HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 302, 23 May 1889, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

i As ordinary meeting of the above took place F on Tuesday evening, when there were present: —The Chairman, Messrs Chambers, Clark, Sievwright, Bennett, Shelton, Murphy, Townlay and Matthewson. Mr Witty, Wharfinger, wrote referring the attention of the Board to the deficient planks on the wharf.—Referred to Engineer, to have repairs attended to. J. Mol lane wrote asking that all moneys on his carting contract be handed over to Mr Partington, who wonld see that the contract was carried ont. Captain Winter wrote enclosing the assessment in McLeod's contract, and it was referred to the Committee, without being made public. xxcisbvb’s bkfotit—stoss contract. Mr J. Thomson, Engineer, wrote :— I have the honor to report to you as follows :—Owing to the unfavorable weather we have not been able to make much progress with the breakwater. The length finished is 721 ft on top and about half the formation for three blocks high. It will be necessary to get hard wood for mooring piles. I have been trying to get puriri, but there seems to be a difficulty in getting it A coir hawser and other necessary gear for mooring vessels alongside the pier has been procured, costing £36. Messrs Brown and Smaill have completed their contract for nine stone trucks. One hundred and sixty four casks of cement, ex Australia, were landed to-day. It is necessary to call for tenders for a supply of coals. We expect the balance of Messrs Kennedy and Evans’ contract shortly. Mr McLoughlin, stone contractor, has written stating that he is unable to continue his con tract. A meeting of Public Works Commit- | tee was held, and it was decided that he should snpply stone by drays from Tuahine beach, his tramway having been washed away, and that the whole question should be referred to the Board, In the meantime I was to put on men and take the necessary steps to continue the tramway to what is known as Maori - pah. Also that the County Council be asked to lend us rails. I find, however, that the ™ flanges of our truck wheels, when a little worn, are so deep that they would cut off all the rail dogs and fastenings. I have since been in communication with the Railway Department and hope to get rails from Napier. The Board will have to take some steps to-day to continue the stone supply. We hope to have the tramway finished as far as the present rails will go, in about a week, The drawings and specifications for letting the breakwater by contract are now almost finished—only a few details being wanted—they will be laid before the Board to-day. Bit was decided that tenders be called for a supply of coal in the same manner as previously. The following letter from Mr McLoughlin was read— it was considered at the Committee but referred to the Board :— I regret to say that I find it impossible to carry on the contract, as I informed the Board at the time I neglected to include £454 in my tender for making the railway, thought that I might be able to gat on to the Island by making a railway and have a loss at first, but recover it again by getting handy stone. But now the railway I have been constructing at great expense has been washed away three times, so I am forced to give it up. The winter coming on, and short tides, and rough weather have prevented me doing as I expected, Up to the present I have lost £230 in wages and material, and having done my best I must throw myself on the kindness of the Board, as I do not think they would wish to take advantage of my agreement that I now find I am unable to carry out. In the meantime, till something is decided, I would keep on my drays, horses and men and get what atone can be had at the tip and along the Tuahine beach. A- The Chairman said the arrangement come to by the Committee was that Mr McLoughlin should keep on his teams, supplying stone at his contract price, but as that would not give a sufficient quantity that he should get Mr King to put on four teams, the Board guaranteeing the extra payment. They thought it was better to do this than to have the other teams working disconnectedly. He might say for Mr McLoughlin that he had tried to conserve the interests of the Board in every way. The Engineer said he had not mentioned in his report as to whether the construction tf a tram to the Island should be done by the Board or the contractor. In reply to Mr Clark the Engineer said he thought the line to the Island would cost £6OO. Mr Shelton thought, under the circumstances, it would be better to go straight on to the Island. They would have to stop the works shortly for want of cement, and he thought it would be worth their consideration as to whether it would not be better to stop the work until a supply of stone and cement was assured. Besides the crane had been working in clearing the sand out at the mouth of the river and a stoppage for awhile would give them an opportunity to see how they were getting on. They had no information from the Engineer as to what had been the effect of the late heavy weather. By a stoppage now a lot would be saved in the cost of stone. Mr Matthewson said an expensive staff and dredge were being employed in keeping the channel open. The Engineer : That is not true. Mr Matthewson : It is true; I have seen It with my own eyes. It would, he said, be better to leave the work on the pier stop for a fortnight; in connection with the Island the work of Nature would soon break off the promontory which had given them trouble. He did not speak as an Engineer—they had seen a good deal of them and he did not put much faith in them; he (the speaker) observed things and spoke as a practical man, and In matters of this kind the opinion of At practical men was worth as much as an engineer's.

