HARBOUR BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 57, 30 November 1907, Page 7

HARBOUR BOARD.

MR. FERGUSON'S RESIGNATION: DISCUSSION AT YESTERDAY'S • MEETING'.' The monthly meeting of tho Harbour Board was held yestorday afternoon. Tho following members were presentTho Hon.' 'IV Kennedy Macdonald (chairman)-,-thoTlori! AV. Hislop (Mayor of AVellinglon) j,. the, Hon.. F. H. Frasor,-Messrs. AV. T. Wood, M.H.11., C. E. Daniell, G. Shirtcliffo, Harold Beauchamp, J. M'Lellan, and R. Fletcher. Leave of absenco was granted to Messrs. F. Towns-, •end and T. M. Wilford, M.HX., - , ; CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. '" " " Tho Chairman reported':—(l) That to suit tho convenience of members ho had given instructions that tho monthly meeting should bo delayed from Thursday, 28, to Friday, ,29. (2) That the tender of Messrs. 'Richardson and Blair for Contract No. 150, for the supply. of ninety fire hydrants for the sum of £172 155., boing the lowest 'and in;.order, has been accepted, and tho. agreement and [ bond executed with Messrs. Edward Richardson and A. AV. Blair as sureties. (3) That tho tender of Messrs. John M'Lean and Son . for Contract No. 124, for the construction of a wharf in reinforced concrete at Clydo Quay for the sum of £30,755 lis., being the lowest and in order, has been accepte'dj. and the agreement and bond executed with Messrs. Oliver Nicholson and Leslie H. Reynolds as sureties. (4) That tho committee appointed to confer with a committed of the Gity Conn--cil relative to a proposal to,reclaim sites at. yEvans Bay for industrial establishments will, report to tho Board in committee... v. - Tho report was adopted;.:' v A'LWELY INTERLUDE, Mr.- AVood read a communication from tho Palmorston North Chamber-'-of .Commerce,transmitting a copy of a resolution,., unani-, mously adopted by that body, placing, oil 'record its 'appreciation of tho seryic'es' of'Mr? William Ferguson during 't-h6 J years'; ho : 'had been secretary and engineer .to the; Harbour , •Board, expressing regret at. his .resignation,. and complimenting thoso members' of. the Board who had endeavoured !to retain' Mr. Ferguson's services. Mr. AVood tfsked-that tho lotter conveying tho | resolution-.bo-placed; on record. . ... .. • Mr. Fletcher- considered that jtljei;Palmerston Chamber of Commerco' was noV;.quite' seized of tho facts. He took oxcejitfdii""to ; ,tho last part of the lettpr'.from-.the,.Chamber of Commerce—thanking' certain' members of tho Board for their efforts—as there' was no niomber of' tho Board who'.had :not- expressed.";regret at the resignation; and''ho - thought; this letter was casting'jSn unwarranted slur on some of tho members; : : ; - • The Chairman agreed that ; there was somo .ground for Mr. Fletcher's'remarksi -vToshis mind, it was a great pity-that.pubiic-.bodips,. when passing resolutions of thci' jiindjin.aiios-' t-ion—which wero very appropriate in' 'iiiany , rospects—should sometimes' Toad them'witK-i matter_ which should not'Tormipart iof-'tho resolution. Resolutions of;. thc;,iind.; should j .never contain a reflection., pn r any member of -tho-Board. Something-of tho samo;kind,had • been, done by tho AYelliiigfon -Chamber of i Commerco, but tho resolution'-there, though passed, was not sent. - Hfiishouglit it''was a. great pity that associated with a Chamber of Commerce—who"'were supposed to bo business men, and to' a'sense of proportion — should have overloaded; their resolution with somo ivretqhetl -1 it-Jjle--thin g. that ought never to have .found its place!, there,_ and only gave rise to discussions "aiid' dissatisfaction. They had all rcicoguiscd this ; very valuable services- of ~M-ri- Ferguson;;! had■recorded that on the miniitoslj.and thoro was only one opinion abont it., .AVhy this;should, bq'done, it Was difficult to understand!- It' was no wonder that the Minister -for--Marino left Chambers of Commerce 6u*t"of"a'iij governing or controlling power-'ii}-regard-to the 'ftal-liburs of the DoniiniiJii.;, Mr. Hislop: Is there'anything bciFprb -tllfe Board ? It seems to me tliat wo hav£ Vasted too much time over this matter.'':''*' Mr. Frasor : I move thattho : :letter bo icccived and placed on tho, iflinutes -v --- Mr. Hislop; I object to. that;, ' '! Mr.' Shirtcliffo: I will second,that, not so much because lam anxious' "liavo'-the' letter placed on tho records.jofnthoVßoard,but because-r — : ■„ x „ Mr. Hislop: I object to this .discussion.., I ask yon, Mr. Chairman, as a point of order, whether this resolution eah-'bo'rc6oive'd. ! /..'Mr- Beauchamp: I take-it-that th'e obj<jct" . of' the Chamber of ...Commerce:,' -has- been 'achieved by.sending this letter-,to Mr.iAVood.. Tho Chairman, having consulted the Standing Orders, ruled.that Mr. Fraser's J m6tioii required notico, and was ■ consequently Out of order. ■ „ , A SCENE; The .subject was" revived "at a -later stage" of tho proceedings — when tho! Board . was -about going into Mr. ;Shirtolitfe. Ho asked tho. indulgence , of. the meet; . ihg to'be allowed again' to refer"to' thWlettor" ..fj-bm tho Palmorston North, Chamber, of>Commerce. "' ' ' •- ■ Tho Chairman: No: il hav& already; declined to receive Mr. Fraser's resolution.... . Mr. Shirtcliffo: It seems to me! that you have made some very strong remarks againiit the Palmorston Chamber or'» Commerce. Tho Chairman: I cannot allow-anj', discussion. There must be notice, of .motion.,,, ,1 should be very sorry if any remarks I have I made have irritated tho Palmorston Cliambor of Commerco or the Wellington ■"Ch'ainb'sr, but they have theniselves .to blame for p;„ -s- ; ing foolish resolutions.. ... ■ Mr. Shirtcliffo: That is your opinion. . , The Chairman (warmly):'l am in tho chair, • and' 1 rule that you cannot discuss this question; and I won't allow'it.,,;'- , , , 1 The subject then dropped; ~

