HARBOR BOARD.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 634, 16 July 1891, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD.

An adjourned meeting of the Harbor Board took place on Tuesday evening. Present: Messrs Townley (Chairman), Bright, Clark, Joyce, Arthur, Sievwright, and Shelton. For the position of Wharfinger, Secretary, Treasurer, and Collector, there was only one applicatiou, that of Mr Witty. Mr Joyce proposed that Mr Witty be appointed, Mr Arthur seconded.—Carried. Mr Clark proposed that notice be given to the Borough Council that the Board would not require the Borough’s office after the end of the present quarter.—Mr Sievwright seconded.—Carried. The Chairman and Messrs Bright and Joyce were appointed a committee to see about the requirements for the office at the wharf, Mr Bright drew attention to the way the Board’s books were kept. He said it was simply ridiculous having a ledger kept like the Board’s was. Anyone taking up the ledger could not tell the Board’s position from it. He suggested that there should be a new system. It was afterwards resolved that Messrs Bright and Shelton give their assistance to the new Secretary in starting a new set of books. The question of the confirmation of the lease of the Tauwhareparae block came up. Mr Shelton said though that was an adjourned meeting it would be competent to hold a special meeting at the close. The Chairman said that conld not be legally done that eveoing, unless there had been proper notice given. Mr Shelton said the notice did not say whether the meeting was a special one or not —it simply said that the meeting was to confirm the resolution. Mr Bright also urged that a special meeting had been convened, and it could follow that adjourned meeting., Messrs Nolan and Skeet, on behalf of Mr Johnson, wrote declining recognition of any liability as surety for late John Bourke. The Chairman stated that Mrs Bourke had expressed her willingness to sign any deed assigning the estate to the Board. Mr Clark said he believed that if Mr Johnson had first been asked for the £250 he would have paid it, but as the Board had resorted to legalities in the hope of recovering the whole, Mr Johnson had probably also taken up a legal stand. Mr Joyce did not think that should make any difference to Mr Johnson, Mr Bolton wrote stating that he had paid his rates to Mr Bourke, who bad promised to send a receipt, but had not done so. The Chairman said the letter did not bear out a statement Mr Bolton had made in the office, Mr Bright said a question of principle arose which they must face ; he understood that a receipt was only secondary evidence, and that they could only meet a man’s oath by counterevidence, After considering the surrounding circumstances it was decided to withdraw the summons, but to push on with the cases, Mr Warren saying that there were about 150 summonses altogether. The Chairman said the other demands would be out shortly, and as there were only two months to collect sufficient to pay the interest they would require to press for payment, especially for the larger amounts. Mr Shelton said it would be unfair to make any exception, and it was decided that all rates should be pressed for on the due date, without favor to large or small. Mr Joyce gave notice to move that in future the wharfinger cause all goods at the wharf requiring storage to be stored in the Board's store, the wharfinger being the only person to retain the key. Mr Shelton gave notice to move that in future the meetings be held each alternate Tuesday. The Board resolved into a special meeting and confirmed the resolution in regard to leasing the harbor endowment.