HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2472, 10 April 1909, Page 6

HARBOR BOARD.

EW DREDGE TO BE PURCHASED.

'RONG PROTEST BY MR. IV. D LYSNAR.

A meeting of the Harbor Board in mmittee was held on Thursday afteron to finally consider the question of e purchase of a new dredge from essrs IV. Simons and Co., Renfrew, otland, at a cost of £34,500. There ire present : . Messrs John Townley hairman), F. H&rris, IV. D. S. Macfonald, M.P., John Clark, IV. I). ysnar, and Hon. Captain Tucker. Mr. F. W. Blakey, manufacturers’ presentativi, was also in attendance. ■When the Board resumed in open eeting at 5.30 p.m., the Chairman no proceeding to put a motion by Hon. iptain Tucker, when Mr. Lysnar prosted that the different resolutions pro>sed in committee should be made pub-

| The Chairman then announced that U following motions had been put in immittee: | Moved by Mr. Clark—'“That this fiev be accepted, provided the builders low 15 per cent, to remain unpaid un[l .‘3O days after the dredge is given a Itisfactory trial in the river at Gisin terms of this offer. ’ To the foregoing motion, Mr. Lysnar loved the following amendment—‘‘That othing be done to commit this Board purchasing a new dredge at a lit of 1534,500, exclusive of barges, tc., until the Board has settled how lie dredge is to be paid for, and proision made for the annual cost of inning same; further, that nothing be one until the ordinary meeting of the loard, or until a special open meeting If the Board has been duly called by otice.” , „ This amendment was the mover nly voting for it. Mr. John Clark then withdrew his rotion in favor of the following motion Jy Hon. Captain Tucker —“That 15 fer cent, be retained until a satisfactory rial has been made in the river at Gisforne, in terms of Messrs Simons offer, hid that as soon as the Board is satisied of its ability to make the stipulated payments, the offer be accepted.” : After "reading the foregoing motions mcl amendment, at the request of Mr. Lysnar, the chairman seconded Hon. Captain Tucker’s motion and proceeded jo put it to the meeting. \ Mr. Lysnar again objected, saying that he was much surprised that the ihairman should attempt to put so important a resolution without any discussion. {.-The Chairman: Me have thoroughly Hscussed it in committee; however, go | Continuing, Mr. Lysnar said lie was more surprised at the chairman s action after wliat had just taken place, in bomnnttee. Ho liolcl t licit not QiOUCVtfIS the Board not justified in their action, but he also questioned if they had the |eo-al right to enter into such a large contract without first providing the necesary ways and means. Their overdraft now stood at about £3OOO, and iheir legal limit was about £16,000. It meant that they would have to strike -a rate to pay interest ot £IU,UOU, which was all they were entitled to do. jf it was assumed by the Board t.iat (they should require all revenue to pay interest and meet expenditure, tiie only rav thev could do would be to increase it he wharfages. If it was the intention of the Board to increase the wharfages h le would like to know wliat about the charges on ships. x .. I The Chairman: Ton cannot, n.ter (them, as you will be offering them more facilities. . . . , i' Mr. Lysnar, continuing, wished to (know what right they as a Board had ito put a great expenditure of £34,oJU (for a dredge, and £3OOO for barges, on ito the people of the district if tlieie uas Ito he no advantage to tho ships. ljo liad no doubt from wliat had been said (that they hoped to get money Wed (from Parliament, but he claimed that I it was not right to expect Parliam mt to free money for such a purpose. Me i personally would do all in his power, (and also" wliat lie could to make the 'people of the district cry out against .asking Parliament to free the money ytHo did not think that Parliament would I act so unfairly to the people or tins ( place by freeing the money, as they ihad already spent over £460,000 on rivl«r works, including interest, and it the money was not, freed then they (the Board) could not legally make tho pur- : chase of the dredge. It would be much i better for the Board to hold the motion i over for a report from the Finance Com- ! mittee, as then they would know how t the necessary ways and m«i. « wore l‘o- - to lie provided, .-ill the diS'-US-sions that had taken place on the subject had ignored this phase, and no 1 eh . I that they should not have been head in committee, but in open The Chairman: They are c ,o ;ie |J ? now. . . ~

