HARBOUR CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 161, 9 July 1910, Page 8

HARBOUR CONTROL.

NOB.THCOTE OBJECTIONS. Mr. A. E. Greenslade, a member of the Northcote Borough Council, when questioned by a "Star" reporter as to how the Harbours Bill affected, the western, marine suburbs, said, the paints of greatest interest to them were the matters of the proposed constitution of the Auckland Harbour Board and the issue of licenses for passenger ferry service. With regard to the latter, Mr. Greenslade cordially endorsed the views expressed by Mr.W. J. Napier, a member of" the Board, and believed that while the Marine Department should always control the issuing certificates of survey with regard to the machinery and general seaworthiness of all vessels, he still thought a local authority such as the -Auckland Harbour Board could better exercise the functions of controlling tie licenses of steamers employed in the passenger service. Mr. Gjreenslade expressed his keen disappointment that the Northcote borough had again been overlooked in the matter of representation, no provision being .made for the electors of that borough to record their votes in the election of a member of the Harbour Board, though they were vitally affected in questions relating to harbour matters. Ever since the Northcote riding severed its connection with, the Waitemata County Council, over 2J years ago, the new borough liad been disfranchised. Even at the last Board election the Waitemata County Council ■practically performed this function on b.ehalf of Northcote. However, Mr. Greenslade felt sure that the Northcote Council, at its meeting on Tuesday next, would take prompt steps to have the matter properly brought under the notice of the Premier, Minister for Marine, and the various Auckland members of Parliament, so that Northcote could be grouped with Birkenhead in the matter of voting for members of the Board. He would have preferred to have seen more compact representation; that is to say, that the greater portion of the Waitemata electorate should send two representatives —one from the more populous area, Bevonport, and the other from the western end of the district—to watch over the interests of the upper Teaches of the harbour. This arrangement w*uld embrace the grouping of the Takapuna and Birkenhead ridings of the County with the boroughs on the northern side of the harbour, where the various interests should be practically identical.