Mr Townley: We were told that when McLoughlin started. Mr Matthewson said he knew thv.

Mr Townley thought he had forgotten it, and that it was as well to remind him. Mr Sievwright moved that Mr McLoughlin ba relieved of hia contract on payment of a certain sum—and that fresh tenders be forthwith advertised for, and the Board to construct the tram to the Island. He thought the idea of stopping the work would be a penny wise and pound foolish, as they would disorganise the staff and every day's delay meant a big ' loss of interest. He did not name a sum because he was not then prepared tq say what Was sufficient. The motion was not seconded, and the Chairman then moved that Mr McLoughlin be relieved of the contract on payment of the expenses to which the Board has been put to through bis abandonment of the contract. Mr Bennett seconded. Mr Townley said it would be a case with Mr McLoughlin wishing to be saved from his friends, because if he had to pay all the losses the Board had sustained over the contract it would be very heavy against Mr McLaughlin. They had been told a lot about the profits that were being made, and to be made, but results appeared to work out differently. He moved that Mr McLoughlin be relieved of his contract on the forfeiture of his deposit o* £lOO. Mr Chambers thought the Board was at fault in accepting the contract at all in view of what they had been told by the Engineer. He (Mr Chambers) thought in the circumstances they ought to deal leniently with the contractor, and that he might be let off without any penalty being imposed. Mr Clark said the thing was making a fool of the Board; the members had talked a lot about the contract price being too cheap, and hie own opinion was that if they had not eo much talk about it the work would still be going on, If they were going to accept a tender there should be no further talk about it. If etone was to be supplied by contract let them have it done. He believed public bodies should adhere to the principle of tendering, but if contracting simply meant “ heads you win, tails we lose,” day labor • would be preferable. He seconded Mr Town_Jß ley’s proposition, V Mr Bennett pointed out that even with the carts they were getting atone cheaper than the Engineer’s estimate. Mr Townley said that could only be for a less time ’ “ tbß “ UpPly Mr Bennett thought the difference between the drays and the facility that would bo

accorded by the extension of the tram would equalise matters. McLoughlin had failed because of the misfortunes he had to contend with.

The amendment was then put. For: Messrs Townley, Clark, Shelton, and Sievwright. Against: Messrs Bennett, Chambers, Murphy, and the Chairman. Mr Townley wanted to know why Mr Matthewson had not voted.

Mr Matthewson said it was time enough for him to vote when his vote was claimed. He sympathised with what Mr Clark had said, but he also felt inclined to vote for the Chairman’s motion. He wished at that point to reply to a gross mistatement made in the leading columns of one of the papers (the Standard). It said that he advocated the Board should pay the extra cost of the supply of stone by carts by Mr McLoughlin. He had only advocated a system of give and take between the Engineer and the contractor. The highest demand made on him was for a supply of seventy tons of stone, whereas ninety tons had been brought in. It was not a mistake that had been made—it was a misrepresention. Mr Townley: I think Mr Matthewson’s vote ought to be demanded. He has expressed his sympathy with the amendment, and therefore I claim his vote. We are not here to deal out sympathies with contractors ; we are here to attend to the interests of the ratepayers. The Chairman said all he could do was to asked a member not voting to leave the table while the motion or amendment was being put. He ruled that the voting was four for, and an equal number against. Mr Clark thought they should have the Chairman’s casting vote.

® The Chairman said it was not necessary, as the voting was equal, the amendment could not be carried. Mr Sievwright's motion was lost, and the Chairman then amended his, that Mr McLoughlin be released of his contract on his payment of expenses to which the Board had been put, the sum not exceeding £5O, He thought that would make the Board quite safe without extracting from the contractor a sum which might afterwards be shown to ba too much. Mr Bennett seconded. Mr Clark asked who was to decide the loss, and was the loss by stoppage of works to be counted ? Mr Shelton thought it would be better to at once fix the amount at £5O, so as to settle the matter; when everything was reckoned £5O would likely be less instead of more than a fair sum.

Mr Murphy then moved as an amendment that the amount ba definitely put at £5O. Mr Sievwright seconded. The amendment was lost, those for being Messrs Shelton, Townley, Murphy, and Sievwright, The Chairman's motion was then put and carried, those against being Messrs Townley and Shelton,

Mr Bennett thought contracting for stone should ba left over until the viaduct was finished, He moved that the Engineer be instructed to arrange for a supply by the Board's employees, and that the construction of the viaduct to the Island be gone on with.