j Mr. Clark: Time is going,. Mr. I Lvsnar. . Mr Lysnar: Time s *-f «'> r;(,U!,ti f when questions like this arc he mg <»u----r • , s iclerecl. * Continuing, Mr. Lysnar said tout ho was well aware that what lie was say- : ing would have ho effect on the 1 «® m " hers present, but he did not icd tint it would he right tor nun to let 1 he matter go io the vote without rawing his protest, lie would ■ gam toil .hem p’ainlv that if any reliance was being 1 | j laced on getting money freed liom j Parliament, ho would 'L> m ms power to prevent it, < nd when m me future hi« words came true h;t no mem--I,er opeu his mouth to say -.teat ho i-ad not been fairly warned. J nriung to ; the. cost of the proposed oredg*, M r. ! Lvsnar said that it- would lpiyo to. ho 1 paid for in twelve months, as it wmi.d he ready for launching inside eight \ months. As well as the huge cost of the dredge, it would cost them £2OOO per year in interest anti sinking lund. and £4OOO per year to work it, a total r of £6OOO per year, without reckoning I anything for the cost of the necessary I; barges.'" Tt was too heavy a burden to; I place on the district, especially in view of a written answer he had received | from Mr. Biakov, to a question which lie (Mr. Lvsnar) had put to him. Mr. Tllakey had said that it would take a month io dredge out ten chains o, the channel with silt two feet deep, and foi a width of four chains, under ordinary! workum conditions. The distance between the end of the breakwater and. the end of tho; wharf he (Mr. Lysnar) took to he about one-sixth part of the work to he done, ancl therefore it. would take six months to clear the channel at the rate of ten chains a month. The Chairman : We should never allow, such a quantity of sit to get into the. river, channel. f.;,'- Mr. -Lysnar: The soundings slum; i that- last week’s Hood raised the bed of i" the river by two feet, and few peopie knew there had even been a fresh, ißeferring to the depth of water reuni red by the dredge to work in, Mm • Lvsnar commented on the fact that the had sought no expert engineering advice, except that of Mr. Blakey, •tile '<• .representative of the firm of manu.k'ifaeturers who were trying to cell a

dredge. He had nothing to say against Vtr. Blakey in any way, and thought that ho had been very fair in his vieivs, but even Mr. Blakey had told them • that tho dredge would require lift 9in of water to work in. At present they could not keep the channel open for the s.s. Tnatea, drawing 7ft of water. At times it was found impossible to move this vessel, and how, he asked them, did they intend to work a dredge requiring lift 9in of water. IVliat would happen would be that when tho silt came down in a fresh the dredge would be silted fast and immovable. ; In conclusion, Mr. Lysnar claimed that all the matters he had referred to had not been properly considered by the Board, and they should be, before any decision was arrived at. All he could do, however, at the present stage was to put his protest forward. All the elective members of the Board, except Mr. Harris, had come pledged to do what the resolution was intended for, and it would mean that whereas in the past rates had been avoided, and wharfages reduced they would now have to impose the full rate, and even then there would be a considerable shortage, which would fall on the shoulders of the people. The whole question of the purchase was being gone on with in a most unsatisfactory wav, and without any engineering advice. He would say once and for all that they should not go on with it, as such a dredge requiring the depth of water it undoubtedly did, would be of absolutely no use to them, and the position would probably bo that they they should be compelled to get another dredge to dredge their new dredge out of the bed of the river. : Mr. F. Harris said that although he was o-oiug to support the resolution, his sympathies were to a great extent with My. Lysnar. His heart was in the outer harbor scheme and ho thought the harbor would como in time, but in the meantime he was in favor of deepening the river. He was in favor of getting the mast suitable machinery possible for this purpose, and the machinery tliev bad at present was an absolute failure. He would support the purchase of tho dredge, as even with an outer) harbor the dredge would be a valuable asset, and they would always have a chance of disposing of it for a good sum. For the good of the district and the benefit of the people he would support the resolution. . The Chairman said that the Board was being strongly urged to do somethin" towards deepening the river, and the question of an outer harbor was not iust then being considered. He hoped that Mr. Lysnar would change lbs mind regarding his attitude towards the purpose of getting money freed from Parliament, as the money would be urgently required. He could remember one occasion when Mr Bysmu bad assisted them in a similar proposal, and when the money was not so bad y needed as at present. “Bad as Mr. Lysnar would make our river out to be ” concluded the Chairman, you must not forget that lio urged the residents of IVliataupoko and Ivaiti to get tlieir water supply from if.” Mr. Lysnar How* do 3*ou propose to oet the money to pay for this dredge? ° Hon. Captain Tucker: That has, nothing to do with this discussion. The Hon. Captain Tucker’s resolution was then put to the meeting and carried, Mr. Lysnar. voting against it.