WALKING ON THE WHARVES. Mr. Fletcher raised the question of -A"li.it*' ,tho regulations provided in. regard to. lho public walking on tho wharves.' He understood that certain restrictions had bcCn ;iiadfi with regard to thoso walking on the wharves other than thoso who had business t-hor.;? The Chairman : There is somo rulo there. Mr. Wood: Do you want to stop thorn ? Mr. Flotchor: No, 'out thoy aro stop,) :I now. ' : °> n f The Secretary (Mr. W. Ferguson) stated th'atr the question came up in- -,1904> when; Mr; Beaucliamp had a motion on tho-, subj ijt. opinion was taken; ' Mr. -Beauchamp withdrew his motion } but' a''resolution was passed, directing that'tho-gates be" kept open between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Tho secretary was also instructed to have tho gates, opened , for..the early'morning steamers. Hd' , ni'ent:iuhod' > l;liat during business hours they tried to prevent traffic along the Jervois Quay portion of .the wharves. '' ' "" Mr. Fletcher observed that some,years i go there was a prohibition against people.going down tho main wharf. ■ Mr. Beau'champ pointed out; that the question had been dealt with by , 'hi6tioft, and tho Board had given its decision.::-If,it-.wero to bo again discussed, there should ■ bo, noti-jo of motion given in tlio regular .way. .'. Ho asked tho chairman to rulo ; 'th6 discussion, out "of order, '■ Tho Secretary said there \vore restrictions in regard to Jervois Quay, but not.in respwt to tho main wharf. .... r ■ Tho Chairman-ruled that,,Mr..,,.Flo,teller, lniist givo notice' of motioii .if he"'wishcxl.Jo •■jo into tho matter. " Mrl Fletcher intimated'tTi.it ho would do so. THE BENEFITS OF PROTECTION. The. Board dealt with , various mattars in Committee, and on resuming it was reported, inter alia, that certain teffilfirs wotild b'6 acceptcd, if found to he in orderalso, that a special mooting would bo .hold at. 2 p.m. on Monday to doal with the remainder of tho business on tho Order l > apet:, , '' J ''' ' Tho Chairmau, in moving 'the adoption" of the committeo's report, said "thoi'oi'whs Snly" ono' matter that called for'.-obscrvation, and that was, that the effect, o£. the .new tariff had been seen for tho first'timo. in connection with tho machinery tenders-".thathiid" 'boon considered. . Tho changof of*'duty "'had' enabled local manufacturers .thi-oughoutvtlie ■ Dominion to completely, wipe;- out,, $he„ importers who had previously monopolist tho trade.