LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD'S NEW CHAIRMAN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7732, 27 February 1909, Page 2

LYTTELTON HARBOUR BOARD'S NEW CHAIRMAN.

Sir Hugo Friedlander has for over 21 years been identified with public affaiit | in this county and it is a remarkabk i fact that he has so won the confidence of these with whom he has boon su-so- , ,-iated on public bodies that he liars in j every single case been thought worthy J jf the highest office. He has never j sat as a private member on any public' or private body without eventually finding his way into the chair. This honmr has always been recognised as his due, not only because of the conseien-! cious way in which he discharges his duty, but because of his'■■knowledge o' finance, hie executive ability and hi. close attention not only to the largei > but to detail and routine work. It is not. surprising, therefore, tha' Mr Friedlander has been elected chair man of the Lyttelton Harbour Board and though the work which lies before him is probably the most difficult thai has confronted him during his lonfe years of public life, no, one doubts hi? fitness for the office, or has any^ misgivings as to his success. Mr Friedlander, while giving due weight to thf strong opposition he will have to encounter from t-hose who favour tin canal scheme, does not expect a greai deal of trouble from this cause. Thf question will come up for settlement— and very shortly, too; the battle- maj be a fierce one, but it will be short and conclusive and a settlement will l>e arrived at one way. or the other. What line of action he intends to take ho was not' prepared to say when fepoken to by one of our representatives yesterday, but he will place his [views before the next meeting of the Board in an unmistakeable way. He has—it is understood —como to the conclusion that the people of Christchurch do not want the- canal, and he believec that when the report showing the amount of traffic on the Lyttelton line comes before the Board little more will be heard about the project. In alluding to the objection that had been brought against) him as chairman, Mr Friedlander said that while it had been urged that his strong views on the wisdom of retaining the present harbour unfitted him for the impartial duties of the chair, those who opposed him supported a man who was,' if anything, more strongly in favour of the canal than he was in opposition, so that the reason for opposing him might have been advanced with equal force against the other gentleman nominated. He believed that, after a year's office the objections now existing : against him would be removed,; and lie hoped to show that ho can be fair and impartial. He will endeavour to preserve the dignity of the chair, and having had some experience he does not expect that his present office will present any insurmountable difficulties. It seems that Mr Friedlander did not say (as he was reported to have done in Christchurch) that he would take 'ip his residence in Christchurch, but in replying to a member of the Board he remarked, in a jocular way, that no ono could say that he would not reside in Christchurch for he might yet- do so. Anyway, he assured o\ir reporter that tlie distance would be no disadvantage, as he will be in a posit tan to spend as much time in Chnsto'nirch Jis the Harbour- Board business reqnhes on the part of the Board's chairman.