Interesting Contest For Harbour Board Chairman

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29068, 3 December 1959, Page 16

Interesting Contest For Harbour Board Chairman

Elections of chairman and deputy-chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board at the first, ar.d annual, meeting of the new board on December 16, have promise of being highly interesting.

When the old board ended its term, the general opinion of members was that Mr A. A. Macfarlane, representative of North Canterbury counties, would be the next chairman. He was deputy-chairman of the old board for the final year, and was reelected to the bqard unopposed. Mr W. P. Glue, who was elected at the head of the poll for the Christchurch City seats on the board, has now completed three consecutive years as chairman. It is only since the poll that Mr Glue has indicated his desire to hold office for a further term. An aspirant for chairmanship

in the past has been Mr G. Manning, the Mayor of Christchurch, but he has little support. The only other Labour member of the board Is Mr W. B. Laing, the Lyttelton, Heathcote, and Banks Peninsula member, wjio will probably nominate Mr Manning again, with no sound expectations of success. Now that he has retired from the City Council, Mr L. G. Amos, representative of the Waimairi and adjoining districts, has his eyes on the chairmanship. If he does not get a nomination of the chair, he might be a candidate for the deputy-chairmanship. Record in Chair In holding the chairmanship for three years running, Mr Glue established a board record. Other members have held the position for a total of four years, their two-year terms being broken by ordinary membership. Now that the Port building in Madras street is opened, the tender for the Maritime building in Lyttelton let and the eastern harbour extensions making real progress, Mr Glue can look back with satisfaction on his work. He has been a most industrious and diligent chairman, but the position is one which most members think should be available for all in turn after a period. •The Citizens’ Association has four members on the board of 12 members; Mr Amos has, of course, been closely associated with the party. Mr Glue is highly unlikely to be given support by the two Labour members, and Mr Macfarlane, as a country representative, could expect the support of the other country members, which would ensure his election.

Mr Macfarlane’s home is at Waiau, yet he has been a very regular attender of board functions at both Lyttelton and Christchurch.

Besides Mr Amos, Mr F. I. Sutton, one of the Citizens’ City members, is likely to be an aspirant for the position of deputychairman. Before entering business at Sumner, Mr Sutton conducted ferry services on Lyttelton Harbour. He is a son of Mr F. E. Sutton, for long Lyttelton representative on the board and a past chairman.

When Mr Glue was reviewing the work of the board at the final meeting before the election, he said the chairman was In a position of knowing more about the board’s business than the members. A suggestion that in the future some members will not be content to allow the chairman to possess knowledge not shared by them and other members was given by some questions and remarks subsequently of determination to press for more information than has been available generally in the past. Although Messrs W. S. Mac Gibbon, Glue, Amos and Freeman are also members of the Christ-church-Lyttelton Road Tunnel Authority, it became obvious when the breakdown of the loan application was investigated that information which they did not have about the board's future expectations or works programme ol * th® eastern extension and wharves access had become available. Steps are likely to be taken when the board meets to have board members better informed.