HARBOUR BOARD MEMBERSHIP

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27369, 7 June 1954, Page 6

HARBOUR BOARD MEMBERSHIP

Wider Representation Urged

It seemed that one country member of the Lyttelton Harbour Board was concerned in avoiding a rate, and not particularly concerned in developing the port, said Mr J. J. B. Connor at a meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. “I was rather shocked because he made such a candid confession that he did not realise the responsibilities of the board,” said'Mr Connor. “It is surely desirable to have some degree of sectional representation to provide a balance.” Mr Connor was speaking to a report by Mr R. C. Neville on a meeting of the exporters’, importers’ and transport committees to consider harbour board representation. The committee agreed, said Mr Neville, that the business knowledge of a commercial man representing payers of dues and the specialised knowledge of a representative of the shipping companies would be of assistance to harbour boards, as would the knowledge of harbour board employees. The committee recommended to the Associated Chambers of Commerce that some form of sectional representation be introduced on harbour boards, and mentioned, that representation should be similar to that of the Port of London or Melbourne, where business interests were represented and provision made for employee interests.