of the question of passengers' luggage accommodation for the present.

The report was adopted

The engineer reported that during the month the dredge Manchester had been engaged deepening the shoal water between the western mole and the ends oi No. 5 and No. 6 jetties, whence she had removed a quantity of 47,250 tons, or 34-020 cubic yards/ of which 39,000 tons had been deposited at sea and 8250 tons in Little Port Cooper. The Priestman dredge had been engaged at the breastwork between No. 2 jetty and the Gladstone Pier. On the morning of April 29, while the dredge was lifting her anchors to take up position for a fresh cut, she squeezed one of the repairing lighters between herself and the Arawa, lying at -No. 3 west, causing the lighter to swamp. Arrangements had been made for repairing the damage, and an inquiry into the circumstances of the incident. Fair progress was being made with the repairs and extension of No. 4 jetty. The piles had been driven and the caps placed in position for a distance of 286ft, or a little more than half the length of the enlarged structure. The deck braces were mostly in place for this distance, and the floor-beams were now. being put in position for fitting. About 400 tons of stone had been put into the Gladstone breakwater repairs. About another 350 tons would complete the work as far as he proposed to carry it/ pending the Board's consideration of his recommendation to erect a concrete parapet wall along the outer edge to prevent the seas washing over the. pier and dislodging the small stuff of which it was principally composed. A contract had been let for filling in the spaces between the battens at Bell's Baths, Sumner, for tho sum of £57 7s. A contract had been let for the erection of a boat slip at Monck's Jetty for the sum of £48 10s, the timber being supplied by the Board.

The . report was adopted.

Dr Thacker asked if the engineer had made the appointments of workmen himself, or left it to his foreman.

The engineer said that he left it to his foreman.

Dr Thacker asked whether the foreman had shown any prejudice in the selection of the men working under him. He had heard of iwd or three cases in which carpenters had been engaged who lived outside Lyttelton and men living at Lyttelton had been passed oven Ho did not desire to stir up animosity more than it had been done.

The engineer asked whether particular cases were referred to.

Dr Thacker said that he did not refer to particular instances. The engineer said he had heard nothing of the kind. There were instances where men living in Lyttelton were not employed, but the placo of residence had nothing to do with the question of employment. The only object was to get good workmen. • Dr Thacker said he was perfectly satisfied for the present, but more would be heard of the matter.

In reply to Mr Russell the engineer stated that about twenty-four men were engaged on wharf extension and repair works. A return of the places of residence of the men employed showed that most of them lived in Lyttelton.

In reply to Mr Cook the engineer stated that only half of the blocks used in repairs to the Gladstone breakwater were two-ton blooks.

Tlie Finance Committee, reporting on sinking fund investment, stated' that it had considered several applications submitted to it from Hawera for the loan of money on freehold security, but as the amount required to be borrowed was in excess of the amount of sinking fund now available the committee was unable to favourably entertain any of the applications. The committee had also decided to give preference to applications for loans on freehold security within the Canterbury district. The committee had further applications under consideration. The committee recommended the Board to approve of the accounts being passed as follows : — No. 1 account, general, £3008 5s lOd; No. 2 account, dredging, £659 16s 3d; total, £3668 2s Id.

The report was adopted

The committee set up to consider the question of making the stores department pay, made the following recommendations: — That the question of dispensing with the horse driver -be held over for the present, and that the engineer and warehousemen- m the meantime report on the question of providing mechanical haulage appliances at No. 5 shed; that "transfers" of grain or goods be charged for at Is each, that the minimum charge for 6tock sheets be 2s 6d, or Is 6d per hour, or part thereof, be charged ii the clerk's time occupied exceed- one hour ; that the charge for weighing and taring wagscons "be Is per waggon ; that the charge for re-stacking grain be Is per ton; that potatoes and onions be stored at ten sacks to the ton; that oatsheaf chaff be stored^ at fourteen sacks to the ton ; that the rate for storage of grain in the Lyttelton Harbour Board's stores be l.d per ton per week ; that a by-law be passed to give effect to the above-mentioned charged, as. from Juno 1, 1909; the Special Committee recommended that the question of leasing the Harbour Board stores, or working the labour by contract, be held over until towards the end of the year. The report was adopted. The following appointments to the dredge staff, recommended by the engineer, were made: — J. Fletcher, night watchman; A. Harrington, winchman; G. Riach, dock hand ; J. Hughes, blacksmith's helper. The chairman said that he had received a legal opinion on an important question of pilotage exemption m connection with the s.s. Rippfe, and would ask that the whole matter should be referred to the Harbour Improvements Committee.

This course was adopted. Mr J. Sullivan wrote applying for permission to dredge for lost goods 1 m the inner harbour. The application was refused. The engineer was authorised to open tenders for altering the roof of No. 1 shed, and on his recommendation that of Messrs Hollis and Brown, for £240, was accepted. The chairman reported that the Board had been granted exemption from the dispute brought by the General Labourers' Union. Tlie Mount Herbert County Council wrote regarding the improvement of the road to Diamond Harbour.

The letter was received

The Christchurch Sailing and Power Boat Club and Mr John Smith wrote asking for permission to erect a boatbuilding shed on Monck's Bay. The matter was referred to the Harbour Improvements Committee. It was moved that tenders for a new boiler for the electric light station -ho'uld be held over for- further consideration by the engineer. Mr Russell said he believed there was a combination among engineering firms, and it might be wise to call for fresh -enders."

The Board went into committee, and the engineer made a statement on the matter.

On resuming, it was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the chairman and engineer. Mr M. J. Miller moved that 6ft or Bft promenades should be formed on the outside of the Gladstone Pier, as the railway lines at present made the pier very awkward for pedestrians. Mr Kaye sugeested that the matter should be referred to the Harbour Improvements Committee. - This suggestion was aocepted by the mover, and was adopted. Mr C. Cook moved that the' question of future dredging should be dealt with further at tho next meeting of the Harbour Improvements Committee,

the committee to report thereon to the Board at next meeting. The motion was carried without discussion.

Dr Thacker gave notice of motion that the Harbour Improvements Committee should inquire into the methods of employing skilled labour on harbour works.

Mr G. W. Russell gave notice of motion " That there be laid on the table at each meeting for the various members of the Board a list of cheques to be drawn and names of those to whom they are payable."

Mr F. Horrell gave notice of motion " That to enable the Board as a whole to place before the public its views upon the financial aspect of the canal scheme, it be resolved that the Canal Finance Committee be and herewith is dissolved; that the Board deal with the matter at a special meeting to be convened for that purpose; and" that all previous resolutions appointing the Canal Finance Committee and respecting anything connected . with its work since its appointment be rescinded."