HARBOUR BOARDS' BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 29, 29 October 1907, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARDS' BILL.

THE MEASURE DISCUSSED. At the mooting of the Harbour , Boar-i -yesterday afternoon, the Cliajfman (the Hon. T. JL Macdonald) referred to tho Harbour Boards Conference, which concluded its sittings on Friday last. He could not prese.ic a lull report; of the ■proceedings , .vet, heT'saii, as tho secretary and'solicitor'had not'yet finished drawing it' up.'- However, it wu proposed .to.hold a meeting of the Execivtivj of the Association on Wednesday week, when the report would be ready for discussion. Afterwards, it was intended to..wait on,the Minister for Marine,' and " place"'the.' recoin mondations arrived at before him. Every Board w.ould have an opportunity to discuss the upw Harbour Boards' Bill before the cen;stituti6ri v was changed. - '•'■■■ : - : ' : -' '■'■■','■" ••;.•:■■«•• ■-. At tho request'of tho.Cliairmaii tliesecretary (Mr. Ferguson) read tho clauses in the ;Bill which provided for a "change'iii'tlie constitution of .Harbour Boards, 'and- a desultory,discussion..followed , ...■■;... ' ,: '..•.. ■~ 1,-":!*.-,-,' : , : The. Chairman pointed.. out thnt special .regulations . would bo , " required , to : meet -the"'-'" case of'limited 'companies in' connection' with ' the , representation , on thb' payment 'of diiesV ''■■'■• ■'•■ In'the'course' : of diicu'ssionj' the 'Chairinau"' 1 ' expressed'the opinion -that the qualifications' , '' of. an , ; "elector" accordirigto tho. 8i11,', , would';". 1 :bo those of .the municipal..roli. .'. '. " .:^ Mr. , ; Boauehanin.expressed the .opinion 'that •" it was,quite,.right that the .payers'-ofi-duee-'-' , ;and the owners of ships also be;-re-.presented, i -That had Miiot'-beeili'the: ihithorto. i-.-.'.Ho-'thoiighti l .however,-."that'--the'"-' ■.election of members from ■ county councils should be placed in,the ; jiands of the delegatca trom the various county councils. ■ Those delegates-were elected 1 by tlib , people, : s6 the" . latter "would' bo represented' just •tne r : Mr. i' letcher: Your , scheme would 'be' more"' ' cumbersome than the'method ])'roposod. ; • -Mr. Shirtcliffo said he! cpnsidered that the increase of. county rep'res'eht'ation froni two to five members was too much. Hitherto the country" had had two delegates from the county councils, and now it was proposed to increase-', tho;'county to '' five, and the suburban boroughs-from 'one , - ■ to two.- .That-left Wellington with only three- ■'■■ elected members, which was altogether too ■ small, compared with the country rcipresenta- ,,1 - tion.' The.work of the'Harbour,Board , must" , ? of necessity bo carried "out very largely-.by ';.' the city members. The Harbour- Board ,; was' : mostly a Wellington-enterprise. The country' ' districts wore entitled to .representation',-'but '•'■ sdhieregard should be paid , to the .proportion '.' of the interests at stake. He suggested that they,should recommend that the country• re- ,; presentation,should be-reduoed'to',tliree; l, and!: the.corre^Fonding.addition.made to the Wellington representation. That would briug the Wellington elected members up to five,, •and would be ijioro;..>.inrjaccordance.-)with the interests involved;''''" ''■ J - '" !l ''■ ',■■ , '

!,. Ihe Chairman suggested- that the discussion.be postponed to a special .meeting j.there* would-be ample time..' , . '.'.■',' ~; "_i .... •.'„" ..,,'.' ,_ Shirtcliffe;. .'•!.• in : reference.,.to country representation, -Jmt;: understood that a recommendation Had. made by the. Harbour Boards' Conference,, ••.", '.'*■■ The Chairman said., the'* Conference did.riot.-, ', make, any..;Tceommendation. in reference to>-,-tho matter,, but .left,'.it ,to; the. individual. ''.'' Boai;ds to. send ,in. their representations,,. .■■ * Mr. ,Shirtcliffe,also complained about.-the . Mayors of the.ports being left ..off the Boards.,-.' Itvvras very desirable that the Mayors,.should '.,.', be oii.the Boards;. ; as there: wefo-.mahy matr...tors necessitating !.co-operatioii between -. the - . corporation, and; the Board. a '" mistake ",tb.. shut but the Mayprs. ■..". ..,,.,,':...', .It was...decidcd, to.j postpone.' the discussion. ; '. until' a Jspocial; meeting ,riext,.weelL ■'. ' '[ ■•■" ( '1 : ,'.. /auckiand'opinions,, ; ,,. ' Auckland," October, 28>' '"''' -.. Opinions''obtajned.locally.'from,representa- '[ ■ tive men . relativetv-to th,e provisions '.•: ombodied in the Harbpurs.Bill, ingen-1 ~ eral ..agreement ...with the,'main,:iss'ues,.,arid..\,-! the measure was, declared -to-be; in,the-right • directipn.. Almost , unanimous.;()'xc'eptibi) was-, ' taken, however,-to,the'; GoVernmont. claiming,.../ the.'seats, .and' the amount.,,'(jf r ..honoranujai. !, fixed.fbr tho i-hairnian'was'.cbhsiderqd.inade- "# quate.., The .opinion' _ .wao "freely, .expressed . " that .the .leis|ation"..W9uld.-have;,a .■',.-. gpod'..,effpctj on,')iarbour .-boariis'. .administr^,',.. tion./ Tlie,; confisc'atory...clause.dealing with ;,v tlio ..'resumption ,by,the Gpveqinient : ...of.. re-:.. ,-, claimed '.land • at,! the"'original' cost ~-pliis ■ -.. per cent.,.interest,', was!condemned. ',-.-,' - ."■,