HARBOURS BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 28, 28 October 1907, Page 6

HARBOURS BILL.

AMENDING AND CONSOLIDATING ■ v - i '~ , ; ./. ''" : MEASURE; , .\\ ",y TCJPULAR ,REPRESENTATION- ON HARBOUR BOARDS.; r\' : '~ tho Harbours Bill/which has.been introduced by tho Minister for Marino (Hon. J. A. Miliar), and -which' has been considered" by "tW Harbour Boards' conference iu\ Committee, has now been circulated. It contains 192 clauses, but is, for,the most part, a .■consolidating -measure..- ■' '■■■'■. ; ••'''Tho Harbour 'Boards Bill, which was liiearljpT part of; the session, has been incorporated in an' amended form iin^tho'-how. i Bill. :.Tlie: first-named Bill pro■vidfed for the constitution on an extended 'elective system'of height boards only. The new Bill amends the first provisions regarding : tlioso eight boards, •; and also increases 'the humbeV'pf boards dealt witli under tho same' section .to'-; twenty-two, as follows:— Auckland, Bluff,- Gisborne, Havelcck, Hokitika, Lyttolton,; Mokau, .Motueka, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Oamaru, Otago, Patea, Port Molyneux, Thames, Timani, Waimakariri, Wairoa v , <$■&■), . Waitara, Wanganui, and Wellington. Two. members -are to ! be appointed by the Government in 'tho'casb of each' of these-36ardsrjvith the exception iof rPate'a, in which case' thoro. will iboionly one member; so appointed. ■ '

'v ~,>■,- ; SELECTIVE MEMBERS. :tThe- remainder of ■ tho "members' shall .be ' sleeted by ".the electors or,.tal authorities vuicl payers of harbour-dues and ship-owners /lin' eachiof; the.respective districts according Ho.'the ■ manner..:.f,ef/ / fortli..iii:. i each case. 'Every member appointed by the bovornmont shall hold ..office.. for two -years, from Jiilyil in the year in. which such Boani is The 'elective, members of the Board shall also /hold office for two years, the elections to take ,placo in February of every alternate year. ..The, elections shall 'take iriace in the, ordinary way, as provided ■by ; the Local Elections.Act, 1904, eaclr elecvtor' 'to have one' vote. , The; voting qualification for ship-owniirs and payers, of dues re-, .(mains' as heretofore.. The provisions regardfin" tho election' and appointment of members shall not apply to . the : Greymouth, West•p'o'rt New River, Riyerton and Waikpkopu (Boards, or to any/Board hereafter, constituted consisting; of the.members ,of a. local :'.: : .; . ■• ; .....*■ ,;■.-; .■■.,■ .•■

;'V- FINANC? OF HAEBOUE." BOARDS. ;' '■■'■ The ; Boards'; accounts in every yearare to be balanced to March 31. •"■ '~ ' -,'Tho annual meeting of each Board snail bo held on tho fourth. Monday, in May r-at • iwhich tho annual election , of chairman. shall tako place. The : chairman may be paid an ■, .annual allowance:not exceeding.£loo out ot tho Board's- funds.' ■■:; • " : "', . V security for the .repayment ; of loans, tho;Board'may pledge-the :rents .and profits of lands vested in ity harbour and other dues, • and the proceeds ■of a .rate levied' for the purpose with'the consent of:the. ratepayers. i'flio Local Bodies Loans Act will, apply to i.Barbour' Boards. - :-r .• :i;;' : ; ' ; ; : ; .'' j'fi'v'';'- POWERS OF BOARDS': -:;. , "''Power is-'given .to the Boards tp^make- bylaws for "various purposes as . hitherto • v'ided, and also to regulate and .control the ''sale on wharves of.any articles by hawkers, newspaper vendors, and 'other persons. ~ The powers of tho Board to construct harbour works are oxtended to include freezmg- -' -"jfforks and .cool .chambers; ,'• .' '....'. ■'. . ■ v V-; ;/•/;•::■■:'■-.' ■ ■ ' PILOTAGE.' Vv;- ;'■;: ['; > 'Tho section of the Act of 1878, dealing with tho appointment of pilots, is recon./structed, and it."is. provided that any iin- ■ authorised person acting as a pilot within ' »a-•: districVwhere', .pilotage is compulsory is Pliable to a fine ™t exceeding,£lo.ol )ni,acldi T . :tioh to''any liability for damages. ■':..•;•■,.; ' ■ ■;■■ The Boards shall have;power : to determine -whether pilotage shall be compulsory or _opand may prescribe rules .m. regard to : Bight jests'for pilots.: ~. ,j-..y . '' ■\<-. Pilotage.rates to~bq paid,,to theHar■bour Board, whero. there is one,,and to,tho .'Collector'.of Custorixs.at ports where-there -iis'no Harbour Bciard.,; • ...• :;-■ \f ■; ;^ ! -< ; :LANT)s' 'AND ENDOWMENTS. /,• :,i The:Board may'-lease 'rural 'lands -vested ■init for any term Jiot osceedmg twenty-one years, : and town lands ' for ,: any term not Exceeding fifty years. '- No premium 'may be -taken. 'Where any lease is for a longer "term than twenty-one years" the annual rent . ; for any period beyond the first twenty-one *years shall : be at least 50 portent:: greater . than during >' the last'/'year of .the. expireci ■••'twenty-one: years. Every 'lease ,bo sold j by'public'auction or: public tender. . ; . '•' When aiiV land vested in the Board is 'TSumed by •■the-'Governor-: under..the Public ' Works' Act,' 1905, tho co'mpensation payable •■ --'sliall'not'exceed the amount spent -by tho Board in .reclaiming, or improving the land, 'pliis 2J per ceiit., or the valueot the land jft : benvta!ren; : whichever.is the lesser amount. - ; ■•-■■■■ -> ■'-• -FOItESHORES.' ■"'' :h ' : ' '■'" ■'- r v The clause in' the Act of 1878', under, which • 'foreshores could not be (disposed ; of without Va'special Act of Parliament,'.is modified by 'ia proviso :that: the GoveAior-ih-Cpuiici may .-'•graiit occupation ■leases, of Crown lands be'tween .highland low/wator-mark, on, which ' "at'.high water spring.' 1 tides. , there . is. not. siiffibienf" depth of" water for navigation. ' Such leases are to 1)0 for periods not exceed- ' > iiig 21 ydars and, may, contain a clause authorising, the lessue to reclaim such land ■.■without a special)Actl..- ..-■;■•.■•'. ,' '"■-"Every person is~liable to a hno.not exceeding £5 who removes any i stone, sand or ■ i boulders : from any . foreshore . ■ authority : in writing', of the Minister, where vtiie foreshoreiis vested in the Crown; or the local authority. where the foreshore is , vested Mn.:a local'authority.;; • ■;■:■.:. .'./.- ■' .-■;• .

,' : WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.' 3ist of- l' 4 members, of whom two will be. -.: The 'Wellington Harbour Board is to conappointed by .the Governor, and three by the ■■electors-of-the , City of Wellington; one by :.tho electors of the Boroughs of Petone arid Lower Hutt; one by tho electors •■ of the -Boroughs of Onslow, Karori/Miramar, and -•Eastbourne;- one. by the electors of the County of Hutt and of any other county ot -borough hereafter to be' constituted within or-'from'the said county; one.by the electors of the Counties of Wairarapa South, Masterton, Pahiatua, Akitio, 'Ekotahuna, Maurice-

tvi'le,' Oastlepoint; and by electors of any other county or any borough hereafter ■ to'be constituted within' or from tho said '-counties; one by tho electors of the Boroughs of Greytown, Carterton, Mastorton, - Ekota--liuna, andPahiatua; one by tho electors of the Counties of Manawafcu, ♦Oroua, Horo■wlienua, 'Pohangina, and Kiwitea; ono by '.the elector's-'of , -the-Boroughs <of Palmerston North) Feikling, Foxton, and Levin; one by and out of the persons who have severally paid to tho Board , £3 or upwards ,of harbour dues on ships during the year ending tho 31st day of .-December Inst preceding the election; and one by and out of tho persons who have severally paid to the Board £3 of upwards' of harbour dues other, than dues on ships during the year' eliding' the 31st day of ■ December last preceding tho election. Under the proposals of the Bill which passed its second' reading on August 8, and lias not. been , proceeded -with any,, further, the Wellington Harbour Board, would havo .had only ten members; the .Governor would have appointed three of these, the . jlsyor would have been an ox-officio member and the city electors would have had two representatives, Pctone and Hutt would .have shared a. representative with tho County .of Hutt and the otner suburban boroughs; tho election being by tho Councils Jnstoad of by. the electors as in tho present Bill. The samo. broadening of the olectora feasis applies throughout the district, and tho of borough,- from county representation in the Wairarapa and Manawatu districts is new in tho present Bill.' Tho qualification in respect of harbour duos is ' reduced from £10 to £3, and tho eolection ef a representative by ship-owners, as such, 'i&fts. been dropped. . OTHER BOARDS. ' The Wanganui Harbour Board will comprise ten members. Two oj these will be

appointed by the Governor, four will bo elected by tbc electors of tho Borough of Wanganui ;two by the electors of thoOonnty ,of Wanganui; and two by the electors of tho County: of Waitotara, : ..■[ .:-. , Napier Harbour Board under the how Bill will have 13 member?. Two, will be. nppointed by tho Governor and eleven will.be elected as follows: —Three by tho electors of tho Boroiighof Napier: two by tho. electors of' the County of Hawke's Bay; two by,tho electors of the Counties of Waipawa and Patangata; one by tho electors of the Borou<rh of Hastings; one by tho electors of the County of Wairoa; one by and' out of the persons who have severally paid to tho Board j£3 or upwards of harbour dues on ships during tho yonr ending tho 31st of December last preceding the election; and one'by and out of the persons who have severally paid to the Board £3 or upwards of harbour dues other than dues on ships during the year ending tho 31st day of December last preceding tho, election.