In reply to Mr Shelton, the Engineer said they had enough cement in hand to last uatil July 11th. Mr Clark asked how long it was contemplated to maintain the supply of stone by day labor ? The Chairman said about two months. Mr Clark moved that tenders be called for a supply for that period, Mr Shelton seconded.

Mr Murphy said they had two tenders broken and what would they do with the next 1 Mr Matthewson said the specifications for letting the breakwater were now ready, and if they were going to let that by contract they should not make a further contract for supplying stone—the whole thing should go together, Mr Clark said under those circumstances he would withdraw his amendment. The motion-was then put and carried. THE BNUINBXB. Mr Thomson wrote :— In reply to yours of Bth May. As it does not make any practical deference I have the honor to inform you that I accept the Board’s offer as contained in your letter. I should, however, prefer the salary half-yearly, and would like Mr DeLautour to draw out a proper contract. It was decided to instruct the Board's solicitor to draw up an agreement in accordance with the letter. HARBOmiASTBR's REPORT. Captain Bennett wrote :— I have to report arrivals during the past fortnight 14, departures 14. The schooner Waiwera and cutter Venus have been out in the bay for the last two days, but were unable to get into the river owing to the heavy sea running. This morning, however, I brought in the former and berthed her alongside the wharf. I have secured the necessary stakes for staking the river up to the site of the freezing works, and will in the course of a few days have them placed. ACCOUNTS. Accounts were passed for payment as follows:— H.M. Customs Duty, £123 15s lOd ; cable (McEwan and Co.), £2 Igs fid; Standard Company, £1 17s Od; repairs, £1 9s 6d; weighbridge keeper, £1; Secretary, £8 6s 8d ; Wharfinger, £l6 13s 4d; Harbor Master, £l6 13s 4d; R.M. Court fees, £2O; Gas Company, £2O 18s lid; wages account, £2lO 15s 9d; Wingate, Burns and Co., £62 9s 9d; Brown and Smaill, £73 10s; J. Mullane, £4 13s 5d ; W. King, £6O ls6d;H. E. Johnston, £l7 Is 8d ;A. Phipps, 4s 6d; Brown and Smaill, £2O 8s; P. McLoughlin, £29 Is 2d, In regard to the Rem R.M. Court fees, Mr Clark again complained that immediate action had not been taken in the case against Mr McKenzie, in accordance with the instructions of their solicitor,

LETHXO THE PIER BY CONTRACT. It was decided that an adjourned meeting of the Board be held next Wednesday evening, to consider the specifications prepared by the Engineer for letting the breakwater by contract, AN AMENDING DILI,. Mr Chambers moved as follows That the solicitor bo instructed to draft a Bill to amend the Gisborne Harbor Act, JBBB> in the direction of restoring the rating powers of the Board to those given by the Act of 1884, and also to empower the Board to expend a further rum of £ He suggested that a Committee be appointed to report as to what should be contained in the Bill, to make a report at the adjourned meeting. Mr Townley seconded the motion—if they were going to do anything it should he done as soon as possible. Mr Clark would agree if the clause relating to further expenditure be struck out; the other members spoke in a similar strain, and it was also thought better to leave the point out with regard to the sinking fund, Mr Chambers agreed to alter the motion to meet the wishes of the other members, and it was then resolved that the solicitor be inBtructed to draft a Bill, leaving out ths Clauses objected to, tJAUWHARRFARAB BDOCK, Mr Sievwright moved in accordance with notice that the Tauwhareparae Block be brought within the provisions of Public Bodies Powers Act, and he spoke in favor of his motion. He also read a statement oompiled from figures that had been given him by an opponent of his motion, but the mem. hers regarded the statement as a joke, and Mr Clark said Mr Sievwright ought to get it framed and hung up on the wall, Mr Chambers seconded, Mr Townley thought they would regret not having lot the land in smaller blocks. Mr Murphy, while being amused at the statement, said they ought not to depreciate the value of the land, if other people held Mr Bievwright’e views, so much the better, for they would get a far higher price than they expected. The motion was lost, Messrs Sievwright, Townley and Chambers only voting in favor of it.

Mr Sievwright then moved that the block be let in sections of 7,000 acres in acoordanos with the advice of Messrs O'Rysn and Dufanr. ■ This motion |was also lost, th« division being the same.